There is a hike through the lava beds, a fire tower on the butte, an area to go down to the river, and the lava cave. It is well worth it.
We came to hike up Paulina Peak after finding it highly recommended in the book "Bend Overall" by Scott Cook. He calls the view "The best in Oregon", a rather optimistic claim, but after the hike, we couldn't help but agree. We went back a month later with out-of-town guests, about the highest compliment we could pay to a destination and experience. I haven't been on the lakes, but they are gorgeous, and certainly uncrowded, so we'll be back many times in the future to enjoy this gem of geology.
This is absolutely a must see for any visitor to the high desert plateau. Much of the topography reflected at the Monument is reflective of other areas of Central Oregon. The volcanic core of the state makes it second only to Hawaii in activity. Thank you, National Parks Service for your professionalism and attention to detail!
There are secret hot springs at the old campground on the north side of the lake. It's a great destination for an evening-hike if accessed from the west side, or even better, a great camp spot for a backpacking trip around the rim going counterclockwise.
My wife and I planned on stopping here on our vacation but it was closed (all parking areas and visitor center) The website said the visitor center was open from 9 am to 5 pm we were there around 11 am
The obsidian flow walk was amazing - wow. Not easy, and not for those with flip-flops or dogs (it's glass!), but really interesting. The drive around the lakes was pretty ho-hum, but the drive up to Paulina Peak was so worth it.
We spent a lovely day with friends at this must see High Desert Plateau last Spring. The paths are excellent and the ascent is gradual. Every different area is well documented. The only negative might be the heat in the middle of summer! Make it an early day!
We love Newberry! Waterfalls, hiking, lakes, boating, fishing, camping - lots to do!Paulina Falls are beautiful and very close to the road so easy to see even for the mobility challenged. Both Paulina and East Lake are nice for swimming, boating, fishing and beach-lounging.The Paulina Plunge hike is awesome if you can get there before the tour buses (they park up above and while it's a nice tourist attraction, I wish everyone had to do the hike which would thin the crowd a bit).There is a lot of nice camping in Newberry and only half of the spots can be pre-reserved so it's a good place for spontaneous campers.We haven't done all of the activities at Newberry yet so there is still more to discover!
One of our favorite places to take visitors. Really nice visiter center. The walk around the crater rim is very scenic and since they have replace some of the signs, informative.
We were able to walk the Lava Butte trail which has great interpretive signs and is pretty easy walking for kids 5+. Wouldn't recommend trying to carry a toddler up the trail. Signs are really informative and learned alot on this little walk. Because it was winter the lava caves and lava forest were closed.