Lava Top Butte is displayed on the Fuzztail Butte USGS quad topo map. It is part of a system of small cinder cones on the northwest flank of Newberry Volcano, a massive shield volcano which rises to the southeast. The original lookout was replaced with a larger one in 1957, which was subsequently enlarged in 1962 to accommodate a small visitor center and museum on the first floor.
In November 1990, Newberry National Volcanic Monument was created encompassing Newberry Crater, Lava Cast Forest Geological Area, Lava River Cave, and the Lava Butte Geological Area. $5/vehicle/day or valid recreation passes from May 1 through Columbus Day weekend. A peak’s prominence, also known as topographic prominence or relative height, is a measure of how distinct a peak is from other peaks. Bend Fort Rock Ranger District In 1925, USGS geologist Harold Stearns studied the Newberry area and recognized the fissure system which extends from Lava Butte to East Lake within Newberry Caldera. In 1998 this was replaced with a new lookout built in the original L-4 style of 1931.
Deschutes National Forest
In June 1926, a quarry was developed in the fault scarp east of Lava Butte as a source for paving material for the first The Dalles-California Highway (later U.S. Route 97). The lava flows reached the Deschutes River about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to the west of the cone, burying its former channel under over 100 feet (30 m) of lava and damming the river to form a lake, known as Lake Benham.
From early May to mid October, a shuttle transports visitors up Red Cinder Road from the Lava Lands Visitor Center to the lookout on Lava Butte. Log successful summits on peakery to earn awards: Thanks. Like the other cinder cones in the area, Lava Butte only experienced a single eruption, dated by geologists in 1977 to 6,150 carbon-14 years, equivalent to about 7,000 years ago. Anyone who is interested in visiting Lava Top Butte can print the free topographic map and street map using the link above.
Visitors can choose the next available slot or choose one later in the day. Lava Top Butte Lava Top Butte is a mountain in Oregon and has an elevation of 5614 feet. A cinder covered trail encircles the rim of the cone with outstanding views. Lava Butte rises 500 feet above the Visitor Center. Download Our New Official Recreation App!
In June 1946, widening of the road up Lava Butte to two lanes was completed, along with constructing two small parking lots at the summit. The early history of Lava Butte is not known, but it is assumed that Native Americans observed the eruptions and later ascended the prominent new landmark. Hiking up Red Cinder Road is a year-round option. Ochoco NF & Crooked River NG Recreation Info, Forest Service Home | USDA.gov | recreation.gov | Recreation Customer Service Standards | USA.gov | Whitehouse.gov, Plug-Ins | FOIA | Accessibility Statement | Privacy Policy | Important Notices | Information Quality, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recarea/?recid=38384, Deschutes NF Forest Recreation Pass Overview, FIND Ochoco NF & Crooked River NG Recreation Info, Ochoco NF and Prineville BLM OHV Information, Deschutes National Forest Dog on-leash requirements or dog restrictions, Trails - Current Conditions - Deschutes NF (PDF). Lava Top Butte is in the Summits category for Deschutes County in the state of Oregon. (541) 433-3200, Sisters Ranger District
Lava Butte is part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. From the south get off of the Cottonwood Road and take it north for 2 miles as it parallels Highway 97 before it goes underneath Highway 97 and right to the Lava Lakes Visitors Center. In the next phase, a river of hot basalt flowed from the base of the small volcano to cover a large area to the west with a lava flow which remains largely free of vegetation. Pine Street and Hwy. Lava Butte is a cinder cone in central Oregon, United States, just west of U.S. Route 97 between the towns of Bend, Oregon, and Sunriver, Oregon. Lava Top Butte is close to Fuzztail Butte. A fire lookout tower sits atop Lava Butte and is joined by a rim trail that offers panoramic views over a dark volcanic landscape. [3] In September 1914, Lava Butte "erupted" when the Bend Chamber of Commerce simulated an eruption to surprise a visiting Portland group. It rises prominently over Route 97 between Bend and Sunriver. When their half hour time slot begins they can take their vehicle up to the summit. In 1903, I.C. The cinder cone is capped by a crater which extends about 60 feet (20 m) deep beneath its south rim, and 160 feet (50 m) deep from the 5,020-foot (1,530 m) summit on its north side. PO Box 208 Lava Butte is a cinder cone rising 500 feet above Lava Lands Visitor Center. It’s defined as the vertical distance between a peak and the lowest contour line surrounding that peak and no higher peak. Lava Butte from Lava Lands Visitor Center is a 3.8 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Bend, Oregon that offers scenic views and is rated as moderate. Due to limited parking at the summit, there is "Controlled Access" on high use days.
The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, and nature trips and is best used from March until November. During peak season from Memorial day weekend through Labor Day weekend, there is a shuttle that runs approximately every 20 minutes that departs from Lava Lands Visitor Center to access the summit of Lava Butte.
136471 Hwy 97 North From Bend, OR: Travel 11.2 miles south on Highway 97. Prominence is a popular metric for peaks for two reasons: 1) it’s objective and relatively easy to calculate, and 2) higher prominence peaks are more likely to be interesting with higher independence vs. peaks with lower prominence. Dr. Howel Williams estimated it to be much older, but incorrectly at 1,000 years old. Russell was the first geologist to study the butte and speculated that it erupted as recently as 150 years ago. The road was later paved in July 1950. Enter your email and we’ll send password reset instructions: shows the mountain as a whole (not just the summit or views), is at least 1920x1440 dimensions and max size 10MB. Lava Butte is 11.7 miles south of Bend Oregon on US 97.
White settlers arriving in the 1800s also noted the landmark. [4], Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Lava Butte in Newberry National Volcanic Monument", "Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests: History", "Architectural drawing of 1957 Lava Butte Lookout Tower", "Map of Lava Butte, Deschutes County, Oregon", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lava_Butte&oldid=942494696, Articles lacking in-text citations from April 2009, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 25 February 2020, at 00:52. The parking lot on top of Lava Butte is limited to 10 vehicles, so 30 minute time passes are issued at the Lava Lands Welcome Station on a … Vehicles greater than 22' long may not go up the butte.
Motorized access by personal vehicles to Lava Butte is not available on days … Instead, peakery shows vertical gain for specific routes up peaks. Prominence ranks are calculated only for peaks with known prominence. In 1903, I.C. In February of that year, the local Skyliners ski club proposed a ski jump on Lava Butte, but it was never built.
(541) 383-5300, Crescent Ranger District A United States Forest Service fire lookout tower was built on the summit in 1931, and in early 1933 a steep, single-lane road was constructed spiraling up to the summit. A cinder covered trail encircles the rim of the cone with outstanding views.
Bend, OR 97701