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    Big Obsidian Flow

    4.8 (12 reviews)

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    Big Obsidian Flow at Newberry
    Kim R.

    A must see at Newberry. The trail was still mostly snow covered and the rails not up yet, but we were able to find our way part of the way up. Even though we couldn't finish the route it was still gorgeous. Beautiful setting, stunning rock, a bit of history, and turquoise waters below. What's not to love!

    Lori H.

    Awesome stop while visiting the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. The obsidian and pumice is quite a sight! The stairs aren't too bad, and the trail beyond can be a little treacherous through the rocks. Definitely need a pair of sneakers! The view from above the stairs is well worth it. It was also nice to get up close and personal with the pumice and obsidian. There's far more pumice, so it makes it much easier walking along the rocky trail. As others have stated, pups aren't allowed on this trail as the obsidian rocks are very sharp. Would highly recommend.

    Whitebark pine nuts were forgotten about by the birds, and slowly grew to this size.
    Ron L.

    Here is something you don't expect in Central Oregon. Deep, dense spruce forest, yes. Dry grassland with the occasional pine, yes. But a big, black hill of obsidian and pumice? Yes, the Big Obsidian Flow is a fascinating part of the Newberry National Monument. You almost feel like you're on the Big Island of Hawai'i. But it's a 30 minute drive from US 97, ready to be climbed on. Climbing the long staircase takes you to the top of the hill, where you can explore further. Very nice view of Paulina Lake and the crater. To appreciate it more, take the ranger's tour. It's much more informative than only reading the signs. Be warned: the shiny black obsidian is slick. If you step on it the wrong way, it's so easy to hurt yourself when you land. The dull gray pumice gives a better grip. The trail is well maintained and has a good surface, but there are those stupid showoffs whose famous last words are "hey guys, watch this!" Don't be that guy. If you're camping at either Paulina or East Lake, or in the Bend area, the Big Obsidian Flow is a fascinating stop.

    Dawn F.

    Easy short walk to the obsidian flow, even in the snow. Gorgeous and unique. We were able to walk the pup on most of the trail, but didn't take him up the stairs.

    John K.

    A spectacular pile of geology. A mix of grey pumice and sharp black obsidian, glistening in the sun. This makes for a terrific hike - easily accessible from Bend. Nice selection of informative panels as you make your way up and over the rocks. They make a very sensible recommendation to not bring dogs here - the rocks are sharp.

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    Review Highlights - Big Obsidian Flow

    This makes for a terrific hike - easily accessible from Bend.

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    LaPine State Park

    LaPine State Park

    4.8
    (39 reviews)
    18.2 mi

    August 26-29, 2025 - La Pine, OR…read more We've stayed at La Pine Campground a few times over the years, and each visit reminds us why we keep coming back. The campground is divided into three loops, each with its own character. The North Loop offers water and electric hookups, with sites that are more widely spaced than the others--something I really appreciate. That extra room makes it feel quieter and more private, and it's probably where we'll book our next stay. The Middle Loop has full hookups, while the South Loop is the busiest, featuring full hookups as well as some cabins. . There are many hiking/cycling trails (dog-friendly), and the Deschutes River runs through the campground. There is a short hike to a waterfall, and a large dog park. Unfortunately, we were a bit restricted in our outdoor activities because of the smoke from the two fires in the area. There was actually ash falling on one of the days. Also, there had been several sightings of a mountain lion in the area, so that added a bit of caution to our activities. Nevertheless, we will definitely come back.

    We just stayed one night, right before the campgrounds closed for the year. The grounds were nicely…read moremaintained, and we enjoyed a very peaceful and quiet stay. Some sites are fairly tight, while others had some nice room. The trails here were very enjoyable. Serene surroundings around the river and through the trees. We saw lots of deer, birds, and other critters scrambling about. I'm sure it would've had a slightly different feel during peak season, but we very much enjoyed our night and day of off season.

    Photos
    Kitchen for 3 days
    Kitchen for 3 days
    August 27, 2025 - Large fenced pet area.
    August 27, 2025 - Large fenced pet area.
    South space 25

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    South space 25
    Clear Lake

