Lava Lands Visitor Center

Lava Lands and all the attractions you want to explore in the Newberry National Park (including the Lava Butte, Lava Caves, etc. are actually pretty accessible if you search it up correctly on Google Maps.
Unfortunately we screwed up and looked up the wrong path to the Volcanic monument. Save yourself the trouble, don’t be like us, and just look up the Visitor Center. We ended up driving through the entire park to get lost and find nothing. Long story short, the park is pretty cool, but scary to drive though on 2 wheel drive.
Anyway, we were able to at least explore the River Lava Cave, a 2 mile loop into the Oregon Caves. Pretty much imagine yourself as part of the Fellowship in the deep Mines of Moria. It’s extremely cold, there’s no light, and there could be creatures in the dark.
Just kidding, the mines (i mean caves) were okay to explore, but weren’t that exciting. It’s worth one trip down, but you’ll realize that you won’t find much. There obviously are not any bats and you’ll mostly be look around at the same cave formations.
That said, parking is like $ 5 for a day pass and $ 5 for lanterns. You NEED to use light and not just your phone light. You need something concentrated otherwise you’ll trip and fall.
Props to the park to have something like this. I wouldn’t come again, but it was worth one visit.
Watch your step and prosper,

This is one of two visitor centers for the Newberry National Volcanic Monument (the other is the Paulina center over by Newberry caldera — open seasonally). Lava Lands Visitor Center has a good museum with a lot of information on volcanoes. Helpful folks here.
The volcanic monument itself has a separate Unilocal page:

Lava River Cave was an unexpected and somewhat interesting stop on our way home.
1 — It’s REALLY easy to get to; easy parking, short walk.
2 — It’s dark; REALLY dark. A cell phone’s LED light is almost worthless.
(The information shack rents powerful LED flashlights.)
3 — It’s cold, a steady 42′ year round.
Even if you just walk in the first 100 feet or so, you’ll get a good feel for the cave’s features.
To me, this is worth the stop (if you’re driving by) simply for the unique experience.

We had no idea that anything this big, this fabulous, could be found in Sun River. Wandered over to the visitors center, watched the movie and took a good look at the relief map and artifacts finally realizing that this one grand park was equal in size to Rhode Island!
Smart Rangers could field any question tossed their way, and always with great care and respect. We felt welcome everywhere we went, always greeted by a Ranger and engaged in meaningful conversation. One Ranger, Christina, was so enthusiastic that she just made you want to learn more. This was the best field trip” that we have been on in years!
Allow several days to see it all as this is not a place that can be rushed through in a few hours. Pack a lunch and remember your sunscreen– nothing close by for supplies.
Absolutely a great find!

Must go see! What a unique place to see. Bring a jacket, it gets chilly inside. Your cell phone flash light will not much for you, just pay the 5 for a light! Or bring your own.

We enjoyed this very much. We did the lava tube hike which is a mile in and a mile out. It’s pretty dark in there so you can either rent a lamp or bring your own. My hubby and i brought our own headlamps and we did just fine. The walking service isnt always flight so be careful and at times you have to duck to keep from hitting your head. You’ll know you reach the end because you’ll reach a sign that tells you you can’t go further. The only thing I would say when hiking this is that be courteous to other hikers who have been waiting to get by. We had various other hikers keep going past us where it was too narrow for more than one person to go by. People let’s be fair. Oh and now that I mention it, keep your flashlights out of people’s eyes! Sadly, it wasn’t just children who were doing this– adults too. The entrance fee is $ 5 or free with an interagency pass (and you can get into other areas now free within the park). It is a tad cooler so bring a sweater, although you will be sweating on your way back. And bring sneakers that you haven’t used to hike in other caves– they are very protective of the bats and don’t want to pass on any bad mojo from other caves.
After the lava tube we went to the visitor center. We showed our interagency pass and got in free, otherwise I think you show your receipt from the lava tube or pay there. It was clean and they played some video for people to watch along with other historical information. We were not able to do the shuttle to the top of the butte because we did not have cash. They do not have an ATM machine anywhere near the facility and they do not accept cards. So get your $ 2 per person cash before you come. I was bummed out we didn’t get to do this but the park ranger encouraged us to do the small hike just outside the visitor center that takes you up to a pretty cool scenic spot. You hike through the lava rubble, everything is paved and relatively flat but there is some incline. You can get some pretty pictures of the different terrain as well as the mountain skyline. Anyhow, it’s worth a stop if you’ve never been here before.

