Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
6.
Twin Lakes
Of all the evergreens seen along Rte. 42, which heads east toward Twin Lakes, the tall,
long-needled ponderosa pine is perhaps the loveliest. Its glorious scent fills the air around
thesetwolooking-glasslakes,whosenear-perfectroundnessreflectstheiroriginasvolcan-
ic craters.
7.
Newberry National Volcanic Monument
At Rte. 97, drive north to the turnoff for a side trip to Newberry Crater. Now dormant, this
huge volcano is partially collapsed, forming a five-mile-wide caldera at its peak. Inside the
caldera lie such unexpected wonders as two sparkling lakes, a 100-foot waterfall, and an
obsidian lava flow (a river of black volcanic glass).
8.
LaPine State Recreation Area
ThelargestponderosapineinOregon,asky-scraping specimen 191feet tall, resides inthis
2,300-acre park. Known for its scenic views of the Deschutes River, the area serves as an
ideal base camp for exploring nearby lava fields and the Cascade Mountains.
9.
Sunriver
OnthewaytoSunriver,apopularresortcommunity,thedriverollsthroughvastPonderosa
pine forests. Settled on the site of an old military base, the town boasts two championship
golf courses, a marina, and a nature center complete with live animals, a botanical garden,
and, for sky gazers, an astronomical observatory.
10.
Lava Lands Visitor Center
Pull in to the Lava Lands Visitor Center, just off the road, for a good introduction to the
surrounding 50,000 acres of Newberry National Volcanic Monument. A steep road winds
up and around Lava Butte, a cinder cone jutting 500 feet above a sea of lava. Gaze into
the cone's crater and look out over a high desert plateau dotted with desert shrubs, cinder
cones, and ponderosa pine. In the distance you can see the Cascade Range's crest to the
west and north, including Mt. Bachelor, Three Sisters, Broken Top, and even Mt. Hood.
Lava River Cave, a nearby lava tube more than a mile long, can be explored by those will-
ing to hike, lantern in hand, through its chilly corridors. A few miles south lies Lava Cast
Forest, a collection of stone tree molds formed when molten lava engulfed a forest 7,000
years ago.
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