RATING: ♦♦♦♦
Newberry Volcano National Monument was designated to protect the area around Newberry Volcano in central Oregon, just south of Bend. The monument lies within the boundaries of the Deschutes National Forest, which is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. It’s called a “monument”, but it is actually over 50,000 acres of natural wonders including lakes, lava flows, and other geologic features unique to the region.
Fun fact: In July 1966, twenty-two astronauts trained here for upcoming Moon landings. Apparently, this area resembles the moon.
There are four primary visitor destinations: Lava Butte, Lava River Cave, Lava Cast Forest, and Newberry Caldera. We visited Lava Butte and Newberry Caldera.
Lava Butte
There is a system of small cinder cones on the northwest flank of the massive Newberry Volcano which rises to the southeast. The Lava Butte cinder cone volcano rises 500 feet above the visitor center. We drove to the top via the steep, narrow road that circles the cone. From there, we could look down into the crater or view the surrounding mountains.
Newberry Caldera
Newberry is an active volcano, the largest in the Cascade Volcanic Arc when its lava flows are taken into account. From north to south, the volcano has a length of 75 miles and a width of 27 miles. The volcano contains a large caldera, or cauldron-like hollow that can form when a magma chamber collapses after a volcanic eruption.
Over time, Newberry Caldera filled up with water that created two lakes, Paulina Lake and East Lake. Visitors have access to boating, hiking, camping, and many other summer and winter activities.
We hiked a one-mile interpretive trail to the really cool Big Obsidian Flow, which is a massive lava flow of obsidian and pumice. It covers about one square mile. Obsidian is a dark, natural glass, formed when lava cools without crystallizing. It has been used for pottery and arrowheads.
Our last stop was the Paulina Falls Trail to see the double waterfall.
