I love our National Park Pass. It makes making multiple trips to Crater Lake seem perfectly sane. This was our third visit to the park. We drove around the entire lake on this trip and hiked down to see the lake at it’s surface for a different perspective. I prefer the eastern side of the park to the hustle and bustle of Rim Village.

We camped at Union Creek Campground about 20 minutes outside the park. In this area the Rogue River channels into a narrow gorge. There is also an area nearby called “Natural Bridge” where the Rogue disappears into a 250 foot long lava tube and comes out the other side. There is a nice path along the river and it is a beautiful area. Unfortunately, the lookout points were poorly placed and creating a pleasing composition of the phenomenon is next to impossible.  We made a detour on the way home to Pearsoney Falls.

This post has been a long time coming. We visited this monument on our return home from the Painted Hills, but I ran out of room to upload photos on the blog, so couldn’t post it at the same time. My mom rocks, and transferred the blog over to a domain where I am not limited on how many photos I upload (yeah!). We have been busy, (I started a new job with  2 hours of driving each day…yikes!) and we continue to explore Oregon on weekends, so I have some catching up to do!

Back to the post; we were driving along Hwy 97 on our return home from the Painted Hills when a huge cinder cone came into view, followed by a sign for the monument. I lit up like a kid and looked at Rob with enthusiasm, asking “can we please?”. We were tired from our weekend of camping in triple digit temps, but Rob is a trooper and took the exit. How did I not know about this? The area of the monument we visited is called “lava lands” and the cinder cone you see pictured below is “lava butte”.  The monument is huge and includes a lava cave and two crater lakes. We did not have the time or energy to explore the entire monument, but I do hope to return to this fascinating place.

Newberry Volcano is the largest volcano in the Cascades volcanic arc. It has been referred to as “Oregon’s sleeping giant”.  Newberry is a shield shaped composite volcano with 1,200 square miles of lava flows. There is lava dating up to 400,000 years old and the last eruption was 1,300 years ago. Newberry is monitored by the U.S. Geological Survey and is considered a “high risk” volcano with a relatively recent eruption and a population of over 200,000 living nearby. In 1981 a drill hole recorded temperatures over 500 degrees Fahrenheit at a depth of 3,000 feet, indicating an active magma system beneath the volcano. Scientists believe that Newberry is certain to erupt again.

The Painted Hills are one of three units in The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. This is high desert; pure, wild, rugged, serene, and remote. The smell of sage fills the air and calms the spirit. We camped at Priest Hole on the John Day River as no camping is allowed inside the monument. To get to Priest Hole from the Painted Hills unit you must drive into the backcountry on gravel roads. As you leave the pavement behind, you enter a rugged, remote wilderness. The river is inviting; cool and calm. Finally, relief from the heat of the desert sun.

We had been trying to plan a visit the High desert of central Oregon for some time, specifically Smith Rock and The Painted Hills. Smith Rock is a 4 hour drive from Grants Pass, and The Painted Hills are 1 1/2 hours past Smith Rock. We wanted a 3 day weekend to explore this area. Unfortunately, by the time we could arrange that, a heat wave had hit the Pacific Northwest. Just a week earlier this area had consistently had highs in the high 80’s to low 90’s and lows in the high 40’s; perfect for camping and hiking. During our visit, highs soared to 109 and there was little relief from the heat at night.

We camped 2 nights at Smith Rock. On the 2nd night there were strong gusts of wind that blew dust through the campground with force. We were attempting to cook dinner when this began and the wind quickly blew out the flame on the propane grill. We gave up on cooking and took cover from the dust in the car and watched and waited as it passed through. A few drops of rain blew through after the dust, but only lasted a few minutes. The storm passed through just as the sun was setting. The dust in the air contributed to an amazing sunset.

Smith Rock is a popular location for climbers with over 180 climbing routes. It also offers hiking, horseback, and mountain bike trails. The Crooked River runs through Smith Rock and provides a lush area that contrasts beautifully with the surrounding desert. I would love to return here when the temperatures are cooler, but have no regrets for bracing the heat to experience this beautiful park.

After an awesome tour and hike at Oregon Caves, we headed home. We didn’t want to though. In fact, we stopped at a park on the Applegate River and pondered swimming. It was late in the day and the water was ice cold, so we opted out. We decided on a whim, to go home, pack up a few things, and head towards Crater Lake. We would camp about half-way there, then get up the next morning and hike at Crater Lake; the trails should be open. We ended up camping next to a group that stayed up all night partying; literally. The sun was rising when they finally shut up! Not quite the good nights sleep we had hoped for. In addition to lack of sleep, soreness had set in from the previous days activities. My calves were burning before we step foot at Crater Lake.

What a difference a month makes. The snow was all but gone. The sky clear and blue, and the lake bluer still. It was crowded, so crowded that there were cars lined up at the gate. Our National Park Pass came in handy as it allowed us to pass through the employee lane. Rim Village was bustling with tourists all taking selfies or family shots in front of the lake. Luckily, even at Crater  Lake, you don’t have to venture far down a trail before the crowds disappear and you are surrounded by peace and beauty.