Region: Central Oregon Cascades, Newberry National Volcanic Monument
Reference: 100 Hikes in Oregon #72
Rigor: 1 mile R/T, paved
(Lava Butte in background over Molten Land trailhead)
After crossing the Columbia gorge at the Dalles, we passed through some serious po-dunk towns before hitting Oregon’s highway 97 on our way to Crater Lake. This highway must have some of he most spectacular volcano views anywhere in the Cascades. Several times I looked back up at a volcanoe to realize it was not the one I had seen earlier but yet another. First Wy-East appears, then Jefferson, plus Sisters one, two and three, then Mt. Bachelor.
Cruising through the hip town of Bend ( well worth a night of R&R if peak bagging Cascade volcanoes down here) just a few miles south we came upon the Lava Lands National Monument and it made a nice stop.
Since we got there late we couldn’t go up the road to Lava Butte (a short trail lead to the summit). The Whispering Pines Trail is just a quarter mile leg stretcher through Ponderosa pines and amongst local chipmucks and squirrels. Trail of the Molten Lands is a three quarter mile loop through a path of black volcanic debris and destruction. It ends at a field of pure black pumice that leads off into the horizon with views of several Cascade volcanoes.
We weren’t charged upon entry but a forest pass was supposedly required to park there (I never bother with those!). There was a very nice National Park quality gift shop. This is a nice family leg stretcher if you are passing by this way.
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