Spectacular Trails To Hike – JUST AROUND THE BEND

2016

A scenic 23.5 mile drive from Bend,Oregon and you are at Paulina Lake. With large camp sites, beautiful trails and amazing fishing, this is truly nirvana. After September 19th, its first come, first serve, with plenty of sites available. Sites include standard non electric, a picnic table, fire pit, large camping site which we paid $27.00 for two nights. In early season the mosquitoes can be troublesome and late season the meat bees. There are 4 campgrounds on the lake. Paulina being the first, then chief Paulina horse camp second, Newberry Group Camp Site third and lastly Cinder Hill Campground.Cinder Hill is the most popular although the most windy.You can reserve the sites through Recreation.gov.
To do: Boat, kayak, canoe, paddle board, swim or fish.The state record for brown trout was at Paulina Lake weighing in at 28 pounds-5 ounces.Other species are kokanee salmon and rainbow trout. There is a maximum 10 mile per hour speed limit on the lake which affords you spectacular views of the lake and the Newberry Caldera. These campgrounds are all in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.There is an entry fee if you do not have a pass. Check out the obsidian Flow and Paulina Peak which on a clear day you could see Mt Shasta. If you make it to the other side of the lake, just right of the red cinder rock slide, you will find a beach that is actually a well hidden hot springs. Dig in the small rocks near the water’s edge and it will quickly fill with very clean hot water, so hot you will need to dilute it with some lake water, very clean and relaxing. You can also hike from the parking lot on a very nice groomed trail about 4 1/2 miles around to reach the hot springs. A lot of people were hiking around the whole lake which is posted as a 7 1/2 mile loop. In addition dont miss East Lake just past Paulina Lake which has a nice store and lodge , boat rentals and small cafe. There is a Mercury warning on fish caught on East Lake, check the Oregon fishing regulation before you fish. There are 2 public campgrounds and 1 private including (full hook ups) on East Lake.

Drive up 6000 + feet and explore Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

August 2017

This year we decided to spend a whole week at Paulina Lake and really get to dig into all of the activities the area has to offer. We had a really good week of fishing, getting up at 5 am and being on the water at 6 am. yikes, really early but worth it, seems that’s when the fish like to bite. NOTE:We did not keep any of the fish and returned them safely back into the lake.

Next we GeoCached a lot. Walking each day around a portion of the lake looking for hidden treasures. FUN.

Then we paddled boarded, finding we are getting better everyday, Jeff only fell once (darn boat waves).

So if you love to camp, fish, paddle board, hike and swim in a beautiful setting this is the place. This year we stayed in space 38, paved, huge and extremely quiet. Here are some pictures to show you of our great camping experience.