Between Crater Lake and the Columbia River Gorge in central Oregon, Bend is a top outdoor destination. As a favorite outdoor destination throughout the seasons, travelers will find hiking, biking, river rafting and a National Monument to explore. The Newberry National Volcanic Monument features ponderosa pine forests, a bit of high desert and volcanoes. Here are the top things to do at the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.
10 Top Things at the Newberry National Volcanic Monument
Go by the Lava Lands Visitor Center
See the View from Lava Butte
Explore the Lava River Cave
Visit the Newberry Caldera
Take a Hike at Newberry National Volcanic Monument
Swim at Newberry National Volcanic Monument
Picnic at Newberry National Volcanic Monument
Learn about Newberry Caldera
Earn a Junior Ranger Badge
Camp at Newberry
National Parks with Volcanoes
Stop at the Lava Lands Visitor Center
Newberry Volcanic National Monument features two entrances. It is located in the middle of the Deschutes National Forest and features lakes, hot springs, lava flows, a lava cave and a cinder cone. It’s definitely a must-see on your Oregon road trip.
If you are limited on time, start at the Lava Lands Visitor Center, located at the northern end of the monument closest to Bend. It is conveniently located on U.S. Route 97 and features a 3-D topographic map and an introductory movie.
Lava Lands Visitor Center is open daily from mid-May 16 to mid-September from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For the rest of September, it is open from Thursday to Monday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Top Things to Do along the Columbia River Gorge
See the View from Lava Butte
Hop the shuttle bus to the top of Lava Butte, a 500-foot-tall cinder cone volcano. A must-do for the family, hike up to the Lava Butte Lookout, a historic and active U.S. Forest Service fire lookout since 1913.
During our visit, we hiked to the top, following the trail from the Visitor Center. It was doable with school-aged kids. Once on top, we walked around the outside of the cinder cone crater. It was like walking on a giant pile of lava mulch.
Staffed by an official fire lookout who scans the forest for tiny columns of smoke before they turn into raging infernos. During our visit, a volunteer Forest Ranger told us about the eruption 7,000 years ago that formed the butte and its crater. On the way back to the shuttle bus stop, we hiked the easy .25-mile hike along the Lava Butte Rim.
The shuttle is $5 per person, round trip. It operates for the summer season, ending in the first week of September.
Explore the Lava River Cave
If visiting the Newberry National Volcanic Monument during the summer season (May 1 to Labor Day), explore the Lava River Cave, Oregon’s longest lava tube. An unguided tour that descends 55 steps into an unlit one-mile-long cavity created by a massive lava flow.
Lava River Cave requires a 2-mile round-trip hike, and you must carry two light sources. Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the season, from early May to closing on September 15.
A timed-entry reservation is required to tour from the U.S. Forest Service. The 7-day rolling release begins May 8, for visiting on May 15. May 9 releases reservations for May 16, and so on. Tickets will become available for reservation at 7 a.m. PST each day.
National Parks in Oregon Guide
Visit the Newberry Caldera
Within the Newberry caldera, I found two lakes with hot springs: Paulina Lake and East Lake. During our stay, we hiked; however, you can swim, kayak or bike.
Located in a historic Forest Service guard station, the Paulina Visitor Center is at the southern end of the monument, off Paulina Lake Road or County Road 21. During the summer season, a forest ranger hands out maps and Junior Forest Ranger booklets.
Open daily from mid-June to late July from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Then from late July to late September, it is open from Thursday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Oregon Road Trip Itinerary
Take a Hike at Newberry National Volcanic Monument
During our visit, we hiked to the Big Obsidian Flow, a 1-mile loop moderate trail with a 500-foot elevation gain. The obsidian, or Black Glass, was formed 1,300 years ago and is the youngest lava flow in Oregon. This area has a vault toilet and picnic tables, along with seasonal (summer) interpretive rangers.
Another hike for families, and especially waterfall-loving Moms, is the Paulina Falls trail. A .25-mile easy trail leads to an 80-foot twin falls. Both hikes have parking areas.
Swim at Newberry National Volcanic Monument
If the weather is warm, then you can swim at while at Newberry. It offers separate areas just for swimming.
