Oregon Goes Boom: Top 10 Things to Do at Newberry Volcano in Bend

Between Crater Lake and Columbia River Gorge, Bend, Oregon, is an outdoor destination with hiking, biking, river rafting and a National Monument. Located where the ponderosa pine forest meets the high desert, Bend is a favorite outdoor destination throughout the seasons. To learn more about volcanoes, head to the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, especially the Lava Lands Visitor Center.  Here are the top things to do at the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

10 Top Things to Do 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

Newberry National Volcanic Monument at a Glance

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 during the summer season from May until Labor Day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

See the View from Lava Butte

Hop the shuttle bus ($2 per person, round trip) 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.

Staffed by an official fire lookout that 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.

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 roundtrip hike and you must carry two light sources. Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the season. A ranger-led tour starts at 3 p.m. and reservations are made day of the tour.

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. Staffed weekends only during the spring and fall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and during the summer, most days from 10 a.m. to 5 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 7 to 12, though I always 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 about the size of Rhode Island. It is still active with 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
• 47 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 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 on exploring Lava River Cave, the lava tube, you will be asked if you have visited a cave, like the Oregon Caves National Monument in southern Oregon. Due to White-Nose Syndrome, you can not wear any clothing, including shoes, that’s 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.