You’ll see it from highway 97: a dark brown anthill stretching high above the ground. It is a classic butte: an isolated hill with steep sides and a flat top that is similar to but narrower than a mesa.
When you turn in at the Lava Lands National Monument entrance, you can go straight through the booth ($ 5 parking paid to the attendant) and on to the visitor center parking lot, or you can turn left and drive 4 miles to the volcanic cave.
The visitor center itself is nice (note: closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays!), with a table-​top model of the area, restrooms, and small gift shop. Ask the cute ranger about how the butte was formed (it was not an eruption of a volcano per se, rather an eruption of lava flowing from the Newberry volcano at Paulina that traveled under the surface then pushed up here and there)(at least that was my takeaway – the ranger will probably correct that description).
Lava butte: Bring a hat and sunnies! You can take a shuttle the 2 miles up the lava butte for $ 2 (*bring exact change*). At the top is a smallish viewing room with windows all around, plus a path that circles the peak of the butte. Make sure and walk the path, which is short with incredible views of the peculiar terrain below. We shuttled up and walked down – the path is the same as the drive up, not an interesting hike, so the shuttle is the way to go when it’s hot out.
Lava cave: Pay for your parking and lantern (s) at the kiosk. Two of us shared a lantern; next time we’ll each get our own. Lanterns are $ 5 and *much much* better than the cell phone flashlights I some people stumbling around and using! This is a do-​it-​once cave; totally cool to walk through a lava tube, but none of the cool structures (stalagmites, e.g.) that a non-​lava cave has. Great option for a hot day in Bend, the cave is quite cold – I had on leggings, a couple of layered shirts, thin jacket, and light gloves, and I was very comfy.

This was my second time venturing through the lava cave. The last time I was here, my mom chickened out and turned around at the bottom of the stairs. 13 years later, she tried again, and made it all the way to the end!
This is a nice, easy hike (about 2 miles to the end and back) through a cold lava tube, and is well worth the price! It only costs $ 5 per vehicle, and nothing else if you have your own lights. If you don’t, you can get a high powered flash light for an additional $ 5, which was also very reasonable.
My 13 year old nephew had a great time as well, and we saw plenty of people ranging from 1 year olds to 70 year olds, so it’s a great place for the whole family.

Epic awesome time and fabulous activity for the whole family … Bring a jacket and good shoes !!!

Very unexpected, we were on our way to crater lake and saw this place. Very cool and interesting place. Well worth the time to stop. Dried lava as far as the eye can see.

Okay, this place is pretty cool. We ventured here on our way home from Crater Lake. It was not an anticipated stop, but I’m glad that we did. Having lived in Bend for 7 years now, this place is 20 minutes from home. Who knew?
We only checked out the cave. $ 5 for a lantern, it’s pitch black in there. They suggest one lantern for two people. We did one lantern for 4 and then used our phone flashlights. Next time (and yes, there will be a next time) we will get four lanterns.
You descend into the lava cave, metal stairs and path for maybe the first 50 yards and then you are walking on the cave floor. The terrain can be a little tricky, hence the need for more lanterns. AND, it’s cold down there. I was wearing a tank top and about five minutes into the walk I wished I had worn my sweatshirt. It’s pretty darn amazing, 50 feet below the earth’s surface, cold, damp and dark. Not scary, but certainly intriguing. We walked about half way through the tube before turning around (because we were freezing). They recommend that you allow yourself an hour in the tube. Guided tours are available and they recommend you make a reservation.
An interesting place to bring the family. Bring a picnic, lots of venues with picnic tables for you to enjoy a little lunch before making the trek into the tube. A park pass is also needed, if you don’t have one, then you pay $ 5 at the gate.

