We arrived on a Friday afternoon, not a good idea when looking for a boondocking spot, especially close to a city. The National Forest area off Skyliners road is only about 4 miles from Bend OR and right next to a popular mountain biking trail.
Our site was right at the beginning of the road, not a bad spot but very dusty.
We wanted to be close to Bend to do some shopping. That done we headed south on US 97 to explore the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. Like John Day Fossil Beds, Newberry has several sites. The first one we came to was Lava Butte, a Cinder Cone volcano that last erupted about 7000 years ago. There's a winding drive to the top but only 10 parking places. They allow 10 cars at a time and we could stay only 30 minutes before heading down to allow room for the next 10 cars.
Looking north along US 97 toward Bend OR.
The Newberry Caldera about 17 miles southeast.
About 7:00am Sunday morning we awoke to cheers of encouragement and ringing cow bells. Our Campsite was right next to the second aid station for The Dirty Half Marathon.
Today we'd be exploring the Newberry Caldera. The most popular hike is The Big Obsidian Flow, or what I'd call it, Walking On A Mountain Of Glass.
Some fun facts about Obsidian.
Hiking on snow in June, again.
Coming next, More from Newberry.
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