Page 625 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

OREGON  623

Galloping horses near Sisters, the peaks of the Three Sisters Mountains visible in the distance
h Sisters business district retains its small- k Newberry
* 2,000. n 291 E Main Ave, (541) town charm. Drake Park is a National Volcanic
549-0251. ∑ sisterschamber.com grassy downtown retreat on both Monument
banks of the Deschutes River, and
This Wild-West-style ranching Pilot Butte State Scenic View­ Open Apr–Oct: dawn–dusk daily. &
town is surrounded by lush point, atop a volcanic cinder n Lava Lands Visitor Center, 11 miles
pine forests, alpine meadows, cone that rises from the center of S of Bend on US 97, (541) 593-2421.
∑ fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/
and rushing streams. The peaks town, overlooks the High Desert newberrynvm
of the Three Sisters, each above and snowcapped Cascade peaks.
10,000 ft (3,000 m), rise The High Desert Museum Encompassing eerie and bleak
majestically in the background. celebrates life in the rugged landscapes of black lava, as well
terrain that covers much of as sparkling mountain lakes,
Environs central and eastern Oregon. waterfalls, hemlock forests,
The McKenzie Pass climbs Walk-through dioramas use and snow-capped peaks, the
from Sisters to a 1-mile (1.6-km) lighting and sound effects in Newberry National Volcanic
summit amid a massive lava flow. authentic re-creations of Native Monument occupies an area
The Dee Wright Observatory American dwellings. A trail leads of 86 sq miles (220 sq km).
provides panoramic views of to replicas of a settler’s cabin Exhibits at the Lava Lands
more than a dozen Cascade and a sawmill, and to natural Visitor Center explain how
Mountain peaks, buttes, and habitats, including a trout the volcano has been built by
sweeping lava fields. stream and an aviary full of thousands of eruptions which,
hawks and other raptors. seismic activity suggests, may
} Dee Wright Observatory begin again. Other exhibits
Hwy 242, 15 miles (24 km) west of E High Desert Museum here highlight central Oregon’s
Sisters. Open mid-Jun–Oct: dawn– 59800 S Hwy 97. Tel (541) 382-4754. cultural history.
dusk daily. Closed Nov–Jul, Open May–Oct: 9am–5pm daily; Nov– At Lava River Cave, a passage
depending on snow conditions. Apr: 10am–4pm daily. Closed Jan 1, extends for almost 1 mile
Thanksgiving, Dec 25. & - = (0.8 km) into a lava tube,
∑ highdesertmuseum.org
through which molten lava
once flowed. The Lava Cast
Forest has a trail through a
Environs forest of hollow molds, formed
The best way to explore the by molten lava that created
magnificent South Cascades casts around the tree trunks.
Mountains is to take the Cascade
Lakes Highway, a 95-mile-
(153-km-) long loop, star ting
from Bend. Southward, the route
Bend’s High Desert Museum, which passes Lava Butte, which offers
showcases life in the region fine mountain views. Also located
along the highway is Elk Lake,
j Bend popular for sailing, fishing, and
windsurfing. Ano ther interesting
* 77,000. n 750 NW Lava Rd,
(541) 382-8048, (877) 245-8484. sight is Mount Bachelor, 12 miles
∑ visitbend.com (20 km) west of Bend. It offers
some of the best skiing and
Busy Bend, once a sleepy lumber snowboarding in the region.
town, is alluringly close to the An enormous, 45-sq-mile
ski slopes, lakes, streams, and (117-sq-km) lava flow (Devil’s
many other natural attractions. Garden) lies northwest of
While unsightly development Mount Bachelor. Astronauts
is quickly replacing the juniper- used it to train on foot and in
and sage-covered grazing lands moon buggies for their historic A jagged outcrop at the Newberry National
on the outskirts, the old brick 1969 moonwalk. Volcanic Monument

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