Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Bend, Oregon
Newberry National Volcanic Monument, in the Deschutes National Forest, near Bend, Oregon, is meant to protect the Newberry Volcano. The Newberry Volcano is an active shield volcano that covers over 1,000 square miles. The monument has two visitor centers, a full calendar of park ranger-guided tours, camping, a cave, waterfalls, and many hiking trails.
I was here with MR, LL, and CB, after spending the weekend on the McKenzie River and at Belknap Hot Springs (here). MR is rehabbing a busted knee, so we had to divert our original plans of hiking Smith Rock State Park (definitely on my wish list) to something low-key, like touring Bend, Oregon. I have only visited a few national monuments and have never been on an active volcano. There are quite a few short trails, so after LL used AAA to help MR get The MiniVan of Terror, aka Bruce, unlocked, we soaked up all the sunshine touring the easiest parts of the volcano.
Lava Lands Visitor Center was a busy visitor center. It had a huge parking lot, bathrooms, picnic areas, great indoor exhibits, an interpretive center, a gift shop, and many park rangers on staff.
Trail of the Whispering Pines and Trail of the Molten Land are two trails that leave directly from the Lava Lands Visitor Center. Trail of Whispering Pines is a little trail that…goes through pines. I did not hear them whisper, though. And maybe not surprising, but the Trail of the Molten Land is a trail that goes through the land. That is molten.
Lava Butte Rim requires you to hike or take a shuttle from the visitor center to the trailhead. The shuttle is cheap. $4. It is a short ride from the visitor center to the rim. There is a staffed lookout at the trailhead, with beautiful views of the volcano around you. Lava Butte is a cinder cone, and the established trail takes you around the top of it. It was incredible to look inside the cone and see the colors of lava cinder and to look outside the cone to the perimeter created by the devastation.
Paulina Creek Falls is right off the road and is an easy stop. It flows from Paulina Lake at the summit of Newberry Volcano. Paulina (pronounced PAUL EYE NUH) Creek Falls has an accessible lookout that is minutes from the parking lot (the view in this photo is from the lookout), and you can take a short but steep trail to the base of the 80’ waterfall, where another lookout platform is set. My other photos did not turn out well, so I am just dropping the top viewpoint here.
Big Obsidian Flow was my favorite place in this national monument. Obsidian is formed by lava that did not crystallize in the cooling process. It is smooth and black, and sharp. It is incredibly beautiful. After a short walk through a forest, you encounter an obsidian mountain. You first climb stairs to get above the wall of lava, and then there are trails formed through and around the top. There are interpretive signs along the way and beautiful views of Paulina Lake. I know it does not show in photos, but all the huge and tiny pieces made the region sparkle under the sun. It was magical.
Paulina Lake is an alpine lake at the summit of Newberry Volcano. It has established campsites and boat launches. There are supposedly some hot springs near the lake that you can only get to by watercraft. My pain and fatigue were set up in such a way that I planned on forfeiting that adventure, but once the others saw how big the lake was and that the summit was much cooler than everywhere else, they forfeited the adventure as well. The lake is beautiful, with crystal blue clear water perfectly reflecting the sky.
We had three days to spend in Bend. It was not the best time of my life, but Bend is a beautiful city, so it was definitely not the worst. We did not do a ton of adventuring, but what we did do, I would (mostly) recommend.
Proxy Falls are the prettiest waterfalls I have ever seen in real life. The main falls plunge over 200’ into an incredible moss and fern-covered valley. The hike to the falls is easy to the initial view of the falls. Right now, though, hiking further will get you a much better view, although the hike gets much more difficult. Because of the difficulty of getting close to the falls, there was a lot of privacy and peace. The upper falls are also beautiful but are much more accessible; therefore, you’ll probably be with other adventurers.
Tucked away in the Three Sisters Wilderness of the Willamette National Forest, Proxy Falls is one of the most photographed waterfalls in Oregon. The sheer beauty of the falls entices large swaths of visitors, and the short hike on the way to the falls is also laden with scenic views.
However, Proxy Falls isn’t just any ordinary waterfall. It is unique because there is no pool of water at the bottom. Instead, the falls sink through the porous lava rocks below and into the ground.
https://oregonisforadventure.com/proxy-falls-hike/
John Craig Memorial Monument is near the Belknap Crater, so it’s an easy stop. The story of this guy buried in the tomb pictured is one of a badass.