    Clear Lake

    4.5
    (12 reviews)
    43.4 mi

    Here is my review of clear lake for row boat use!…read more We got here at 930 am. Found the pay box at the entrance $9, no cash. There is an option to pay at the bottom which we should have done because they take the national park passes there (see picture). We were able to find parking in the main lot and there were a few people there. We weren't sure how the process of renting the boats or availability of life jackets. There is a shop that sells food, snacks, drinks, ice cream , and desserts. They also have a selection of fishing items, shirts, jackets. We paid for the boat - $60 for the large boat all day. The life jackets were plentiful and available. My husband rowed most of the time because I am not a good rower. We made it from the dock to the start of the river that you can't go past which is good since you could hear the rapids. The way to the left was a lot calmer and clear. We had a blast out on the lake. You could see down near the shallows but not in the middle of the lake. Make sure to bring sunscreen because there isn't much shade. The facilities are great!! Two bathrooms in the shop. Large tables to sit and enjoy a hot cooked meal or ice cream. I am so glad we were able to make a morning on the lake super easy and stress free! Next time I'm thinking of renting a kayak or a stand up paddle board. That would be fun! If you are in the area make sure to stop by early. As we were leaving, the parking lot was filled up so make sure to get there early! I hope my review and pictures help you plan for a successful visit to Clear Lake!

    A beautiful setting for the perfect romantic getaway or family weekend escape. The cabins are…read morecozy with gas stoves and heaters and the boat rentals are very affordable is you want to connect with the water. We enjoyed a wonderful hike around the lake which took us through forests, lava fields, and springs with wooden bridges. The views were amazing!

    Photos
    Coffee and tea bar
    Coffee and tea bar
    Bathroom
    Bathroom
    View of the boat dock

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    View of the boat dock
    Newberry National Volcanic Monument

    Newberry National Volcanic Monument

    4.5
    (51 reviews)
    16.1 mi

    We did the 1.1 mile Trail of the Molten Lands while in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. The…read moretrail paved and in good condition. It is uphill and some spots are steep. There are informational signs in different sections of the trail. It was incredible to see how far the lava rock stretched. We stopped in the visitor center as well as the lava river caves and lava butte. We werent able to do the Pauline falls or Obsidian parts as the storms came in quick and hard. It is definitely a sight to see though. Its a milder trail than some others we've done this week and is an easier walk for most of the trail. There is also a half way point to loop around and you dont have to do the steep uphill portion to the look out area.

    driving access, cost, parking, amenities, shade, trail/mileage/time, difficulty, crowded, route,…read morecell service Newberry is a big park stretching across a large swathe of land south of Bend. Unlike other parks with one visitor center and one central entrance, it has 4 different main attractions you can drive to and visit: 1. Lava Butte - 15 minutes south of Bend. Has the Lava Lands Visitor Center and the shuttle that goes to the rim of Lava Butte during summer months. At the Lava Butte, we took the bus to the top of the cinder cone and hiked the rim, 0.25 miles, took us 15 minutes with a 4 and a 6 year old: https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7074103/lava-butte-rim-trail Cost: $5 a car for day entry to the park, $3 per person for round trip shuttle ride. The bus driver was very nice and didn't charge us for kids. Shade: Maybe 20-30% shaded, there are some trees on the rim. Difficulty: Easy, and you have nice views. The rim is slanted so there is a little bit of an up and down climb. Crowdedness: Most of the people who take the shuttle up end up hiking around the rim, there isn't much else to do once you've looked at lookout tower. Cell service: We had cell service throughout; it's actually really close to a highway. The visitor's center area right by the main parking lot is also nice, it's a small museum, and they also have a couple talks a day. There are tables in the area, we had a picnic lunch at one of them with the lava butte in the background. 2. Lava River Cave - 15 minutes south of Bend (a few minutes down the road from Lava Butte). I didn't visit, but apparently it's cold there and you need your own flashlights to explore. When we passed by, signs said you need reservations ahead of time to enter. 3. Lava Cast Forest - 40 minutes south of Bend. I did not visit this. 4. Newberry Caldera - 45 minutes south of Bend. Has the Big Obsidian Flow (obsidian fields, as they are often called in other reviews), Paulina Peak, Paulina and East Lakes. At Newberry Caldera, we did this hike, 0.8 miles, in 1 hour 11 minutes with a 4 and a 6 year old: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/big-obsidian-flow Parking: Plenty between 10-11am on a Tuesday in July. It's a huge parking lot. Cost: $5 a car (you can use the same daily pass you got at another part of this park if you went on the same day). Amenities: A non-flush bathroom at the parking lot. I don't remember seeing water. Shade: The first 0.1 miles is shaded, then once you're on the obsidian flow you're completely exposed. Difficulty: Very easy hike, maybe only 100 ft elevation change, just the stairs to get to the edge of the obsidian flow. Crowdedness: There were a decent amount of people on this hike, and with the parking lot mostly empty, I can see this hike being pretty packed on a weekend. Cell service: We had cell service throughout this hike (T-mobile).

    Photos
    Trail
    Trail
    Lava Butte
    Lava Butte
    View of Palina lake from the Obsidian Flow trail.

