Photo by Chad Copeland
Discover the Newberry National Volcanic Monument
O
ne of Central Oregon’s oldest natural treasures has a relatively new beginning. In November of 1990, the Newberry National Volcanic Monument was created within the boundaries of Deschutes National Forest. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service, this monument provides a unique opportunity to view the Lava Lands of Central Oregon. Newberry National Volcanic National Monument includes more than 54,000 acres of lakes, lava flows, and spectacular geologic features in Central Oregon. It’s a short drive from Sunriver to explore the sites in the Monument.
LAVA LANDS VISITOR CENTER
Start your exploration of the Monument at Lava Lands Visitor Center, just north on Highway 97 or ride your bike there from Sunriver on the paved Sun-Lava Trail. View a 3D map of the entire Monument at the Visitor Center and learn about its eruptive history, beginning more than 400,000 years ago. Over the centuries, the volcanic activity has created massive lava flows covering 1,200 square miles, dozens of lava tubes and more than 400 cinder cones. The Visitor Center offers daily educational films, easy hikes on the Trail of Molten Lands and the Trail of Whispering Pines, picnics among the trees, ranger interpretive talks, and a hike, drive or bus ride to the top of Lava Butte — the site of an active fire lookout tower.
LAVA RIVER CAVE
The Lava River Cave is a short drive from the Visitor Center. An ancient lava tunnel about a mile long, the cave is open seasonally. See the adjoining article for information and ask at the Visitor Center about the schedule.
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NEWBERRY CALDERA Travel south on Highway 97 to turn on County Road 21 to the Newberry Caldera where you will find the picturesque Paulina Lake and East Lake. This area offers a wealth of recreational opportunities, including fishing, kayaking, hiking and mountain biking. Camping and dining available. There are several hikes in the Newberry Caldera, including: • Big Obsidian Flow is an easy less than a mile trail with interpretive signs. Best to wear closed shoes and dogs are not allowed for safety reasons. The entire trail takes about an hour to walk. • The 7.5 mile Paulina Lakeshore Trail circles Paulina Lake with beautiful views, obsidian rocks and a natural hot springs. • Paulina Peak at 7,985 feet is the highest point in the Monument and offers stunning views of the Cascade Mountains, Newberry Caldera and the Central Oregon High Desert. You can either hike to Paulina Peak or drive to the top in the spring and fall. The hike from the Paulina Peak Trailhead is two miles each way, out and back. Cars are not allowed to drive all the way up to the Paulina Peak summit in summer.
LAVA CAST FOREST
The Lava Cast Forest earned its name from the trees that became encased in stone by a 6,000-year-old lava flow. What remained were casts of the trees, creating large holes that go several feet below the surface. Visitors can view these tree molds within the lava flow on a paved, one-mile interpretive trail. And enjoy the beautiful native flowers breathing new life into this ancient land of lava! To get there, follow the main entrance road to Sunriver east onto unpaved Forest Service Road 9720 for almost ten miles to a parking area. fs.usda.gov
