The so-called
Lava Lands
cover a huge area of central Oregon, with the greatest concentration of sizeable lava formations - conical buttes, craggy caves and the rocky molds of tree trunks - in the Bend area located at
Newberry National Volcanic Monument
(dawn-dusk; five-day parking passes $5;
). Dating back seven thousand years to the eruption of Mount Newberry, the monument is actually a huge, sloping crater laced with hiking paths, nature trails, campgrounds, and prime fishing spots. Some of the rugged highlights (most free with monument admission) include the chilly, mile-long
Lava River Cave
(summer daily 9am-5pm; $3, plus $2 for a lamp), an eerie but walkable subterranean passage made from a hollow lava tube; the
Lava Cast Forest
, a strange walk through the basalt casts of trunks of trees burnt by lava before they could fall; and the surreal landscape of the
Big Obsidian Flow
, huge hills of volcanic black glass that native tribes throughout the Northwest once used to make arrowheads. As the rock is still quite sharp and brittle - and especially rare - you're strongly advised not to take home any geological souvenirs. The
Lava Lands visitors center
(summer daily 9am-5pm; tel 541/593-2421; $5), eleven miles south of Bend on US-97, is an excellent source of maps and information on hiking trails.
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