Snowshoe the Paulina View Trail

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Length: 7.5 miles

Elevation Gain: 840 feet.

The Paulina View trail is an alternate route up Newberry Volcano if you are looking for a little more solitude than can be found on the more popular Paulina Falls trail. Your snowshoe adventure begins at Ten Mile Sno-Park, on the flanks of Newberry Volcano, ten miles from Highway 97, coincidently enough. Newberry volcano is a shield volcano that covers over 1,200 square miles, making it the largest volcano in the Cascades. It’s shield shape, however, makes it appear more as a long ridge rather the steep sided stratocones common to the west. The majority of eruptions occurring on Newberry consisted of a more fluid lava, like those found in Hawaii, slowly building the volcano in layers. A more violent eruption did occur about 75,000 years ago, creating the Caldera containing both East and Paulina Lakes.

Head out of the south end of the parking area and cross the main road that heads up to Paulina Lake. Follow a snow mobile route for about 1000 feet as it heads south from the Sno-Park and watch for a route to your left near the bottom of a small dip. This route follows a forest road as it winds its way through the forest for the next mile and a half, climbing about 500 feet in the process. Finally, after a trudge up the thickly tree lined road, you will pop out in a cleared off area, and the views towards Paulina Peak open up. The nice, pillowy snow looks perfect for bounding around in, but don’t’ wear yourself out too much. You still have a ways to go.

The trail travels through the thinning for 0.3 miles and ends up crossing another snowmobile route. Look for the continuation of the trail on the other side of the road as it enters another deep, dark forest. The next 1.5 miles of trail climbs less steeply that the first half of the trek. However, we found that this section was also much less traveled, leaving us to break trail on the majority of the route. That made this piece much more difficult than the first.

Finally, you will pop out on the main road, right at the intersection with the East Lake Road and the road that leads into Paulina Lake Lodge. Head towards the lodge, cross a bridge over Paulina Creek, and bask on the shores of this volcanic lake. If you choose, head into the lodge and grab a burger and a beer. On the way back, if you are looking for a slightly shorter route and would like to make a loop out this ordeal, I recommend heading down the Paulina Falls trail.. This will cut about .75 miles off your trip. Plus you will get to see a falls. BONUS!

Directions

To reach the Ten Mile Sno-Park, head 23 miles south of Bend on Highway 97. Make a left onto Paulina-East Lake Road, about 6 miles north of La Pine. The Sno-Park will be 10 miles up this road on the left.