Lava Cast Forest is a visitor destination within the

Newberry National Volcanic Monument Newberry National Volcanic Monument was designated on November 5, 1990, to protect the area around the Newberry Volcano in the U.S. state of Oregon. The monument was created within the boundaries of the Deschutes National Forest, which is managed ...

near Bend, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

. It is a geologic feature containing a 6,000 year old

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

flow that created lava molds of ancient trees. It's located about 25 total miles south of Bend and is accessible via a 9-mile (14 km) gravel road from U.S. Highway 97. The site includes paid parking and a paved interpretive loop trail, with some sections too narrow or steep for wheelchairs.

Geology

The Lava Cast Forest area includes cinder cones and various lava flows, with the youngest flow at 6,000 years old. It created molds around preexisting tree trunks when the lava flowed around them. The molds were created when hot lava came into contact with trees, chilling the lava and created a protective covering, or mold. The trees then burnt completely out leaving a hollow interior. The molds can be vertical or horizontal, with some horizontal casts being up to 50 to 60 feet long. In some of the molds, the imprint of tree bark can be seen. Even ancient charcoal are still in some of the molds, and rings of annual tree growth can be seen in some. Originally,

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

company employees thought the molds were lava gas blowouts, until Walter J. Perry discovered the imprints of lava bark. Lava "drippings" found in freshly formed molds were created when lava dripped into the interior cavity.

History

The area surrounding Lava Cast Forest was used heavily for lumber in the early 1900s. After Perry's discovery, the area received attention from all over the west part of the United States in 1928. At one point, vandals used dynamite to destroy some of the best casts as well as removing some for personal keeping. In 1942, the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...

designated 5,120 acres as part of the Lava Cast Forest Geological Area and were promoted as a

tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural ...

. In 1963, scientists from

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...

became interested in the lava fields because they had very little erosion and they suspected it might be what they would find on the surface of the

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

. From 1964 to 1966, at least 46 astronauts trained for lunar missions in the area. James B. Irwin delivered a rock from one of Oregon's lava flows to the lunar surface to commemorate NASA's experiences in

central Oregon Central Oregon is a geographic region in the U.S. state of Oregon and is traditionally considered to be made up of Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties. Other definitions include larger areas, often encompassing areas to the north towards ...

References

{{authority control Geology of Oregon Landforms of Deschutes County, Oregon National Natural Landmarks in Oregon 1942 establishments in Oregon