If you don't have an off road equipped vehicle, don't try it! GPS will do you dirty but you'll just…read moreneed to be ready to fight the backroads required to get here. It's a fantastic adventure for those who like exploring these geographic masterpieces. This is exactly the kind of place that people who love Central Oregon go there for! My dad was excited to finally see this place after years of never getting a chance.

Central Oregon is full of geologic wonders, many of which are unheralded - they're not parks or…read moremonuments, just cool natural features. Crack in the Ground is one. Located on BLM land very near the center of the state*, CitG is a volcanic fissure associated with the Pleistocene eruption of the four cinder cones that created the nearby lava field. The crack formed when the land subsided a bit after/during the eruption, creating a graben and causing the lava to crack along a considerable length. What all that means is we have a super cool hiking spot! You not only can walk above and around the crack, you can walk a fair distance down the middle, too. Although there are a few places where you have to scamper on loose lava blocks, a lot of the trail is easy walking once you're down there. To get to CitG, you can take one of two routes. The easiest, but maybe not the quickest depending on where you start, is to drive to the small town of Christmas Valley and head north on Crack in the Ground Road just east of town center (from Bend, use Hwy 31 east from La Pine, hang a left at the Fort Rock turnoff). The road is gravel and is a bit washboardy but is OK for regular passenger vehicles. Drive straight north until the road gets twisty and then drive another mile or so. You will come across a largish parking area on the west side that sports an outhouse. The path to the crack is to the east about 500 yards. Alternately, drive a bit further north until you see a considerably less substantial dirt road off to the east. It ends in about 100 feet and will put you right near the northern terminus of the crack. All this is clearly visible on Google Maps. The other route is to come from the north via the Green Mountain Campground road, which is an extension of the Crack in the Ground road. Getting to the campground from the north is, however, quite a bit more complicated and I leave that to you to navigate if you choose that route. It is a shorter drive from Bend, depending on how many wrong turns you take. Anyway, once there, you can choose your path in and around the crack. While the walls of the crack are quite steep and high along much of its length, descending to the bottom can be safely achieved in many spots. As with just about all of the hikes in Oregon's lava fields, you'll want shoes with sturdy soles and maybe a pair of leather gloves. So many cool things to see in Oregon. * Not where the Yelp page map marker hilariously shows it in Bend (as of this review). I've tried to correct that but Yelp is often unresponsive to corrections.

Quite a stunning waterfall!…read more We wandered through much of Newberry Monument this weekend. It was a great time, as although some things aren't opened yet, most areas were and we were nearly alone at each stop. Paulina Falls is fabulous...it has height and a unique split stream that falls from separate sides. The surrounding forest is serene, and there's a decent amount of parking and a handful of picnic tables. There's a great trail back and forth to the lake, and a short zig zag trail down to the bottom for another great perspective. We really enjoyed the monument, and Paulina Falls was definitely a highlight!

Paulina falls is one of the best waterfalls in the Bend area. Also one of the easiest waterfalls to…read morewalk to. When in Newbury Volcanic National Forest., you definitely want to check this one out. From the parking lot, the upper falls viewing area is only .25 miles away. Of course you can continue walking upstream or downstream to see more! In mid May the stream of water coming down was impressive: so beautiful! Just be careful in winter time as there will be most likely snow, and even in springtime!

What a great experience. The 7.5 mile loop hiking around this pristine lake is like no other! We…read morewent counter clockwise starting at the parking lot across the visitor center. No elevation change for the first 45-60 minutes. Then some elevation changes across the way near the "hot springs" to get over high grounds and cliff like walls near the lake. But what amazed us was the beautiful scenery 360 degrees around the lake, and the vast changes of the topography. We walk or hiked over grass, mulch, soft pathways, sand, soft beach like sands, small gravel, small rocks, hard and awkward pathways full of sharp little rocks buried in the way which could be a little trip hazards if you didn't pay attention, clay like dirt, and so on and so forth. We loved everything. We did explore the hot springs and it was busy, see the pictures, but was not so inviting for is really to take long break. Just dipped our feet and hands in them to get a feel for it. The drive up to the lake from Route 97 was 14 miles of easy black top paved path with moderate elevation. To top off our great hike around the lake, we drove our car up the decent gravel narrow windy road to an elevation of 7984 ft Paulina Peak an explored the beautiful views o both lakes - Paulina and East Lame. And in the distance you could also see Mt Bachelor, and the Sisters towering the western horizon. Highly recommend this place and plan to cone back to visit and climb up the crater hiking route!!!!

