hikespeak

Strolling down Deschutes River Trail toward Benham Falls, you might be skeptical that this calm river will hasten into rapids and cascades. The wall of volcanic rock on the far side of the river does offer an early clue that something dramatic could happen. The Deschutes River was rerouted by Lava Butte Lava Flow, causing it to tumble over a few waterfalls on its path north toward Bend. ... Read more.

You'll be grateful to find pavement and not melting hot lava on Trail of the Molten Land. This impressive trail is built atop a barren landscape of dark volcanic rock, the Lava Butte Lava Flow in Newberry National Volcanic Monument, which is part of Deschutes National Forest. Panels along the trail provide information about how the lava flow began at Lava Butte, a cinder cone above the... Read more.

Trail of the Whispering Pines is an interpretive botanical trail highlighting high desert plants in Newberry National Volcanic Monument. This short and level paved path covers just a quarter mile. Trail of the Whispering Pines can easily be explored as a 0.4-mile walk beginning and ending at Lava Lands Visitor Center. This short hike can be connected to Trail of the Molten Land, which is... Read more.

Lava River Cave is the longest lava tube in Oregon and is fascinating to explore. Put fresh batteries in your flashlights and head to Newberry National Volcanic Monument, which is in Deschutes National Forest just a dozen miles south of Bend. Walking through Lava River Cave, you will see wild features left behind by volcanic eruptions 100,000 years ago. After a mile in the dark, venture... Read more.