Story Photos
 Photo by The Springfield News South of Bend Ore., the Peter Skene Ogden trail follows the crystal-clear water of Paulina Creek. The 15-foot waterfall along Paulina Creek provides a welcome relief for hikers on a hot day. |
Up Paulina Creek
Friday, September 9, 2005 9:16 PM PDT
By The Springfield News
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E-mail this articleWith skiing, rafting and outdoor activities galore, Bend and central Oregon are now among the state's primary tourist attractions.
Resorts and restaurants can be costly, but a few of the area's best features are still nearly free.
A day hiker's dream
A dry climate, beautiful terrain and well-defined trails make Bend a hiker's paradise.
High on the list of scenic adventures is the Peter Skene Ogden trail, a 5.6-mile round-trip trek along a crystal-clear stream full of swimming holes, rock cliffs and waterfalls.
The trail, which follows Paulina Creek, is especially suited to day hikers looking for a two-hour trip without a lot of hill-climbing.
From the trailhead at the Ogden Group campground, the path gains a mild 500 feet over 2.8 miles before reaching a 15-foot waterfall that splashes around a lot of beauty for its diminutive height.
On hot days, the swimming area below the falls is a popular spot, and it is possible to drive to the falls and forgo the hike.
From the trailhead, the trip crosses the creek on a footbridge before paralleling the stream through flat grassland.
The trail soon enters a lodgepole pine forest, with 100-foot tall trees providing shade for much of the trip.
The main trail is well defined; however, there are many side paths that meander through the woods to viewpoints and swimming holes well worth the extra effort.
The final half-mile of the trail follows a portion of the stream with rugged rock walls that create a picturesque canyon setting.
One hot spring enters the stream about a mile and a half from the lower trailhead. A small concentration of green algae at the spring is the only place where the stream does not appear clear.
Ogden Group Camp and McKay Crossing campgrounds are available without a reservation, as well as numerous off-trail campsites.
Traffic on the trail is moderate, although a local mountain-bike tour group uses the trail for occasional excursions, as do horseback riders.
Along the trail, large stumps attest to the logging of the area approximately 70 years ago, but the majority of the forest has regained its beauty.
To get to the trail, take Highway 97 from Bend south for 22 miles. Turn east at the Newberry Caldera sign between mileposts 161 and 162, and continue 2.8 miles on the paved road before turning left at the Ogden Group Camp. From there, signs clearly mark the trailhead.
Short but majestic
A short alternative to the 5.8-mile hike is the 1.6-mile round trip Paulina Creek Falls trail, with a splendid view of twin 60-foot falls.
To reach the trailhead, turn off Highway 97 at the Newberry Caldera sign and continue 12.2 miles, before turning left at the Paulina Creek Falls picnic area.
The trail begins between the area's upper and lower parking lots. It is an easy hike with only a 300-foot elevation gain.
Cool time in the lava cave
A sure-fire good time, rain or shine, is the Lava River Cave, a subterranean experience 23 miles south of Bend on Highway 97.
The underground nature of the trip makes weather factors irrelevant, although a coat and a flashlight are required equipment for this two-mile round trip venture to the deep.
The Forest Service charges admission to the site and rents lanterns for $3, but the small expense is rewarded with a unique adventure.
Like much of the Bend area, volcanic activity created the Lava River phenomena. Molten magma flowed through a fissure during the last ice age some 10,000 to 100,000 years ago.
The mouth of the cave is a portion of the tube that collapsed, probably from an earthquake or pressure from ice above.
Visitors enter through a long stairway built for convenient entry. The path then traverses boulders and rocks that fell long ago from the roof and walls.
Native people probably used this area to store meat and to seek shelter from storms; however, the cool, damp air makes it impractical for use as a dwelling for very long.
Leander Dillman, a stockman and trapper in the area, discovered the cave in 1889 and used the constant 40-degree temperature as a natural refrigerator for his venison.
The path is a bit of effort at first, but it flattens out into a smooth, well-worn walkway after about 300 yards.
The first notable feature is the Echo Hall, an area of the cave 58 feet high by 50 feet wide.
A marker along the wall at the end of the chamber indicates where the path passes under Highway 97.
The cave is shaped in an astonishingly symmetrical arch, due to sand that filled in the bottom third of the original circular passage.
Much of the cave looks nearly man-made because of the architectural symmetry, resembling nothing so much as a set from the "Lord of the Rings." trilogy.
Another curiosity encountered in the cave is the sand garden, a collection of sandy ash from the Mt. Mazama explosion 6,600 years ago.
Groundwater carried the ash into the cave, and the drips created curious features on the floor below.
As the end of the cave nears, the ceiling becomes very low, eventually making it impassable.
The very end of the trip is a 310-foot portion of the cave, dug out by adventurers in the 1930s probing to see how far the cavern goes. Ultimately, travelers who reach the end of the line find themselves approximately 500 feet below the surface.
To get to the Lava River Cave, take Highway 97 south from Bend for 23.5 miles, and look for the sign on the east (left-hand) side of the road.
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