John Craig was a legendary postmaster who, after attempting to ski Christmas mail over McKenzie Pass in the winter of 1877, was found frozen beside his mail pouch in his shack atop McKenzie Pass. For 25 years Craig carried mail from the Willamette Valley to Eastern Oregon, by horseback in the summer and on his own back in the winter. Mystery still shrouds the details of his death, but a few details of his life give some insights to his stubborn pioneer spirit. Read more here.
https://onc.org/john-craig-story/
Belknap Crater is a shield volcano in the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located in Linn County, it is associated with lava fields and numerous subfeatures including the Little Belknap and South Belknap volcanic cones. It lies north of McKenzie Pass and forms part of the Mount Washington Wilderness. Belknap is not forested and most of its lava flows are not vegetated, though there is some wildlife in the area around the volcano, as well as a number of tree molds formed by its eruptive activity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belknap_Crater
Bunk & Brew Hostel – Historic Lucas House was the first hostel I had stayed in and the oldest building in Bend, and I (mostly) loved it. I liked the location being near downtown Bend and the river, but far enough that it felt private. Private as a hostel could be. Our dorm had a bunk bed, a double bed, and a dresser. The building is old as fuck, but I thought it was charming. There was seating and tables in every available space, two food trucks, and a beer truck in the courtyard. I saw every kind of traveler, from dirtbag backpackers to people dressed in expensive-looking business clothes. I loved the low-key hustle of so much happening around me, but it had nothing to do with me. My favorite time in Bend was sitting in the courtyard and writing while the world hummed around me. MR and LL have a wide range of experiences with staying at hostels, and they agreed on a 3.5/5 stars. If I loved it at a 3.5, I can not wait to see more!
Bend Ale Trail was a big waste of time and money for this person. I initially found it interesting because I thought it would require you to welcome an immersive local experience, but it was just an excuse to drink alcohol with a report card. To do the Ale Trail, you first download an app, or buy your “passport” from the Bend Visitor Center. The passport divides the ale trails into regions. When you go to each brewery, they give you a stamp on your passport to say you drank there. Once you had a drink at each brewery in the district, you can return to the visitor center for a prize. I think the prize for each district was a small taster cup. Maybe it would be more fun with the right people or an event, but I cannot imagine using my time for that if I were in Bend again.
Big Eddy Raft n’ Brew was an event I found on Facebook by searching for local events. I was not having the time of my life in Bend. I had said I had no spoons left when the McKenzie River backpack trip (here) was done, and it did not get better while touring Bend. I should have just gone home after backpacking. But I didn’t, and I tried digging deeper to make the best of it. Rafting helped. Unlike the mellow McKenzie River rafting, this rafting trip on the Deschutes River had Class 3 rapids, making it much more exciting. Following the rafting, there was a tasting with a local brewery with snacks and live music. It was briefly rejuvenating, and I only wish I could have done it daily.
Floating the Deschutes River through Bend is THE SCENE. Numerous city parks along the river are where rafters can put in and take out. The river includes a man-made “rapids” area for floaters, and it was really fun. I tied my float to LL, and she made absolutely everything fun, so I laughed until my stomach hurt, which was my favorite moment.
Being a person is hard. Cancer makes it so much more difficult. Aggressively seeking joy is exhausting. Cancer makes it so much more difficult.
I’m on the pursuit of happiness and I know
Everything that shine ain’t always gonna be gold, hey
I’ll be fine once I get it, yeah, I’ll be goodTell me what you know about dreamin’, dreamin’
You don’t really know about nothin’, nothin’
Tell me what you know about them night terrors every night
Five AM cold sweats, waking up to the sky
Tell me what you know about dreams, dreams
Tell me what you know about night terrors, nothin’
You don’t really care about the trials of tomorrow
Rather lay awake in the bed full of sorrowI’m on the pursuit of happiness and I know
https://www.kidcudi.com/video/kid-cudi-pursuit-happiness-ft-mgmt/#/
Everything that shine ain’t always gonna be gold, hey
I’ll be fine once I get it, yeah, I’ll be good