Newberry National Volcanic Monument – June 2023

Newberry National Volcanic Monument – June 2023

by Kim · Published June 23, 2023 · Updated June 26, 2023

Newberry National Volcanic Monument – June 2023

We sort of fell into the Newberry National Volcanic Monument by chance. We had no idea how much there is to see. We took three days to do it all, including: Lava Butte, Lava River Cave, Paulina Peak, and Newberry Caldera. It was pretty neat.

Beautiful but chilly day.

Lava Butte is a cinder cone that is part of a system of small cinder cones on the northwest flank of Newberry Volcano, a massive shield volcano about 14 miles away.

Looking into Lava Butte

Looking down from Lava Butte you can see where the lava stopped during the last eruption.

Rain in the distance.

Dale stands where the lava flow stopped.

Safety brief before entering the lava tube.

So glad to be out of the cave!

From the entrance you descend down into the cave.

In addition to headlamps, I had a handheld light that illuminated a small area.

A family is heading back as we proceed forward into the depths.

There are not lights, flooring, rails or anything manmade in the cave. If you turn off your light, it is pitch black.

A walkway leads deep into the cave, then stops and we walked on natural cave floor.

We made it out of the cave!

Ready for our next hiking adventure.

Across the river you can see the lava field.

Crossing the bridge to the start of the trail.

We were bundled up in June! Our family is experiencing triple digits in Texas.

This tree's roots grew around rocks and when the tree fell over it didn't let go of its grip!

The Upper Deschutes River.

We selected a sunny spot after our hike to enjoy lunch.

Paulina Creek Falls is from a streambed draining from Paulina Lake.

The gravel road to the top of Paulina Peak covered our car in dust. Subie's are made for offroad dirt! Ha!

Paulina Peak was formed by the Newberry Volcano. The lake in the background is located in the center of the volcano.

Dale conquered Paulina Peak! (By car!)

There was snow along the trail at Paulina Peak.

Within the Newberry Caldera, there are two lakes... Paulina Lake and East Lake.

A nice view of Paulina Lake.

You can clearly see where the lava flow stopped and how high it is.

View from Paulina Peak.

A view of Paulina Peak from the Big Obsidian Flow. We stood at the peak.

Big Obsidian Flow is filled with naturally occurring volcanic glass formed when lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimal crystal growth. It was used by Native Americans to create various tools. It can be sharper than a steel scalpel.

Obsidian lava flow.

Ground view of East Lake, the other lake in the Newberry Caldera.

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