THE BEND VICINITY - Central Oregon's Beautiful Little Secret - A Midwesterner's Perspective
Written: Mar 11 '05 (Updated Sep 02 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Serene and beautiful location... Unusual terrain... Newberry Volcanic National Monument... High Desert Museum.
Cons: No interstate highways within 125 miles.
The Bottom Line: Bend's remote location could be considered both a positive and a negative. For those who are keen on beautiful scenery... make the effort to visit this wonderful place.
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| radioroger's Full Review: Bend |
This beautiful area took my family totally by surprise. Within just a few miles, we discovered towering snow-capped mountains, massive lava flows, a huge cave, beautiful lakes and a singularly unique museum. Originally scheduled as little more than a lunch stop, our experience blossomed into nearly a full day of enjoyment. My two daughters (11 and 13) and I were about two-thirds of the way through a monstrous 7200-mile auto tour of the American Northwest. We had seen Glacier National Park, Seattle, the Oregon Coast and more. We had visited Crater Lake early that morning and we'd spend a couple of days at Yellowstone before our cross-country journey back to Ohio.
We approached the Bend, Oregon area from the south. The 1½ hour drive on the two-lane US 97 from Crater Lake was an easy drive with flat terrain and light traffic. Virtually all of the Bend area attractions are located south of the city.
Our first stop was Lava River Cave, just off the highway about 12 miles south of Bend. The turnoff on the east side of US 97 is clearly marked. Lava River Cave is part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. The cave is a constant 40 degrees, but it was about 85 degrees outside, so it was difficult to convince the young'uns to bring a jacket. The cave entrance is very close to the parking lot. Definitely bring your flashlight. I'd also recommend renting a lantern. The warm glow illuminates the trail and cave features as well as your condensed breath. I will not detail the geologic processes that formed this cavernous mile-plus long cave, but the cave was formed by a fascinating process of flowing and ebbing molten lava. The first 300 or 400 feet of the cave trail descends with moderately steep stairs. After that, the trail is mostly on gently descending wood and steel platforms with handrails. It is an easy hike for reasonably healthy folks, although some may be unnerved by hiking further and further away from any visible sunlight. Yes, this cave contains bats... thankfully we did not see any. Visitors encounter many interesting geologic features as they walk deeper into the cave, but your family's real adventure is seeing how far you are willing to hike into the darkness before turning back. Admission to Lava River Cave is $3.00 per person. Lantern rental is an additional $3.00.
We drove north on Rt. 97 for just another mile and turned left to the Lava Lands Visitor Center, the informational hub of the Newberry Volcanic Monument. This well-maintained building houses many interesting exhibits about the area and a bookstore / gift shop. Outside, there are short trails and a picnic area.
Just north of the Lava Lands Visitor Center, we drove to the top of Lava Butte, a huge, conspicuous weird-looking formation situated in the midst of the flat lava flows. The steeply sloped Lava Butte towers about 500 feet above the surrounding level terrain. Formed about 7000 years ago, Lava Butte is one of the largest of the 400 or so volcanic cinder cones in this area. Its caldera is about 150 feet deep. A narrow roadway spirals to the top, ending at a small parking lot just below its summit. A short but vigorous walk leads to the top of the butte... where visitors will find an aging ranger station as well as spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. To the west, you will see flat lava flows in the foreground... forest and snow-capped mountains in the distance. To the north, you'll see Rt. 97 leading through the pines into Bend. A relatively short hiking trail circles the crater's rim. Although a few trees and bushes have managed to establish themselves in the red volcanic rock (especially within the crater), Lava Butte has very sparse vegetation which lends to its strange otherworldly appearance. Visitors should be prepared to be approached by hordes of golden-mantled squirrels. Although its against the rules to feed the wildlife, these creatures' fat little bellies and bold nature seem to indicate that human visitors feed them daily. Even if you don't feed them, the squirrels will approach you, follow you... even climb all over you if you sit down at a picnic table. Golden-mantled squirrels look almost exactly like chipmunks. The only visible difference is their stripes. Chipmunks have stripes on their heads and faces. The squirrels do not. The kids were enthralled with the bold little rodents. The squirrels didn't seem to pose any threat, but I feel compelled to include a disclaimer. Although they are just small rodents, these animals have zero fear of humans and are VERY assertive in their pursuit of handouts. It is always wise to exercise caution when interacting with unpredictable wildlife.
