1.3 hr
Overview
This introductory loop to the Oregon Badlands Wilderness takes you on a somewhat meandering route through a rugged lava landscape that resulted from a major “leak” in a lava tube known as the Badlands Volcano, a “rootless” shield volcano about 80,000 years old (The small crater is about 3/4 mile west of the loop; the actual source of the lava flow is much farther to the south near the Newberry Volcano). The lava formations along this loop include cracks, small pressure ridges (tumuli), and ropy blocks (pahoehoe). The sandy soils are the remains of ash deposits from the eruption of Mount Mazama 7,700 years ago. A key feature of this desert hike are the many old-growth western juniper trees (Juniperus occidentalis) , some over 1,000 years in age: junipers with a beautiful reddish bark will probably be at least 250 years old.
Trail Stats
5.0 km
37 m
1152 m
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Photos
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Trail photo
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