We visited loop 55 and it was absolutely breathtaking!!! In Mid august it's beautiful skies but a…read morebit windy which makes it chilly but over all love it and would love to come back in a RV and hike and not here. Plenty of campgrounds and very clean area.

Paulina Falls is a stunningly beautiful venue! There's not one, but TWO waterfalls here, and…read morethey're visible once you're just a short walk in from the parking lot. Tip: This place is situated inside the Newberry National Volcanic Monument The Falls here are lovely and simply not to be missed, especially when you consider how little effort is required to see this georgous natural attraction in all it's Glory :-)

The oath is well cleared so the walk is easy. It's about 100 paces from the parking lot to seeing…read morethe falls. And if you want to walk more it's a little less than half a mile to Paulina lake. Then you can go across the bridge and hike down the otherwise to see the falls from the other side. I don't think it actually loops all the way around unless you go even further.

An amazing lake so close to Bend that is lower in elevation making it a bit warmer than many of the…read morecascade lakes. Its a great spot to come for camping or day use with a lot of great shore line to set up right on the lake so you can have fun with watercraft like kayaks and paddle boards. The water was super clear about 10 feet out but a little murky due to some water reeds and other sediment right on the shore line but its fine to swim through and even better if you have a tube, kayak or paddle board. We didn't make it out to the hot springs on this trip so will have to update when we get there!

Let me start by saying we've been coming to Little Crater as a family for 30 years…read more Our recent reservation was for 2 spots in a cluster for 9 nights and 2 bordering spots for 4 nights. On our 2nd day there, we bought & displayed an extra vehicle tag. Most of our family was scheduled to arrive for the final 4 nights. Every day we took our boat to the lake, where we parked at the ramp, proudly displaying our yearly Parks Forest Pass, for which we paid a $30 fee to get. Every time the boat was taken to the lake, the extra vehicle was moved in our spot to allow passage. 1.  Every day, the camp host harrased us (sometimes multiple times) about the extra vehicle, clearly displaying the pass on the dash. "Oh I guess I did ask you about that car this morning." 2. On our 5th night, the host came to us and said, "I see you have spot 43 reserved tomorrow. It's been abandoned so hurry up and pay for it. I'll make note that we spoke."  So we paid for it and set up tents for our kids. A couple of hours later, the person who "abandoned it" returned. Her tent was up the hill out of sight. Luckily for us, she allowed our kids to remain in the spot. 3. On our 6th day, our truck at the boat ramp was "ticketed" by the host telling us we needed to park at camp since we weren't displaying a forest pass. We advised her that we had a pass displaying in the truck and why suddenlywas it an issue after 6 days? She advised us that didn't matter because the Forest service wanted the ramp for locals. 4. On the 7th day, we received a "2nd notice" on the truck when we parked at the ramp. The host told us she "wasn't going to argue" and would "call the Forest service" on us. 5. On the 7th day, our father arrived for the day. He bought a day pass at the park entrance. The host advised my nephew to have him move his truck and boat trailer from the parking lot since "he was with us and needed to park at camp." My nephew advised her he was a legitimate "Day User" and would park at the ramp, period. This is the day the restroom near our camps stopped being cleaned. Toilet paper was filled, but urine that was splashed around the room by hikers wasn't cleaned. It fell upon us to get bleach and a bucket of water to make the room bearable. 6. On the 7th day, in the evening, Forest service "supervisor" Carol came to camp. She advised us that we were "well within our rights to park on the ramp" if we wanted to, but to keep in mind that the "locals weren't able to make reservations and were having trouble parking on the ramp." Ladies and gentlemen,  the locals are perfectly capable of making reservations.  I seriously doubt they're driving past Paulina Lake ramp, which has double the parking and flush toilets, to park here at Little Crater. During this conversation with "supervisor" Carol, she pointed at the Forest Service Pass hanging from our mirror and told us " technically I could write you up right now since your pass isn't valid. See right there? It says it is invalid without a signature." It wasn't until the next day that we discovered this isn't true. There is NO PLACE on the pass that says it isn't valid without a signature.  We're so disgusted with the aggressiveness, incompetence, harrassment & unmitigated campaign to ruin our vacation by these hosts, that we packed up and left camp a day early.  We couldn't leave this place soon enough for all the stress and anxiety these people have caused. At this point, after two years in a row with the increasing ineffective hosting we've experienced, we don't even know if we'll bother next year.