Newberry Volcanic National Monument has several other geologic attractions, the most prominent being Newberry Crater, a 17 square mile caldera of a 500 square mile volcano. Paulina Lake and East Lake are located within the huge crater. The two lakes are separated by cinder cones and an obsidian flow. Visitors may camp, fish and hike in this scenic area. Daily passes to the crater are $5.00 per vehicle.
Our next stop was the High Desert Museum, just off US 97 about 3½ miles south of Bend. This unique museum has a wide variety of exhibits dedicated to the history, culture and nature of the High Desert (as this region is known). The museum is half indoors and half outdoors. The clean, handsome building interior contains dioramas of nature and history scenes, American Indian exhibits, an art gallery and some hands-on exhibits for the kids. The indoor "Desertarium" has exhibits of some unusual and seldom seen creatures like kangaroo rats, bats, burrowing owls and other small animals. Outdoors, there are many large scenes recreating various stages of the region's history. There's a fully-functional old-fashioned sawmill, which they occasionally demonstrate. There are several pieces of antique heavy machinery used to develop the High Desert region. There are also a few outdoor wildlife exhibits, most notably a birds of prey demonstration, a porcupine exhibit and a very nice otter exhibit. Several colorful chickens roam the forested grounds. A clear stream filled with trout crosses the outdoor area. The museum is well-staffed with knowledgeable adults who seem to genuinely enjoy their work. My girls were particularly intrigued when a staffer identified some of the contents of a dissected hunk of owl vomit. The High Desert Museum is part zoo, part museum and part nature trail. It is a nice attraction for families with kids of all ages. I'd recommend at least three hours to fully take in all of the museum. Admission is $12.00 for adults (13-64), $11.00 for seniors (65 ) and $7.00 for kids (5-12). They are open daily from 9-5 year round. Wheelchairs and strollers are available. The outdoor museum has a few gently sloping areas, but its wheelchair-friendly and easy to walk. Food is available. There's an expensive gift shop with some nice and unusual items.
When visiting the Bend area, you may want to take the Cascade Lakes Scenic Highway (a.k.a. Century Drive). Consisting mostly of Oregon State Route 46 west and south of Bend, this 90 mile drive has been designated as a US Forest Service National Scenic Byway. This beautiful drive winds through the region's numerous lakes and mountains. Many activities are available along the highway... camping, fishing, hiking, boating, sailing, and horseback riding to list a few.
Although the city of Bend is surrounded by beautiful scenery, I found the city itself to be unremarkable. Don't misunderstand... it appears to be a clean, thriving small city (pop. 52,000), we just didn't encounter any interesting architecture, geography, attractions etc. Perhaps we missed the city's more interesting areas. Bend is the by far largest city until Eugene, about 100 miles to the west and Boise, about 250 miles to the east. Bend supports an Audi, Porsche and BMW dealership, suggesting at least a modest level of affluence.
Oregon's most well-known travel destinations include the state's Pacific Coast, the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood. This beautiful and diverse area in central Oregon should be added to the list. You can take just a couple of hours to enjoy the scenery from the highway, or you can spend a week or two and take in all this scenic area has to offer. Although I researched this area before our visit, I didn't have high expectations... so this region was an unexpected gem in the midst of a wonderful vacation.
TO SEE OUR CENTRAL OREGON FAMILY VACATION PHOTOS, PLEASE VISIT MY TRAVEL WEBSITE:
www.mikebechtol.com
My Crater Lake National Park Review
Newberry National Volcanic Monument Website:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/newberrynvm/index.shtml
High Desert Museum Website:
http://www.highdesertmuseum.info/
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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radioroger
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Location: Rural Ohio
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