Top picks south of Bend

Published 12:30 am Friday, July 23, 2021

Crater Rim — The moderate 19.5-mile trail travels around the rim of the caldera of Newberry Volcano. Traveling counter clockwise from the Paulina Lake Trailhead, bikers and hikers will climb towards Paulina Peak and beyond to see stunning views of the entire national monument that the volcano is a part of. With fun downhill sections, the trail is currently clear of snow and deadfall (though that can change), so now is a great time to check it out.

Big Obsidian Flow — An easy hike that is just over a half-mile can be too hot for midday walks, but during cooler days and morning exploration, Big Obsidian flow is an interesting bit of trail. The flow is the youngest of its kind in the state clocking in at a spritely 1300 years old, so the trail can still be a bit of a scramble and offers stunning examples of obsidian. Remember, foraging rocks within the Newberry National Monument is illegal so take only pictures.

Wake Butte — The eroded tuff ring from the Pliocene age has left Wake Butte looking more like something you’d see in the southwest than among a thick ponderosa pine forest. The moderate 0.9-mile trail travels steeply uphill to the top of the layered-rock butte that offers great views of the forest and hills beyond plus views of Mt. Bachelor and Broken Top to the northwest.