Hiking
Your options are endless. Explore the
Deschutes National Forest on your own or try a
guided tour.
Wanderlust Tours offers guided tours with
vibrant interpretation on ecology, geology, animal tracking,
and history. No experience necessary for any tours—great
for all ages!
800-962-2862
Lava
Lands Visitor Center
The Lava Lands Visitor Center
is the interpretive hub for Newberry National Volcanic
Monument and is located just off U.S. Hwy. 97, 3 miles north
of Sunriver. Lava Lands offers nature walks, interpretive
programs, visitor information, displays on geology,
volcanology and the cultural history of Central Oregon. A
small book shop offers books on the Central Oregon area.
Behind the Visitor Center there are two self guided
interpretive trails, to explore at your own pace. One, the
Trail of Molten Land, meanders over the 7000 year-old lava
flow from Lava Butte, the imposing cinder cone behind the
Visitor Center. The other, Trail of the Wispering Pines,
wanders through a young ponderosa pine forest.
Lava
River Cave
The scarcity and spaciousness
of Central Oregon's Lava Lands create an area of striking
beauty both above and below ground. Large areas are covered
by lava flows. These rivers of rock are basalt, a molten
lava that spreads quickly and sometimes flowed up to seventy
miles. Great tunnels wind through many of these flows and
suggest that awesome forces of |
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nature were once at work. These
ancient lava tunnels (called tubes) are one of the
area's most interesting secrets.
Lava River Cave is one
example of these ancient lava tunnels. The cave is part of
Newberry National Volcanic Monument, which is managed by the
U.S. Forest Service. The cave temperature is a constant 42
degrees, so wear warm clothing. The one mile cave is one of
the longest lava tubes in Oregon. Located one mile south of
Lava Lands Visitor Center.
Cascade Lakes Highway
Begin in Sunriver and strike
out on a breathtaking 87-mile loop that leads past Mt.
Bachelor and the alpine lakes of Central Oregon, with
spectacular panoramas and inviting stops along the way.
Designated a National Scenic Byway by the U.S.D.A. Forest
Service, the
Cascade Lakes Highway is open all summer. But from November
through May, it's closed beyond Mt. Bachelor due to snow.
Some of the lakes that you will encounter include Todd Lake,
Sparks Lake, Cultus Lake, and Crane Prairie Reservoir. As
you can imagine, this is an angler's paradise. All fishing
types can spend hours at the banks of these lakes, fishing
for Atlantic salmon and other freshwater fish. Waterfowl and
many species of plants thrive here as well. Whether you
want to hike, bike, fish, boat, swim or water-ski, your are
sure to find just the right spot. Elk and Cultus Lakes are
two of the most popular for swimming and boating, with Crane
Prairie and Wickiup Reservoirs being noted for their
exceptional fishing.
Newberry National Volcanic Monument
Newberry National Volcanic
Monument is a recreational playground for thousands of
visitors each year. Newberry Crater holds two alpine lakes,
East and Paulina, which are home to trophy-size brown and
rainbow trout, as well as kokanee and Atlantic salmon. Seven
campgrounds in the Crater, offer shoreline camping, boat
ramps, sanitary facilities, group camping, and a horse camp
with equestrian trails. In the winter, the Crater is a
popular destination for both snowmobilers and cross-country
skiers. Miles of trails run through the Monument, offering
visitors year round opportunities for hiking and exploring.
Hiking trails, include the popular Peter Skene Ogden
National Recreation Trail and other trails lead to major
lava flows and around portions of the crater rim. The
northwest border of the Monument is the Wild and Scenic
Deschutes River, where river rafters and kayakers bounce
through white-water rapids formed by narrow channels carved
through the lava. A wildlife refuge already exists within
the caldera rim, and it will continue to be managed by the
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Head south on
Highway 97 from Sunriver toward La Pine and look for the
signs to Newberry Crater.
541-536-8802 |
