Newberry Volcano: Our Backyard Giant

Mighty Newberry Volcano, south of Bend in Deschutes NF is the largest Ice Age volcano by volume in the Northwest.  The caldera, roughly 4×5 miles across, is cradled by East and West Paulina Lakes, and Paulina Peak, at 7,984 feet, is the highest point.  The 700-acre Big Obsidian Flow within the caldera is Oregon’s youngest lava flow, created just 1,300 years ago.

Since it is not filled with water, the caldera is perhaps an even better geological study area than its spectacular southern neighbor, Crater Lake. With an unsurpassed diversity of geology, botany, and geography, some of the Northwest’s rarest plants and animals dwell here.  Learn about this local geologic wonder and its deep history from Stu Garrett, the driving force behind its permanent protection and designation as a National Monument in November 1990.

Free and open to the public!