Lava Lands Interpretive Path (+7 insets!)

(+5 insets) (please view large!!)

Protecting our Wonderful Natural & Historical Places
I don't know about you, but I've always assumed that every park out there is a zillion years old. But it's not true! New park lands are being set aside and protected all the time. In the US as an example, there have been 13 newly designated national parks since the late 1990's--they had been listed as state-level or other types of parks before that. National park status in the US means more funds and protection--which is a great thing! However, the added wear and tear due to more visitors is the double-edged sword.

Land set aside as state parks, monuments and historical areas are added on a regular basis, often deeded for this purpose after a land-owner died or a dedicated group was able to purchase the property. I was surprised to learn that sometimes a park will get a downgrade in status, from national status to a state park, monument or another lesser designation. Maybe a state will want to assume control, or an area will be so sensitive to traffic of any sort that it's removed from a roster to protect it from harm---Shoshone Cavern National Monument was renamed Spirit Mountain Cave and is now only accessible with rarely-provided permits. Other times it makes better sense to join nearby areas into a larger park--General Grant National Park was added to the nearby Kings Canyon National Park, for instance. What about your country? It's fascinating to learn what's new and changed in regards to new parks and historical areas in your home country!

Newberry National Volcanic Monument was carefully divided from the Deschutes National Forest in 1990 and includes 54,000 acres of land dedicated to the protection and promotion of this special area. By setting aside special spaces and promoting the areas to the public, money can also be generated to develop trails and information to educate visitors.

Interpretive Lava Lands Trail
What an amazing path for everyone to enjoy! Wheelchair-accessible, this trail winds and zigzags up and around piles of eon's old lava flows, interspersed with detailed signs along the way. The area was very popular and we had to deal with non-stop groups of people who often didn't wear masks. Still, the mind-boggling experience of this place was worth it. We couldn't stop taking pictures!! (If you're interested, here's a video which shows how wonderful this path is: Accessible Adventures: Deschutes National Forest)

Today's Pictures
I'll have two post's worth of images to share and today's main image is a panorama which shows the path leading up into the field of lava. Mind-bending, no? We had to stop and stare or risk stumbling off the path in our delirium! :D

Today's Insets
I have a number of pictures that show the view as we made our way up and down the path, enjoying every spectacular moment. Could the sky be any prettier?! :D The last image shows part of the interpretive area shown through the conifer forest at the edge.

I hope everyone is enjoying the emergence of spring! It's waking up around here and we're getting ready for our 2021 RV trip! So busy!! Please take care of yourselves!

Explored on 3/20/21; highest placement #39.