Newberry Crater National Volcanic Monument

June 19, 2025

I have heard wonderful things about this location in central Oregon but had never visited before. On the drive into the park I spotted either a mink or marten (too hard to tell) and I spent the night at a campground at Paulina Lake. The lake is large and very popular with boaters and people who like to fish. I wanted to drive up to the tallest peak in the area for the sunset, but the road was closed to Paulina Peak. Early in the morning, I headed for the almost 8 mile loop around the lake with a stop at the hot springs. There are little pockets of hot water bubbling up at the northern edge of the lake. People have formed mini pools with rocks and logs to soak in. There was one naked man already there at 7am. The loop hike was beautiful and offered views from all angles including the tree covered extinct Newberry Volcano and Crater (caldera). Lava flows left behind fields of red basalt and black shiny obsidian in different sections of the lake trail.