Enough Lava to Make Me Quake!

Knowing what I know now, it’s embarrassing to say that we stumbled upon a lava field and cinder cone by accident. We thought we were going for a sweet little hike about 12 miles outside of Bend, but ended up on top of Lava Butte (yes, Dale and I made several jokes about that name) surrounded by a lava field (not flowing of course), and that was just the start.

We knew that Bend is located on the edge of the Cascade Range, a major mountain range extending from Canada to Northern California. However, we did not realize that it includes many volcanic mountains, five of which are within three hours of us!

It gets even better. The one closest to us that we “discovered” is the Newberry Volcano. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) lists it as “one of the largest and most hazardous active volcanoes in the United States.” It is designated a “very high threat” volcano like Mauna Loa and Kīlauea. What!!?? We gotta get outta here! Ha!

Lava Butte was just the start of our volcanic adventure. We discovered that the Newberry Volcanic National Monument is huge. It covers more than 54,000 acres and includes geological features we’ve never experienced. We took two days to explore the major attractions, starting with the butte.

Lava Butte

Lava Butte is a cinder cone that is part of a system of small cinder cones that flank the Newberry Volcano. The cone is capped by a crater which extends about 160 feet deep.

When Lava Butte erupted about 7,000 years ago, it sent lava flows to the Deschutes River (which runs through the middle of Bend), damming the river to form Lake Benham and Benham Falls. We hiked Benham Falls Trail and it was beautiful! Along most of this part of the river you can see where the lava stopped, forcing the river to adjust its flow.

Here is a clip of nature sounds along the Benham River.

Lava River Cave

Our next Newberry Volcanic adventure was walking one mile into the earth via a lava tube. The Lava River Cave is the longest continuous lava tube in Oregon. I’ve been in cave’s before, but this one was a little more of an independent adventure. There is no tour guide, no lights, no man-made paths once you get past the entrance, it’s just you and your headlamp or flashlight. If I had not seen other families going in and out, I don’t know if I’d have gone in. I was glad to get back out too. Since it was a lava cave, it never gets very big like other underground caverns I’ve experienced.

The Newberry Caldera and Paulina Peak

A couple of days later we traveled further south toward the actual Newberry Volcano. The caldera (center) was formed after the volcano erupted and the magma chamber collapsed. Over time the caldera filled up with water that created two lakes, Paulina Lake and East Lake.

Paulina Peak was formed by the Newberry Volcano and is the highest point on the volcano. The view from the peak, which was accessible by car (thankfully), was pretty spectacular.

The Big Obsidian Flow

At the base of Pauline Peak is the Big Obsidian Flow, which was created 1,300 years ago and covers 700 acres. Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass that can be sharpened within the width of one molecule, which is much sharper than the best steel scalpels. We followed a trail through the flow and were careful whenever we picked up a piece.

Paulina Falls

Paulina Falls was created by a river flowing out of Paulina Lake, located near Paulina Peak. So who is this Paulina person?

Dr. John Strong Newberry, a naturalist, came central Oregon in 1858 with the US Army to survey the land for railroads. Because of his extensive work, the Newberry Volcanic Monument was dedicated to him in 1903. However, while Newberry was mapping railroads, Chief Paulina, a prominent Paiute warrior known for his guerrilla tactics, was leading raids against groups like Newberry’s. Maybe Newberry assuaged the chief’s ruffled feathers by naming a mountain and lake after him?

Since our visit to the Newberry sites we have begun noticing lava all around us. It is so apparent that this part of the country was very volatile. So thankful everything seems sedate right now!

Here are some quick video highlights of some of the sites mentioned above.