Our Story

Our Mission: Wanderlust Tours exists to inspire our guests and vibrantly share the natural and cultural history of Oregon in order to instill appreciation and protection of the environment.

Our Ethic: We hold great respect for the natural surroundings of our tours and hope to introduce people to delicate ecosystems while maintaining a low impact on the environment.  

Our Staff: Wanderlust Tours is made up of people who are passionate about the intricacies of nature, having fun outdoors and thrive on sharing their knowledge with those who choose our tours. >> Meet our Staff! 

Sharing Natural & Cultural History: Wanderlust Tours acknowledges that historical understanding is most often not comprehended by succeeding generations as there is so much in the present to fill our minds. However, a cultivated understanding and acknowledgement of the lives and circumstances preceding us can inform and guide us presently and into the future. 

We acknowledge that indigenous people inhabited North America, and Oregon specifically, for about 15,800 years. The Paiute and the Tana´nma of the Warm Springs bands lived on and by means of the land that today encompasses our cities and public lands that we visit. Wanderlust Tours gives tribute to the tenacity that pervaded Native people in order to sustain life from nature. We honor the ingenuity they employed using the gifts of nature to thrive off the land. We honor their presence and connectivity to the land today. Our company ethic hopes to embody principles of stewardship as did those who came before us. And we hope to pass on understanding of Native Peoples including their traditional lands they now share with us for the purpose of our tours. 

By offering this land acknowledgement, we affirm tribal sovereignty and promote visibility of the original peoples of this land, past and present.

History in the Making

1993: Wanderlust Tours is born as a one man and one van operation. Canoeing the Deschutes River and a few hikes are our initial trips.

1995: Dave and Aleta, who founded the company together, marry.

1996: Nina and Eric, the first and second guides are hired by Wanderlust Tours.

1998: After marketing for the High Desert Museum, Aleta Nissen joined the operation full time.

2000: Wanderlust received the Governor's Tourism Award from Governor Kitzhaber in recognition of their leadership, cooperation, and support for building sustainable tourism in Oregon. 

2002: Cave Tours begin

2004: Dinner Canoe and Bonfire on the Snow tours begin

2005: Our Brews and Views Canoe and GPS EcoChallenge tours begin. Established partnerships with local colleagues rise sharply.

2006: Dave and Aleta give life to a new guide! Our little snowshoer helped receive the Gene Leo Award for inspiring and creative efforts in outdoor recreation.

2007: Awarded the "Excellence in Family Business" Award from the Austin Family Business Program at OSU for bringing people into the natural world and for promoting understanding of natural, cultural, and environmental issues in Central Oregon.

2010: The Bend Brew Bus and Local Pour tours are hatched. 

2012: Wanderlust moved out of the Nissen residence and into their current office location.

2017: The Eclipse camping tour hosts people from around the globe for a top tier professional and personal experience for everyone involved!

2017: Art in Nature series of outdoor concerts begins, illuminating spectacular talent in nature’s stunning settings.

2018: Wanderlust’s ongoing relationship with the High Desert Museum blossoms with our first tour to the site locations found in the museum’s Spirit of the West exhibit- namely the Black Rock and Steens regions.

2020: Creatively survived COVID-19 while maintaining our mission! Thankful for everyone who joins us in the beauty of the natural world. 

2022: Founders, Dave and Aleta Nissen, sell Wanderlust Tours to longtime employees, Courtney Braun and Jared Garfield. Courtney and Jared will continue to positively affect people's lives through strong company mission and commitment to excellence.