Unfortunately the Visitor Center was closed during our visit and it was very snowy, but we snuck through anyway and are glad we did! The Lava Butte lava fields were pretty cool! Got some great pictures and made a great memory.

Beautiful place, super friendly ranger at the guard house that happily gave us directions and suggestion for the lava cave.
We saw the beautiful lava cave and reviewers are right. Dress warmly and bring your own light is the way to go. It was amazing inside they preserved as much of the cave naturally as possible. No paved paths or artificial lighting to spoil the experience. Gotta wear good shoes when you get in, it’s slippery. Would love to come back to see the center and hike up the crater next time.
There’s also a new bike path in the area that connects to sunriver and tumalo. Definitely need to check it out.

This place is so cool!!! We were staying at the Seventh Mountain Resort and were interested in the lava flow around the area. It was awesome to go up to the top of this cinder cone and see the caldera and lava flow stretching almost all the way to Bend! After that, we checked out the visitor center to learn all about the volcanoes in the area. That’s where I finally learned about the Newberry volcano. All I can say is WOW! I really learned a lot from the visitor center and I can’t wait to come back to Central Oregon to check out more of the volcanic activity!

A tour guide on our kayaking trip mentioned Lava Lands so we decided to go check it out on a day with not much planned. I didn’t have any expectations but this was such fun. The views are fantastic, the little walking tour through the field was nice as well. If you are going in a summer month slather on that sunscreen and maybe bring a hat, it’s all out in the open. Worth the trip for sure and there’s a nice area near by with waterfalls and walking/​running/​hiking trails.

Who doesn’t want to climb to the top of a volcano and learn that every mountain peak out there actually has a name? Super amazing views that will take your breath away… no really it’s kind of a steep climb to the forest tower (short, but steep). Panoramic views of the 3 sisters, Adams, Hood, Bachelor, and several others I didn’t even realize were stand alone mountains. You have 30 minutes to soak it all in, but there is parking below and trails for exploring. Make your way out of the camp and you should stop at the bat caves just down the road. SUPER awesome.

Lava Lands is great and all the other reviews are true. However I just want to point out the Visitor Center’s wonky hours. You can still hike the crater when the Visitor Center is closed. You just can’t go in and see the exhibits. I learned this the hard way when visiting on a Tuesday.
Check the dates on their website before driving 15 miles.
According to their current website (9 am — 5 pm):
May 1 — June 9, Thursday — Monday
June 12 — September 1, Open Daily
September 4 — 29, Thursday — Monday
October 4 — 12, Weekends Only
October 13^th, then CLOSED to the public for the Season

This used to be a field trip staple when I was in school 25+ years ago. I went back this last fall for the first time since being in school and was really disappointed in the remodel of the exhibit at the interpretive center. I always loved the dioramas culminating in a tiny rubber volcano blowing and then sinking into a crater while the floor beneath you shook! Now it’s not there and that’s really unfortunate. The interepretive center really is beautiful now and there is lots of information, but it’s also not as fun as it used to be. The trail through lava flow is still way awesome, as is the view from the butte. I love learning about local geology everywhere I travel, so in terms of that… it’s a wonderful monument.

We started our visit at the Paulina Lake area and took the hike to the top of the obsidian flow. The walk through the lava cast forest was new and unique. Only three stars though because the main attraction, the lava cave, was closed on weekdays after Labor Day.

