Newberry National Volcanic Monument
Newberry National Volcanic Monument is located on the Deschutes National Forest and includes Newberry Crater and outlying volcanic features. The area covered by Newberry Volcano is about 100 square miles. The Newberry Crater area occupies the caldera at the large shield volcano. Most of the gentle flanks of Newberry are spotted with over 400 cinder cones and extrusion lava flows.
The west and east flanks of Newberry are largely thick deposits of ash with channels, draws and canyons eroded in them. Newberry Crater is rimmed with steep walls except on the west side where Paulina Creek drains from Paulina Lake. Paulina Creek is the only stream in Newberry. The caldera contains two lakes, Paulina and East lakes, which are separated by a 700-foot pumice cone and an obsidian flow.
Professor W. O. Crosby proposed that Newberry Crater be made a national park or monument in 1915, but with little success. In 1944 it was proposed that Lava Cast Forest, Lava Butte and Lava River Cave be included as part of a national park on Newberry, but this also was not successful. Congress finally established the Newberry National Volcanic Monument on November 5, 1990.
The monument is managed to preserve for present and future generations the unique geologic landforms and nearby other resources within the designated boundary that includes 55,500 acres. An additional 10,300 acres is included in special management areas. Included in the national monument are Lava Butte, Lava River Cave, Lava Cast Forest and Newberry Crater. The Forest Service is the agency responsible for managing the monument and the Deschutes National Forest is the administering forest.