There’s nothing like a camping road trip to truly experience the essence of a destination. Along with a friend, we drove from Seattle to the Bend area for this adventure and power travelled to see Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Sisters Wilderness area and Smith Rock State Park all near Bend, Oregon. We went at the end of May. It was unseasonably rainy and cold, but we persevered and enjoyed our time, anyway. Here’s our itinerary on how to get the most out of 4 days on a Central Oregon camping trip, especially in the spring.
Newberry National Volcanic Monument – Day 1
Newberry National Volcanic Monument offers a wonderful way to explore the largest volcano in the Cascade Range. To put in perspective, it’s a 1,200 square mile volcano, about the size of Rhode Island. The geological aftermath began about 500,000 years ago from eruptions that left behind massive lava flows, cinder cones, volcanic vents and lava tubes. The Newberry Volcano is still active as a shield-shaped stratovolcano located just 20 miles (32 km) south of Bend. In contrast, adjacent to the lava flows is the lush Deschutes National Forest abundant with Ponderosa Pines.
Tip for Newberry Volcano: For planning it’s essential to know that there are 2 areas where the main sites are clustered: Lava Lands Visitor Center and Newberry Caldera (higher elevation). These 2 areas are about a 30 to 45-minute drive apart.
Arriving by noon on a Thursday, we immediately began exploring the area near Lava Lands Visitor Center before the rush of the Memorial Weekend crowd became a reality. Our first stop was the Lava Butte, the source of the expansive lava lands. The monument limits the number of cars allowed at the summit about 500 feet above the lava flow. (A shuttle goes to summit every 20 minutes in high season.) So, you must buy a ticket for a limited stay at the Lava Lands Visitor Center, if you choose to drive to the top.
Otherwise, you may hike to the top for a 3.5-mile round trip hike with 520 feet elevation gain. We drove to the top and walked the .35-mile rim with 360-degree view of the lava fields. Even more the western horizon showcases epic views of Mt. Bachelor, Three Sisters, Broken Top & numerous cinder cones. Newberry has more than 400 vents, the most of any volcanoes in the Lower 48 of the U.S.
Next, we explored the Lava Lands Visitor Center and its Trail of the Molten Land’s milelong loop through the lava flow with the Lava Butte looming nearby.
The visitor center is very educational with displays, film and friendly rangers to help plan your itinerary. Also, there’s a 5.5-mile Sun Lava Paved Path and Blackrock Trail, a 4-mile path through the lava fields to Benham Falls.
From the visitor center we drove nearby to the trailhead for the .5-mile Deschutes River Trail to Benham Falls. I highly recommend this gorgeous riverwalk. It’s very refreshing, along the tempestuous river, calm at times with rushing intervals of Class 5 rapids. At the end of the trail is a nice overlook of the majestic Benham Falls.
Mckay Crossing Campground in Deschutes National Forest
This campground is about 30 miles SE of Bend on the Paulina Creek. We enjoyed our campsite here alongside the creek. Just a 2-minute walk from our campsite was a wonderful waterfall. This made it the perfect location to just relax near the moving water. I say 2 thumbs up for this campground, especially if you get a spot creek side.
Newberry Volcano National Monument – Day 2 Central Oregon Camping Trip
Our first stop is at Newberry Lava River Cave in early morning to avoid the queues. This is a milelong lava tube, the longest in Oregon, formed from Newberry eruptions about 80,000 years ago. It’s monitored and limits the number of people in the cave. Plus, there is an introductory talk on rules and guidelines for the cave. I did not do this, because I don’t like spending a lot of times in caves. However, my friend did the cave. By arriving early, she was able to do it with no lines and enjoyed the experience. She recommends renting the torch at the entrance for strong light. The cave is usually about 40 degrees, so dressing warm is essential.
Then, we explored the Lava Cast Forest formed by a lava flow through an old-growth forest, that cooled into casts formed from trees that used to be there. There’s a milelong loop through the surreal landscape with numerous tree casts in the black lava flow.
