Best Instagram Feed

An exquisite waterfall.
A rockin’ concert.
A smiling paddler, about to try out a new SUP.
And Mt. Bachelor—a little point in the galaxy, positioned under a rush of stars.

If those images don’t sum up what Oregon is all about, I don’t know what does. As I’m writing this, those are the four most recent posts on the Backyard Bend Instagram feed—images that conjure up all the beauty, fun and general wonder that makes living here pretty dang wonderful. Go to the feed to check out scenes from events at Bachelor, shows hitting town or photos of some of the region’s most iconic and beautiful spots.
Apparently, our readers think Backyard Bend is doing a nice job highlighting the rad factor in Central Oregon too, because they’ve voted its Instagram feed their favorite in this brand-new category this year. (With so many people using the ‘gram to share their lives, it was only a matter of time before this became a Source Best Of category….)

Not only does the feed toss some shine on the many cool things Central Oregonians are doing, but they’re also regularly giving stuff away—like that SUP I mentioned before. Even better? It’s not just a compilation of their own work, but also a place where locals are invited to tag and share their own photos, to be featured on the feed later on. If you’re a photographer looking to get some recognition, using the hashtag #backyardbend can apparently get you some cred. (Shameless plug: You can also tag @sourceweekly to be featured right here in this rag.)

There are plenty of ways to get stoked on the C.O., but this year, it’s Backyard Bend that’s rising above the rest in the Best Instagram category.

2nd Place: Pete Alport @pete_alport