A community-built overland weekend lands at Sisters High School August 1-2 with 50+ brands, a Wrench Yard DIY showcase, on-site camping, and a Monday trail ride through the Deschutes National Forest with Backland Adventures. Free admission with code SISTERSFREE.
Backcountry Offroad Expo Comes to Sisters Oregon — August 1-2, 2026
A community-driven outdoor weekend lands at Sisters High School August 1-2 with 50+ brands, a Wrench Yard DIY showcase, on-site camping, and a post-show trail ride through the Deschutes National Forest with Backland Adventures. Free admission with code SISTERSFREE.
Backcountry Offroad Expo Comes to Sisters Oregon — August 1-2, 2026
If you've been looking for a reason to get to Central Oregon in early August, this is it. The Sisters stop of the Backcountry Offroad Expo, presented by Johnson RV, is a community-driven outdoor weekend that's been quietly building momentum across the West. It lands at Sisters High School August 1–2, 2026. If you can't make this one, the show also stops in Reno, NV (August 8-9), and SoCal (TBD) for this year. But Sisters is the PNW stop, and it's the one most W7BR readers are going to want to plan around.
In this post we'll cover what the Backcountry Offroad Expo actually is, what's different about the Sisters stop, the full event schedule and ticket structure, what to expect at the venue, where to stay, and how the optional trail ride with Backland Adventures through the Deschutes National Forest works. If you only have time to plan one thing — grab tickets early, use the code SISTERSFREE for free admission, and use CAMPING20 for 20% off camping if you're staying on-site.
What the Backcountry Offroad Expo is
The Backcountry Offroad Expo is a multi-stop offroad and adventure travel show run by founder Merrisa Petersen and her team at Dirt Road Society. The 2026 tour includes stops in Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, and a Southern California event that is currently being finalized:
Hurricane, UT — May 22-23 (completed)
Castle Rock, CO — June 13-14 (completed; camping sold out)
Sisters, OR — August 1-2 ← this post
Reno, NV — August 8-9
SoCal — TBD
Unlike the bigger OEM-heavy shows (more on that comparison below), the Backcountry Offroad Expo is positioned around community — small-batch builders, owner-built rigs, a Wrench Yard DIY showcase, and educational programming that prioritizes the people behind the builds over the brands sponsoring the show floor. The official Sisters Oregon event page calls out the focus plainly: "a welcoming place where people can meet others, swap stories, learn something new, and get inspired for their next adventure — whether they drive a built-out van, a truck, an SUV, or something else entirely."
In Merrisa's words from the announcement: "Oregon has one of the strongest outdoor communities in the country, and Sisters felt like a natural fit for Backcountry Offroad Expo. We're excited to bring together people who love exploring, learning, and spending time outside while creating a place where everyone feels welcome, no matter what they drive or how they adventure."
Why Sisters Oregon
Sisters sits at the western edge of Deschutes County, about 22 miles west of Bend on US-20 / OR-126. Population is around 3,000, elevation is roughly 3,200 feet, and the town sits at the meeting point of the Eastern Cascades and the high desert — Whychus Creek (formerly Squaw Creek, renamed in 2006) flows past the southeast side of town and runs directly into the Three Sisters Wilderness. The Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce describes the area as "an expanse of majestic and inspiring natural beauty reaching from the town of Sisters, Oregon, to the panoramic Pacific Crest Trail."
Three things make Sisters a natural fit for a camping and adventure travel show:
1. It's already a gateway town. Sisters is the last real services stop before Highway 20 climbs over Santiam Pass toward the coast, and it's the western anchor of the Bend-Redmond-Sisters overland triangle. PNW overlanders who camp, hunt, fish, or run trails in the Cascades already know Sisters.
**Deschutes National Forest Sisters Ranger District** — the local USFS office for trip planning, fire restrictions, and current road conditions
**Three Sisters Wilderness** — the 286,708-acre designated wilderness area immediately west of Sisters, with trailheads accessible from town
**Whychus Creek** — the creek that runs past Sisters and into the Three Sisters Wilderness; the creek's 2006 name change from Squaw Creek is part of the broader Oregon geographic name reconciliation work
**Black Butte** — the cinder cone on the edge of Sisters that anchors the Black Butte Ranch resort community
**Sisters Eagle Air Airport (6K5)** — general aviation strip just north of town, useful if you're flying your own aircraft
PNW overlanders who've driven Highway 20 over Santiam Pass or camped along the Metolius River already know this country. The Deschutes NF Sisters Ranger District is the most concentrated offroad-trail network in Central Oregon — it's the same general area W7BR covers in our PNW overlanding guides and the same backroad network that connects Sisters to the broader Oregon OHV trail system maintained by Oregon State Parks.
3. It already hosts major outdoor events. The Sisters Rodeo (second weekend in June) and the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (mid-July) book out the town's lodging every year. By early August, the calendar is lighter, but the town's outdoor-event infrastructure — parking, camping, vendor space, food — is already proven.
For more on the broader PNW overland context, W7BR's coverage of Overland Expo PNW (held in Redmond, about 30 minutes east of Sisters) and the broader Central Oregon backroad scene is the right starting point. For trail-specific planning, the Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA) maintains an active volunteer network on the Sisters-area forest roads.
