Volcanoes

5 places · Cascade peaks & volcanic landscapes

A calm lake at dusk reflects a row of classic waterfront buildings topped with bright neon signs and glowing windows. Long vertical streaks of yellow, red, green, and blue ripple across the dark water beneath a deep blue sky.

Ashford, WA

Reflection Lakes

A pair of subalpine lakes on the road between Paradise and Stevens Canyon that mirror the full south face of Mount Rainier on still mornings. Wildflower meadows fringe the shoreline in late July, and in October the huckleberry turns the banks deep red. It is the single most famous reflection view of the mountain.

sunrisesummer · fall

A low stone wall from Dee Wright Observatory frames a wide lava field stretching toward snow-streaked Cascade peaks under a clear blue sky. The dark, rough volcanic rock contrasts with the bright snow patches and distant mountain ridges.

Volcanoes

Sisters, OR

Dee Wright Observatory at McKenzie Pass

Dee Wright Observatory is a stone structure built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935 atop McKenzie Pass at 5,325 feet elevation. The observatory sits amid a vast lava field and has window openings aligned to frame 11 Cascade volcanic peaks. The surrounding lava flows from Yapoah Crater and Belknap Crater cover approximately 65 square miles.

golden hoursummer · fall

South Sister rises in a broad alpine panorama, its dark volcanic slopes streaked with late-season snow and ice under a clear blue morning sky. Middle Sister appears smaller in the background, with distant Cascade ridgelines fading into the horizon.

Volcanoes

Bend, OR

South Sister Summit Trail

South Sister is the third-highest peak in Oregon at 10,358 feet and the youngest of the Three Sisters volcanoes. The summit offers views of the entire Cascades chain from Mount Hood to Mount Shasta. Teardrop Pool near the summit is considered the highest lake in Oregon.

morningsummer

Jagged black lava and rough gray volcanic rubble fill the foreground, with a hazy forested mountain ridge rising behind it in soft afternoon light. The scene emphasizes the dark, glassy texture of the Big Obsidian Flow against the muted green slopes beyond.

Volcanoes

Bend, OR

Big Obsidian Flow

The Big Obsidian Flow is the youngest lava flow in Oregon, erupting approximately 1,300 years ago within the Newberry Volcano caldera. The flow covers over one square mile and consists of jet-black obsidian and grey pumice. A one-mile interpretive trail with metal stairways traverses the flow.

afternoonsummer · fall

Wide summit panorama from a rocky volcanic ridge, with Crater Lake glowing deep blue in the distance beneath a clear morning sky. Golden, sparsely vegetated slopes and dark lava outcrops frame the view, with layered mountain ranges fading into the horizon.

Volcanoes

Klamath Falls, OR

Mount McLoughlin

Mount McLoughlin is a stratovolcano standing at 9,495 feet, the highest point in southern Oregon. The summit offers unobstructed views of Crater Lake, Mount Shasta, the Rogue Valley, and Upper Klamath Lake. The peak is a prominent landmark visible from much of southern Oregon and northern California.

morningsummer · fall