Exploring Newberry Caldera
The caldera was formed by rocks that collapsed when the magma chamber emptied. This massive caldera expands across 17 square miles in the center of the volcano. Because the caldera is at a higher elevation, there is snow later in season than the sites near Lava Visitor Center. So, we were unable to see all the caldera highlights. At the end of May, we were able to visit Paulina Falls, a twin waterfall cascading 80 feet. From the parking lot there are lower and upper falls viewpoints.
We drove to the twin East and Paulina Lakes. However, we were not able to hike to Paulina Peak, the highest peak on the caldera at 7,984 feet. It offers panoramic views of the caldera’s twin lakes, flanks of the volcano and Cascade Range.
We went to the entrance of the Big Obsidian Flow; however, the .7-mile obsidian trail was under 1 foot of snow. This was disappointing for me, me as this is what I most wanted to see at the monument. However, I got to see and touch a couple obsidian boulders at the entrance. Obsidian lava created these massive, shiny black boulders and rocks. I will return to see this in the summer months.
Three Sisters Wilderness Area – Day 3
Relocating to camp at the Three Sisters Wilderness Area we first stop at the charming town Sisters. It’s a delightful stop with numerous art galleries and restaurants. Then, we went to the Lower Canyon Creek Campground to hike the West Metolius River Trail. We find one campsite left on a first-come, first-serve basis and grab it. How perfect!
We loved the 5-mile round trip trail along the pristine Metolius River. I read that this is Oregon’s most enchanting river and discovered why. We saw a sign for Fly Fishing Only, so we saw numerous people fly fishing along the way. About 5 minutes into the walk, we discover the breathtaking waterfall gushing from the rocks. This is caused by the water from the Cascade Mountains pouring out of the rocks. Our turnaround point was the Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery. The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife is attempting to bring back the salmon to the river, which died off from the nearby dams. Overall, this was a perfect hike for a rainy day without snow at the low elevation for end of May.
Whychus Canyon Preserve and High Desert Museum – Day 4
Because it was unseasonably cold, it was especially important to look into a good spring hike without the snow. I researched to find that one of the top 10 spring hikes for the Sisters Wilderness area is the Whychus Canyon Rim and Creek Trail Loop. It’s 4.8 miles with 400 feet elevation gain. I loved the unique plant life and landscape here. Overall, this is a transitional area from the Ponderosa Pines to the high desert’s junipers and bitterbrush savannahs.
High Desert Museum in Bend: This is an incredible outdoor and indoor museum showcasing the culture, history and natural world of the Central Oregon’s high desert. There is a lot to learn and entertain, including wildlife, such as, river otters, fox, owl and falcons. We spent a couple hours here and felt it was enough. However, I can see spending here a half day with more time to spare.
Also, in Bend we cheated and had a motel break for a much-needed shower and retreat from the rain. We were very happy with our budget and comfortable stay at Holiday Motel Bend.
Smith Rock State Park – Last Stop
We arrived by 7 am at Smith Rock State Park on our way to explore John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Morning is the best time to arrive here before the crowds, along with the sun illuminating the canyon walls perfectly. Smith Rock’s sheer cliffs of basalt and tuff is premier rock-climbing destination along the Crooked River. Even more, it’s considered the birthplace of modern American rock climbing and bouldering. I am not a rock climber; however, the hiking trails are fantastic as well. Misery Ridge Trail is 3.7 miles and offers some of the best views climbing switchbacks to the 3360 feet summit.
From the Welcome Center, there’s an easy .5-mile Rim Rock Trail. Along here is Asterisk Pass, that ends in a 20 foo that people climb without gear. Once atop, there’s views on the western side of Mt. Bachelor and 3 Sisters. Also, from the Welcome Center is the popular Canyon to Rim Loop (3.4 mi) and Homestead to North Point Loop (1.8 mi). Overall, we spent about 3 hours here exploring. Then, we were off for John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, written about below.
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