Tickets, camping, and the promo codes
The full ticket structure from the official BOE tickets page:
| Pass | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Attendee Pass | $3 | General admission for the weekend. Walk the show, meet vendors, see the builds. |
| Attendee + Raffle Bundle | $13 | $3 admission + 3 raffle entries ($10 value). Best entry-level option. |
| Raffle Entry Only | $10 | 3 raffle entries for guests who already have an attendee ticket |
| Camping Pass | $95 | Per vehicle, both Friday and Saturday nights. Includes entry for everyone in the vehicle. |
| Trail Ride with Backland Adventures | $250/per vehicle | BOE Encore — two nights camping + full-day trail ride through Deschutes NF |
Free admission with promo code SISTERSFREE at checkout. 20% off camping with promo code CAMPING20. If you're planning to drive in for the day, the $3 attendee pass is already cheap, but the free code makes it free. If you're camping, the 20% off camping code brings the $95 pass to about $76 per vehicle — well worth it for the community-camping atmosphere.
The raffle benefits the Humane Society of Central Oregon — items are contributed by show vendors and drawn live at the event. More entries means better odds, which is why the bundle ticket ($13 for admission + 3 entries) is the recommended play.
If you want to scope the venue and surrounding area before you arrive, the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce visitor guide has maps, business listings, and current event info for the broader Sisters Country region. The Bureau of Land Management Prineville District manages most of the public lands east of Sisters (including the open OHV areas in the high desert), and the Oregon Department of Transportation posts current road conditions for US-20 and OR-126 during summer fire-season closures.
Where the show actually happens
The Sisters stop of the Backcountry Offroad Expo is held at Sisters High School at McKinney Butte Road, Sisters, OR 97759 — about a mile north of downtown Sisters, easy walking or biking distance from most of the town's lodging. The school grounds work well for a show of this size, with a large paved parking area for the Wrench Yard and For Sale section, expansive grass fields for vendor booths, and plenty of space for camping, live music, food trucks, and community activities.
Sisters High School sits at the foot of Black Butte, a cinder cone that's one of the most photographed landmarks in Central Oregon and the site of the Black Butte Ranch resort community. If you're camping at the show or driving in early on Friday, the Black Butte Ranch area has paved bike paths that connect back into Sisters town and make a good morning warm-up before the show floor opens.
What's actually at the show
The Sisters stop has the same core programming as the rest of the 2026 BOE tour:
**50+ outdoor brands, builders, creators, and local businesses** — More than 50 outdoor brands, builders, creators and local businesses are expected in Sisters
**Wrench Yard / DIY Build Showcase & Competition** — the community-judged DIY showcase that sets BOE apart from bigger corporate shows. Winners are picked by attendees
**Yard Sale / For Sale Section** — privately owned and builder vehicles listed for sale, presented by Vanlife Trader
**Educational talks, panels, and roundtable discussions** — programming runs throughout Saturday and Sunday afternoons, with evening fireside sessions Saturday night
**Food trucks and local vendors** — Sisters-based and Central Oregon food trucks
**Live music** — announced closer to the event
**Community activities** — designed to be family-friendly and inclusive of new overlanders, not just the deep-end gear crowd
**On-site camping** — the social heart of the show. The Friday and Saturday night camping is where most of the actual community-building happens
**Raffle benefiting the Humane Society of Central Oregon** — drawn live at the event
How BOE differs from Overland Expo PNW
Whiskey7backroads readers will already be familiar with Overland Expo PNW — the bigger, OEM-heavy overland show held at the Deschutes County Expo Center in Redmond, Oregon, June 26-28, 2026. Overland Expo PNW draws 300+ exhibitors, 11 title sponsors (Toyota, Ford, Jeep, Ram, and the major overland gear brands), and 8,000+ attendees over three days. It's the production-scale event on the Central Oregon calendar.
The Backcountry Offroad Expo Sisters stop is a different show:
| Overland Expo PNW | Backcountry Offroad Expo Sisters | |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | June 26-28, 2026 | August 1-2, 2026 |
| Venue | Deschutes County Expo Center, Redmond | Sisters High School, Sisters |
| Attendance | ~8,000+ | Smaller, community-focused |
| Exhibitors | 300+ brands | 50-150 brands (varies by stop) |
| Title sponsors | 11 OEM and gear majors | Smaller-scale, builder-friendly |
| Ticket | $26-39 day pass / $85-99 weekend | $3 day pass (free with SISTERSFREE) |
| Camping | On-site primitive + hotels | $95/vehicle on-site community camping |
| Programming focus | OEM demos, big-brand classes, 220+ classes | Owner-built DIY, Wrench Yard, community talks |
| Vibe | Production-scale industry event | Community weekend |
Both shows are worth attending if you can swing it. Overland Expo PNW is where you go to see the latest from the major brands and take a factory training class. BOE Sisters is where you go to talk to builders, see owner-built rigs in the Wrench Yard, buy a used vehicle in the Yard Sale and actually meet the people who are doing the same kind of trips you're doing. They're complementary, not competitive.
