Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, Washington

Lava Butte Vicinity, Oregon

Lava Butte Cinder Cone,
Lava Cast Forest, Lava River Cave,
Lava Lands Visitor Center

LavaButte84_lava_butte_near_bend_oregon_10-01-84.jpg Lava Butte, located south of Bend, Oregon, as seen from Highway 97. USGS Photograph taken on October 1, 1984, by Lyn Topinka. [medium size] ... [large size] ... [TIF Format, 25 M] ...

• Lava Butte Cinder Cone
  About 7,000 years ago, a dozen or so lava flows and cinder cones erupted from fissures on the flanks of Newberry Volcano. An excellent example is Lava Butte, a 500-foot-high cinder cone south of Bend along Highway 97. A road spirals to the top providing a grand vista of volcanic country. Here, gas-charged molten rock sprayed volcanic foam (cinders) into the air. These fell back into a pile to form Lava Butte. As the eruption proceded, the amount of gas (mostly water vapor) contained in the molten rock decreased and lava poured out the south side of Lava Butte and flowed 6 miles downhill. The lava spilled into the nearby Deschutes River forming lava dams in some places and shoving the river westward out of its channel in others. -- Excerpt from: U.S. Forest Service Deschutes National Forest Website, October 2000
  
  
• Fire Lookout and Visitor Rest Area
  This cinder cone rises 500 feet from the surrounding forest floor offering breathtaking views of the Cascades. At the 5000-foot summit is a fire lookout and visitor rest area with interpretive displays. -- From: U. S. Forest Service Pamphlet, 1984, Lava Lands, Deschutes National Forest: GPO-1984-795-615

• Lava Cast Forest
  Across the highway from the turn-off to Sunriver, a nine-mile dirt road winds up to Lava Cast Forest. Here a one-mile, self-guided nature trail unveils a "living museum of volcanic landscapes," as well as the story of 6,000-year-old Newberry Crater. -- From: Central Oregon Visitors Association Website, October 2000

• Lava River Cave
  One mile south from Lava Butte, Lava River Cave is Oregon's longest intact lava tube. You can explore this mile-long phenomenon with lanterns and flashlights, warm clothes and good walking shoes. -- From: Central Oregon Visitors Association Website, October 2000

• Nearby Attraction - Newberry Caldera and Newberry National Volcanic Monument
  Newberry volcano is a broad shield volcano located in central Oregon. It has been built by thousands of eruptions, beginning about 600,000 years ago. At least 25 vents on the flanks and summit have been active during several eruptive episodes of the past 10,000 years. The most recent eruption 1,300 years ago produced the Big Obsidian Flow. Thus, the volcano's long history and recent activity indicate that Newberry will erupt in the future. -- From: Sherrod, et.al., 1997, Volcano Hazards at Newberry Volcano, Oregon: USGS Open-File Report 97-513

[Map,17K,InlineGIF]
Bend/Sisters/Santiam Pass/McKenzie Pass area
-- Modified from: Taylor, Oregon State University, 1981, USGS Circular 838

[Map,23K,InlineGIF]
Newberry Volcano and Vicinity
-- Modified from: Sherrod, et.al., 1997

• Deschutes National Forest -- U.S. Forest Service websites, scroll to desired Forest
• MORE Useful Sites -- CVO Menu, includes links to Volcano Info, Seismicity, Hydrology, etc.

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