If you tend to have anxiety attacks or panic attacks when driving on steep mountain roads with…read moresevere drop offs, do not go here. The visitor guide only mentioned it was a gravel road. He did not tell us it was full of precarious switchbacks. Visitor guides need to be more transparent about roads such as this one. Had I been made aware of the driving conditions, I would not have made the trek. There is only one turn off, and it is before the road gets really scary. Once you pass that, you have no option but to continue on. By the time I reached the summit I could barely breathe. I was visibly shaking. I have no idea what the view is like as I literally huddled behind my suv in tears. My husband says it is one of the most amazing views he has ever witnessed. Thank goodness my husband was able and willing to drive my Expedition back down the road. He had never driven my car before, but I had no choice but to let him drive it as I was in the midst of an anxiety attack. I literally closed my eyes, prayed to Jesus, and barely kept from throwing up the entire way back down the mountain. I'm giving this a 5 star rating based on my husband"s experience. Mine would have been a zero.

An 8,000 foot lookout in the Deschutes National forest…read more From the peak you can see Paulina Lake, many mountains, and lava fields. Accessible by vehicle or hiking a two mile path. The path is moderately difficult, but offers fantastic views at various points along the way. There is a restroom at the lookout.

Archeologists discovered 70 pairs of sandals made of sage brush that are 10,000 years old -…read moreuncovered in the rock cave, evidence of early humans in North America. During the Ice Age, Fort Rock was surrounded by water. Before drying up around 10,000 years ago, the lake with its associated wetlands and wildlife was the foundation of life for prehistoric humans. Prairie Falcon, Golden Eagle, Western Medowlark, Rock Wren and Yellow Belly Marmots live here. Raptors are currently nesting and some trails off limits. With binoculars we saw 4 Prairie Falcons perching and two flying as fledglings sang through the high cliff recessions in raptor nest homes. Look for white poop splashes high up cliffs - that is where the raptors perch and nest! Wife and I hiked through lush high desert with lots of sage and pinkish-reddish spiny hops bush, horse bush and desert sage. Many wildflowers in bloom. Wild buckwheat dominating the landscape. Also there was paint bruch, penstemon and larkspur. What a grand day for a hike in the wondrous Oregon outback! Colors in rocks, flowers and sands! Smells fragrant!

Such a cool place to visit! About 70 miles southeast of Bend. There's a small gravel parking lot,…read morerestrooms with flush toilets, covered picnic area and a kiosk with information about the site. There are hiking options for everyone. It was pretty hot during out visit and no shade in the hiking area, so we only walked up to the base of the ring. It was still really cool to see. It's an old tuff ring set in what was a shallow sea in prehistoric times. The ring is about 4,460 feet in diameter and stands about 200 feet high above the surrounding plain. Sandals found in a nearby cave are the oldest ever discovered, dating back around 9,000-13,000 years. We really enjoyed our time here and the beautiful drive to the Oregon Outback. Would highly recommend.

A breathtaking hiking trail west of Bend. Lava Cast Forest is in the depths of Deschutes National…read moreForest. Since it's a relatively recent lava flow, one can see how the molten rock encased the Ponderosa pines. The lava preserved the casts of the majestic trees, leaving behind a ghost forest of sorts among the volcanic Cascade mountains. Signs along the path describe the dramatic geological history. It's in a pristine part of Central Oregon, a breath of fresh air not far from the growing city of Bend. Be sure to bring plenty of water&snacks for the trail. Worth the time&effort. Beautiful!

This is a unique trial that takes you to a lava flow that has giant casts of Ponderosa Trees in it…read more It is south west of Bend and located in the Deschutes National Forest. Here this trail does a loop and has some interpretive signage that explains what happened. Basically, when the lava flow that you are looking at started to destroy the forest is cleared many things in its path. But for some reason, there were some large Ponderosa Trees that did not get taken away. They were so thick that the lava just flowed around them and left them where they were. When the lava flow cooled and hardened, it hardened around the trees. Of course, a few years after the lava hardened the trees died and eroded away leaving these giant casts in the lava. You can actually fit your entire body into many of them and see just how crazy it must have been to see back in time. Here is a link to a website with more information on this trail. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=38390&actid=50