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    View of Palina lake from the Obsidian Flow trail.
    Tamolitch Blue Pools

    Tamolitch Blue Pools

    4.7
    (13 reviews)
    56.4 mi

    This is my second time completing this trail. It is very popular so make sure to get here early if…read moreyou don't want to park far from the trailhead. There are dig out restrooms available at the trailhead as well as a trash bin. The trail is easy though there are some boulders you need to scramble over in the lava fields. You will walk along a beautiful river and cross a couple foot bridges and streams along the way. Once at the blue pool you will truly see that the photos you've seen online are not edited! The water is unbelievable. You can walk down to the water but it is not recommended to jump in unless you are experienced. The water is 30 degrees year around and several injuries have occurred here- so be wise and have fun.

    It rained the whole drive over it seemed! But the trees kept the hike dry. Free parking and porta…read morepotties at the front entrance. The trail is a fairly easy one but you have to watch where you step. The first .75 miles was quite flat but the next .75 miles was fairly rocky. My husband and I both rolled our ankles at different points. Once you get to the actual spot to see the blue pools, there is one sign that says no biking. At that point, veer off towards the water area to see the pool! We missed it and were in the zone of walking and we ended up going too far! Don't go to the bridge that only has one side to hold on to. That means you've gone too far

    Photos
    Tamolitch Blue Pools
    Standing at a ledge overlooking the Blue Pool.
    Standing at a ledge overlooking the Blue Pool.
    Mossy rocks

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    Mossy rocks
    The Paulina Plunge

    The Paulina Plunge

    4.3
    (39 reviews)
    7.3 mi

    This was an ok trip but I had mixed feelings about it…read more Pros: The guide was nice (we had Lane), which made the ride more enjoyable. He knew all of our names before we even left the parking lot. The trail was in good shape from recent rain so a beginner would have no trouble participating. Cons: The email confirmation and website mentioned the bike shortage and that riders had to be a minimum of 4 ft tall with a 24 inch inseam but didn't really explain how to measure that, etc. Sure, I know what an inseam in pants is, but turns out an inseam measurement for bike riding is different. Would have been nice to know without having to look it up the night before and then worry my kid wouldn't be tall enough. Lots of standing around. We were on the 10-4 tour and though we arrived at 9:45 no one directed us to have our kids take the bike test to see if they could go and nobody got fitted for bikes until everyone in the booking had arrived. Then, the large 10 am group was split into two smaller groups and if you were in the second group, you had to stand around for 20 minutes killing time to give the first group a head start. Why not just stagger the starts and have a 10 am and a 10:30? From a customer perspective this sort of sucked. This was billed as a Mountain bike ride with waterfalls and slides, but it was more like, walking/hiking to see 3 waterfalls and then a very mellow 3 mile single track ride to finish. It would have been nice to sort people by skill or interest (shorter vs longer rides) as we definitely had some gung ho dudes in our group and some newbies like me. Two of the waterfalls (at least) were accessible via McKay campground, which was a little disappointing. I thought we would be off the beaten path, checking out a little known spot, etc. Overall, our young kids, 8 and 10 enjoyed it and had fun. It was their first time mountain biking. I'd rate the ride and scenery 4 stars but the administration and organization only 2 stars (I'm a fan of efficiency and customer service) , hence my 3 star rating.

    Was excited to go. Day of the trip for our group smoke was heavy. Hazardous in fact. His terms and…read moreconditions explain that you must show up no matter what the conditions. From there the group will vote and you must conform to the group decision. We were the only ones who showed up. The owner, Todd, decided after getting various voice messages the day before and the morning of, but he would cancel the event. Great! No pick up the phone and call your customers to make sure they don't waste their time and come all the way out to the top of a mountain only to find your experience was canceled. He claimed to have sent a text in the early morning hours. But I didn't get it until after the fact. Oh well, not great but not terrible. Did waste a lot of our time driving out there on a horrific weather day for smoke. Talked to Todd personally later, and he said "no problem I'll give your money back." Refund it all of it except our deposit, then wouldn't answer the phone or return multiple calls. In my final message I reminded him of his neglect as a business owner and a conscientious honest human. Told him repeatedly he needed to refund my deposit, as there were no terms or discussion of anything other than a full refund. Really annoying to deal with business owners who aren't conscientious. Really detracts from your credibility. So here's the review I promise to leave you if you went another two weeks without returning my calls again. Gave you four chances Todd.

    Photos
    At the third waterfall.  Such a great time
    At the third waterfall. Such a great time
    The Paulina Plunge
    A swallowtail resting beside one of the waterfalls

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    A swallowtail resting beside one of the waterfalls

    Big Obsidian Flow - hiking - Updated June 2026

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