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.

There's the falls, and then there's Pringle Falls Campground (USFS). One gets to the latter on a…read morefunky dirt road that leads into an even funkier dirt road One arrives at the campground and there are several sites along the Deschutes River and a couple more a bit inland. The road forms a loop at the campground. Though it wasn't a holiday weekend when we were there, all the river sites were taken. We got a secluded site away from the river, where the loop starts. It was quite adequate. One can walk down the river, and, I suppose, up it too. The walk downstream was a pleasant one. The campground opens in late April and shuts the end of October. It costs $10 (2016) per night, half that if you are old with a pass. No water available, but there's an outhouse. Bugs weren't a problem when was there. The falls (and by extension the campground of the same name) was named for Octavius Manthano Pringle (1832-1914), my sixth cousin four times removed, according to my genealogy file. Whether he is you cousin or not, you might enjoy camping here - I'd come here again....

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).

Wonderful stop in Central Oregon! Next to Fort Rock State Park! Only open Thursday thru Sunday,…read morewell with the $5 admission price. Several buildings moved here to form the Pioneer town. Well decorated buildings, houses, a general store, school and church.

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.

Loved this spot! The falls were easy to get to. The upper view was an easy walk from the parking…read morelot. The lower view point required a little bit of hiking, but nothing strenuous. I would recommend some sneakers or hiking boots for the lower view.

The Lava River Cave is a unique experience. It is something I remember doing with my grandpa as a…read morechild. It is 1.1 miles from the enterance to the end of the cave and 2.2 miles round trip. My boyfriend is really in to caverns and mines so I thought this would be perfect to take him to when visiting the area. He loved it. Its awesome that it is a self guided tour, they give you safety instruction and have a booth you can rent lights at. We walked the duration of the tunnel and back. We spent a little over an hour and a half exploring the cave. It is definitely something to experience and would reccomend it. It is on average 42 or below in the cave so bring a sweater and is only open in the late spring - summer.

An amazing natural phenomenon to explore when in central Oregon…read more Be aware: It's cold in the cave, so bring a coat. The footing is uneven, so wear sturdy shoes. It's pitch black in the cave, so bring it rent a powerful flashlight. Enjoy the cave, but be prepared.

We were on a long road trip and came out this direction to ride our mountain bikes on the North…read moreFork Trail and found this cool feature by chance! It was cool to drive our Truck and Camper on a covered bridge. Nice open parking area at both end to wait for one way traffic. At the far end there is access to the trail and a covered picnic area too. We were all by ourselves and were able to take a video crossing the bridge. Pretty cool when you stumble on things like this and you are not expectign them - the benefits of wandering!

One of the oldest Oregon bridges, it is pretty cool…read more The community takes its upkeep serious and it well shows. A small picnic area, the north fork and trail system makes for a nice family visit.

The Lowell Covered Bridge is definitely worth a stop if you're in the area. It has a lot of history…read morebehind it, and I really liked that there are displays inside with information and photos about covered bridges in Oregon it makes it more than just something to look at. The views of Dexter Lake right next to it are gorgeous, and honestly, it's one of the best spots around to watch the sunset. It's also a great place to go fishing if you've got the time. Overall, it's a quick visit, but a really neat piece of history and a great photo spot.

It's a nice stop to park with a view of the lake but bathrooms are stinky and dirty. Its a loss…read moreyou can't go through the covered bridge because of repairs they won't make.

Gayle and I were out walking during our only morning in Bend. We started Downtown at Drake Park…read moreand Mirror Pond and walked counter clockwise past Brooks Park, through some beautiful neighbourhood homes, onward to Pageant Park, and back. It was a fine morning to be out and about. I'm a sucker for historical points-of-interest and at Brooks Park (and overlooking the water of course) is the Bend Heroes Memorial. It's small, it was built with great car and love, and it left an impression. It was dedicated Veteran's Day 2009 and honors the men and women of Bend who have served, are serving, and will serve to defend our freedom during times of peace and war. My favourite part of this plaza is the statue of the little boy holding a folded US flag.

SATURDAY APRIL 18, 2015 A Purple Heart City memorial will be added here too!!!!!!…read moreFree at 10:30 am