Accessible Trails in Newberry National Volcanic Monument

Trail of the Molten Lands

Directions:

At the base of Lava Butte, the Lava Lands Visitor Center is located south of State Route 46 just off U.S. Hwy. 97, 13 miles south of Bend.

Features:

The Trail of the Molten Lands is an accessible, paved, interpretive 0.75 mile loop that starts behind the Lava Lands Visitor Center. It goes up and around a 6,000 year-old lava flow that covers hundreds of acres along the Deschutes River. There are spectacular view of the Cascade Range and the west flank of Newberry Volcano.

Other:

The Lava Lands Visitor Center is the interpretive hub for Newberry National Volcanic Monument and offers nature walks, interpretive programs, visitor information, displays on geology, volcanology and the cultural history of Central Oregon.

Lava Butte rises 500 feet above the visitor center. This Newberry cinder cone erupted 7,000 years ago and produced over nine square miles of lava. A narrow roadway spirals to the top, ending at a small parking lot just below its summit. The road to the top of Lava Butte is just wide enough for two cars and isn't for the faint of heart. Only a wooden railing protects cars from the precipitous drop-off, but those that take it are rewarded with outstanding views.

On-site naturalists are available throughout the day to answer questions and lead guided walks to explore the volcanic landscape and nearby forest. This is a good first stop before making the hikes or drives to other parts of the monument. See USFS Website.

Trail of the Whispering Pines

Directions:

The trail starts behind the Lava Lands Visitor Center. At the base of Lava Butte, the Lava Lands Visitor Center is located south of State Route 46 just off U.S. Hwy. 97, 13 miles south of Bend.

Features:

The Trail of the Whispering Pines is an easy .3-mile paved loop that skirts a lava flow edge as it winds through the shady whispering pines. This trail also provides amazing panoramas of the snow-capped peaks to the west. The trail interprets past logging practices, modern-day management and vegetation and compares the harsh environment of the lava flow to the bordering forest.

Other:

See USFS Website. For more about this entire area, see the USFS brochure.

Lava Cast Forest

Directions:

The Lava Cast Forest is located southeast of Sunriver, Oregon and North of the Newberry Crater off of Hwy 97. From Milepost 153 on Hwy 97 at the turnoff to Sunriver (West), turn east on Forest Service Road 9720. Travel 8.5 miles to USFS 9720-950, Lava Cast Forest Rd. Another .5 miles to the parking area and trailhead.

Features:

The accessible Lava Cast Forest trail is a one-mile paved path through volcanic landscapes that are slowly being reclaimed by young ponderosa. There are a couple of steeper or narrow sections on the trail that may be difficult for some wheelchair users without assistance. The average grade is 3%; maximimum grade is 6%.

You can pick up a pamphlet at the beginning of the trail, which interprets 12 stops along the way. From the back half of the trail near Trail Stop #9, you can look over the expanse of lava to an island in its midst. Like a river during a storm, the lava flow reached flood stage and then receded. Flood stages are recorded in "bathtub rings" left along the hillsides after lava drained away.

Numerous Lava tree molds are evident, formed as lava spilled through the pine forest. The molten lava enveloped the trees and quickly cooled around them, while at the same time, the pines burned to charcoal or ash. These two simultaneous actions left molds of the trees. When lava surged through the forest, some trees were pushed over by the force of the flow and were carried away, molds forming around some of these. Others remained, anchored by their roots. One of the largest horizontal molds may be seen at Trail Stop #10.

Paulina Creek Falls

Directions:

Paulina Creek Falls is located just west of Paulina Lake outside Newberry Crater. From Bend, drive 23.5 miles south on Hwy. 97, then 12.3 miles east on Rd. 21.

Features:

A packed gravel trails lead 100 yards to a viewpoint of Paulina Creek Falls and the barrier-free picnic area. This double falls drops 60 feet onto the jumble of rocks below. The jumble of rocks is the result of the falls slowly eroding their way upstream. The upper viewpoint overlooks the falls from the south side of the creek. The lower viewpoint (not accessible) is accessed via a quarter mile trail down to the creek below the falls.

Other:

See USFS Website.

The Deschutes River Trail

Directions:

Trail is reached from several trailheads off Forest Rd. 41, including Meadow, Lava Island, Big Eddy, and Aspen Day Use areas (See North end map.) and Dillon, Slough, and Benham West Day Use areas (See South end map.).

To get there, follow Century Drive southwest, then turn south onto Forest Road 41 (Conklin Road 7 miles west of Bend), from which there are several access points to the trails.

There is also access from the Benham Falls Picnic Area at the end of Forest Rd. 9702 just just a few miles west down the road from the Lava Lands Visitor Center entrance gate (located on Hwy. 97 between Sunriver and Bend).

Features:

The Deschutes River Trail has four sections that are wheelchair accessible. They are located at Big Eddy Rapids, Dillon Falls, Benham Falls West, Benham Falls Picnic Area. They are all surfaced with crushed gravel and are more difficult in difficulty (intermediate difficulty level). See USFS Website on barrier-free trails.

Benham Falls Section - The relatively flat, .5 mile trail is fashioned out of an old railroad bed that runs along the northwestern edge of the lava flow from the Lava Butte cinder cone. The flows are visible across the river from the trail. Along the trail, the Deschutes River flows around and through a variety of landscapes to the spectacular waterfall. The area is popular for birders and you are apt to spot Western tanagers and Osprey that frequent the area.