Pauline Lake
Newberry Group Campground
Little Crater Campground
East Lake
These lakes also allow boating, though both have a 10-mph speed limit. Kayaks and paddleboards can be rented nearby.
Picnic at Newberry National Volcanic Monument
With limited food service, I recommend you pack a picnic for your visit. I did, and it was a great way to enjoy the area. Find picnic tables at the following.
Paulina Lake Day Use Area
Paulina Falls Day Use Area
Lava Land Visitor Center
Breham Falls East Day Use Area
Lava Cast Forest Day Use Interpretive Site
Kids at Newberry National Volcanic Monument
Since the Newberry National Volcanic Monument is managed by the United States Forest Service, kids can earn a Junior Forest Ranger badge. Pick up a booklet at the Lava Lands Visitor Center or the Paulina Visitor Center. The booklet focuses on activities for kids aged 7 to 12, although I often help my younger kids.
The Junior Forest Ranger badge is rather painless, with a few easy-to-complete activities. Most kids (my two boys, 8 and 12, did it with no real complaints) should finish it in under an hour. It doesn’t require attending a ranger program, but kids must interview a ranger.
Top Waterfalls on the Columbia River in Oregon
Learn about Newberry Caldera
Located on the eastern edge of the Cascade Mountain Range and known for its volcanic activity, the Newberry Caldera is a 1,200-square-mile volcano, approximately the size of Rhode Island. It remains active due to ongoing seismic and geothermal activity. Ordinarily, kids would snooze through this, but mention seismic activity when standing next to a volcano, and they start to listen.
The Newberry Caldera is thought to be 500,000 years old. It formed when the top layer of the Earth collapsed, forming the crater. Subsequent eruptions formed cinder cones and lava flows.
The Newberry National Volcanic Monument was dedicated in 1990. It is named after John Newberry, who explored the area in 1855 for the Pacific Railroad. Astronauts trained at Newberry during NASA’s Apollo program.
Camping in Newberry National Volcanic Monument
I found six campgrounds in the Deschutes National Forest. Some of the sites are reservable.
Cinder Hill Campground
Seasonal from mid-June to mid-October
Reservations Accepted
106 sites
Potable water with vault toilets
East Lake Campground
Seasonal from mid-June to mid-October
Reservations Accepted
27 sites
Potable water with flush toilets
Little Crater Campground
Seasonal from mid-June to mid-October
Reservations Accepted
49 sites
Potable water with vault toilets
Paulina Lake Campground
Seasonal from mid-June to end of September
Reservations Accepted
66 sites
Potable water with flush toilets
Where’s Newberry National Volcanic Monument
Located 95 miles east of Crater Lake National Park and 140 miles south of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Lava Lands Visitor Center is 12 miles south of Bend, Oregon. During my visit, I stayed in Bend, which has the largest selection of lodging and dining in central Oregon.
Newberry National Volcanic is open year-round, though the visitor centers are open seasonally from May 1 to October 31. The monument requires admission; use an America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) or purchase a day-use pass for $5 per vehicle, good at all designated parking lots.
Bats and White-Nose Syndrome
If you plan to explore Lava River Cave, the lava tube, you will be asked if you have visited a cave, such as the Oregon Caves National Monument in southern Oregon. Due to White-Nose Syndrome, you can not wear any clothing, including shoes, that has been in another cave.
White-nose syndrome kills hibernating bat colonies across the U.S. and Canada. It is a fungus that thrives in low temperatures and high humidity and has killed 6 million bats since its discovery in 2006. Since the fungus can survive in the soil for years, rangers forbid visitors from entering the cave with the same clothing or shoes from another cave.
Know Before You Go
Wear appropriate shoes for hiking on the lava flows, such as hiking or athletic shoes. Even with hiking sandals, I slipped a couple of times.
The lava flows offer little shade. If hiking in the summer, wear a hat and light-colored clothing and bring plenty of water.
The shuttle bus to the top of Lava Butte takes exact change only, and kids under 2 ride for free.
Kids under 6 earn a Smokey Bear pin by completing the Smokey’s Helper Booklet.
Comments are closed.