Getting to Sisters
Sisters sits in the middle of Oregon, so depending on where you're driving from, the trip is either short or long. Practical drive times from the major feeder cities:
From Bend, OR — about 30 minutes east on US-20
From Redmond, OR — about 40 minutes west on US-20 (Redmond is also home to Redmond Municipal Airport / Roberts Field (RDM), the main commercial airport for Central Oregon with nonstop service to Denver (DEN), San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), Salt Lake City (SLC), Seattle (SEA), and Phoenix (PHX) via Alaska Airlines, United Express, Delta Connection, and American Eagle)
From Portland, OR — about 3.5 hours south on US-26 via the Mount Hood National Forest corridor
From Seattle, WA — about 5.5 hours south on I-5 + US-12 or I-5 + US-20
If you're flying in, RDM is the obvious choice — it's about a 40-minute drive west to Sisters, and rental cars are available at the airport. The smaller Sisters Eagle Air Airport (6K5) is a private/general aviation strip just north of town, useful if you're flying your own aircraft. For reference, NOAA's NWS forecast office in Pendleton issues the public forecasts for the Sisters area — bookmark their Sisters forecast page before you head out.
Where to stay
Sisters is small, and the lodging fills up fast during peak summer weekends. For the August 1-2 BOE weekend, you'll want to book early. Options, roughly from closest-to-venue to furthest:
On-site camping at the show
The $95 BOE Camping Pass (with code CAMPING20 for 20% off) is the most social option and the easiest logistics. You're at the venue, you don't have to drive anywhere after-hours, and the fireside hangouts and DIY build conversations happen naturally when everyone's camping together. Recommended for first-timers and anyone who wants the full community-camping vibe.
Sisters in-town lodging
Within a mile of Sisters High School:
**FivePine Lodge** — Sisters' best-known boutique hotel, on the west edge of town. Spa, restaurant, walking distance to the venue
**Best Western Ponderosa Lodge** — reliable mid-scale option, central Sisters location
**GrandStay Hotel & Suites Sisters** — newer, suites-style, good for families
**Sisters Inn & Suites** — locally owned, walkable to downtown
Sisters-area camping (off-site)
If the on-site camping sells out, these are the closest options:
**Sisters Creekside Campground** — city campground on Whychus Creek, walkable to downtown Sisters
**Camp Sherman** — small community 14 miles west of Sisters on the Metolius River. Quiet, scenic, first-come-first-served for most sites
Deschutes National Forest dispersed camping — free, primitive, available throughout the Sisters Ranger District. Check the current USFS fire restrictions before you go
August in Sisters runs warm and dry — typical daytime highs in the mid-80s°F, overnight lows in the mid-40s°F, and very little rain. Pack for warm afternoons and cool evenings, and bring a good shade structure if you're camping at the show.
BOE Encore: Guided Trail Ride with Backland Adventures
If you can stay an extra day, the BOE Encore Post-Show trail ride with Backland Adventures is the add-on most attendees don't know about until they're at the show. It's a small-group, guided trip that picks up where the expo leaves off:
Two nights of camping, beginning Sunday evening immediately after the expo and wrapping up Tuesday morning.
**Full day exploring the scenic backroads of the Deschutes National Forest** on Monday, August 3
Geological landmarks including volcanic landscapes unique to Central Oregon
Monday night steak dinner included for the trail-day dinner
$250 per van (registration directly supports the Backland Adventures team that organizes and leads the experience.)
Spots are limited to keep groups small and the experience relaxed. If you're a PNW overlander who already knows the Sisters area, this is the way to see parts of the Deschutes NF you wouldn't find on your own. If you're a first-timer to Central Oregon, this is the best possible introduction.
Is BOE Sisters worth the trip?
Yes. Here's the short version:
If you go to one overland show this year and you live in the PNW, the August 1-2 Sisters stop is the easiest, cheapest, and most community-focused option on the calendar. The free admission code, the on-site camping, and the family-friendly programming make it the most accessible entry point for newer overlanders.
**If you attended the Overland Expo PNW in June**, BOE Sisters is a different show with a different vibe — worth attending separately rather than as a substitute.
If you're a builder or DIY offroader, the Wrench Yard competition (the owner-built vehicle showcase) is the parts of the show you'd build the rest of the trip around.
If you have an extra day, the Backland Adventures trail ride is the right way to close out the weekend.
Tickets, camping, and the trail ride are all on the official Backcountry Offroad Expo tickets page. Free admission code is SISTERSFREE, camping discount code is CAMPING20. The show runs Saturday August 1 and Sunday August 2, 2026 at Sisters High School in Sisters, Oregon.
For more on the broader Central Oregon overland scene, Steven's coverage of Overland Expo PNW, the Meet the New Workhorse of Whiskey 7 Ranch story on our own PNW overland rig, and the Overlanding's $68 Billion Problem post on the broader overlanding market all connect to the same community. Have fun in Sisters.
—Brent
About the Author
Brent Conklin
Owner of Whiskey7backroads and avid explorer. I am a Ham Radio extra class operator and frequent the Old Miss Net. I have been married for 37 years to Cheryl and we have 2 boys and 2 dogs.