Could not get easier to get around.
Beautiful scenery, easy access.
Clean restrooms.
Friendly worker.
Love supporting tourist attractions =)

We’ve lived in Bend for 14 years and Lava Butte is only about 15 miles east of us. Yet we had not visited there until this week when a friend from Arizona suggested we all go. Smart friend. Great place to explore. Spectacular volcanic outcroppings and mountain views and also trails of varying access and ease with lava caves in the mix too.
OVERVIEW: The new Lava Lands visitor center, opened this year, is a good start point to gather info about the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, of which Lava Lands, Lava Butte, Lava River Cave are all a part. Those are the sites that are in the immediate area of the visitor center. Other points of interest in the Newberry National Monument area are roughly 25 miles south /​southeast of the Lava Lands visitor center. They include Paulina Falls, Peak and Lake and also the Big Obsidian flow. If you’re planning to visit those too, you’ll want to make a full day of the exploration.
We had a few hours to spare, so we limited our exploration to the visitor center and the sights immediately adjacent; Lava Butte and the Molten Lava Trail. The Lava River Cave is also in this same area and would have been an easy inclusion, but not a place the claustrophobic members of our merry band were inclined to want to visit. (Here’s are tips if you do want to the lava cave; the surrounding area is warm, the cave is cold, take a warm jacket, wear study shoes, and you’ll be required to carry two light sources with you.)
VISITOR CENTER: Great facility with exhibits, information on the Newberry National Monument area, a spectacular view of the Cascade mountains looking across the lava flow from the patio at the back, and jumping off point to a couple of paved trails; Whispering Pines and Molten Lava. More good news, the new visitor center has added large bathrooms with flush toilets and running water. Rangers working at the visitor center were most helpful in providing additional information on the area. More good news is the entire facility, from parking lot through all elements are equally accessible to people of all ages and physical abilities.
There is a $ 5 fee (as alternative National Park passes are honored) to enter the Visitor Center area which is the jump off point to access the Lava Butte cinder cone.
LAVA BUTTE:. A short drive up an 8% grade cinder road, during busy times you’ll be assigned a 30 minute visit interval so that the limited parking and space at the top of the Butte can accommodate the visitors there. (As example, we arrived at the visitor center gate at 10:45 a and were assigned a start time of 11:15 a for the drive up and a return time of no later than 11:45a.) There is a paved parking lot (with one accessible parking stall) at the top and a steep paved trail to the very top of the Butte and the old fire lookout there. Folks with small children in tow may find it helpful to know that there are NOT railings all the way around the top. Also accessible from the parking lot is a roughly mile, steep cinder topped trail that loops around the Butte. Even if you decide not to brave either trail, the views from the parking level are amazing.
MOLTEN LANDS TRAIL: Trails immediately adjacent to visitor include Whispering Pines and Molten Lands. Both are paved, with the former being more level and in better repair and the latter being more steep and with some divots in the asphalt. (People who push strollers or use wheelchairs, as I do on trails, will know why that latter bit of info is important. ;-)) We had time for only one trail and selected Molten Lands, which takes anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes to complete based on how much one wants to speed walk or saunter and gawk.
OTHER TIPS:
a) Right outside the entrance to the Lava Lands Visitor Center you’ll find a drivable access road that is about 4 miles long and takes you to Benham Falls. Another beautiful place to visit.
b) Road changes off of Highway 97 that are intended to make entry in and access out of the Lava Lands area easier were supposed to be completed by July 2011 but were still a work in progress as of last week. As a result, you can expect to have to make a significant detour if you’re trying to access Lava Lands coming from the south or if you are trying to exit to the north after leaving Lava Butte.

BRRRRRRRRRR!
This cave is pretty neat if you are into this sort of thing. It’s really cold, so I suggest that you take your jacket. Yeah, I know – some of you tough guys will do without, but you’ll suffer. DON’T wear flip flops. While it’s 9 million degrees in Bend in summer, you’ll kill yourself inside the cave where there are many ice deposits.
I would not suggest this place for toddlers. On my last rek here, some jerk thought it was wise to bring a 3 year old girl in with him, and she could heard screaming at the top of her lungs from deep within the cave.
The only thing I’m not keen on here is that you have to rent their lanterns and they only have so many. There’s no time limit on them, so some people could spend 8 hours in the cave if the wanted to [die]. Just get here early if you can.