Newberry Volcanic Monument: ‘8th Wonder’ contest winner
The Newberry National Volcanic Monument lives in Central Oregon’s backyard, just south of Bend. This year, the volcanic monument is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
In July, NewsChannel 21 took you to the special spots Travel Oregon chose as the “7 Wonders of Oregon: ” Smith Rock, the Painted Hills, Crater Lake, the Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood, the Oregon Coast, and the Wallowas.
Then we ran a contest listing five nominees for our viewers to choose among as an “8th Wonder” — and Newberry was the winner.
“The last eruption was 1,300 years ago,” Ralph Saunders, park ranger in the Caldera Zone, said Thursday. “That was the Big Obsidian flow.”
With many wonders inside the monument itself, the site draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.
Lava Butte is just off Highway 97 between Sunriver and Bend. The cinder cone is one of many within the Newberry Volcano.
“I think there’s a lot of confusion,” Park Ranger Criistina Peterson said. “This is Lava Butte, which is a vent of Newberry Volcano.”
Travel 20 minutes south on Highway 97 and Newberry Caldera, Big Obsidian Flow, Paulina Peak, and Paulina Falls make up the southern region of the monument.
“Paulina Peak is an 8,000-foot overlook,” Saunders said. “On a clear day, you can see into Washington and California, as well as views of Oregon, so three states.”
Below Paulina Peak lies the Big Obsidian Flow, Paulina Lake, and East Lake. The volcanic terrain drew attention from NASA which tested suits to be used on the moon at the Big Obsidian flow.
Many visitors often refer to the Newberry National Volcanic Monument as Newberry Crater, which the Forest Service says is incorrect.
“A lot of people refer to it as Newberry Crater, and it was referred to that for a long time. But it’s actually a caldera, which we call Newberry Caldera,” Peterson said.
Newberry National Volcanic Monument has special events to mark the monument’s 25th anniversary; find more information on the Forest Service‘s website.
