Swamp Wells (Trail 61)

This is an incredible tour through the lava lands of Central Oregon. The trail begins on the north side of the Newberry Crater Rim Trail and descends through the lava flow and pumice fields to the southeast side of Bend at Horse Butte. The trail starts with a fairly steep descent down the north side of the Crater Rim in heavily forested terrain. There are a few rocky technical sections here and there, so be cautious. This trail doesn't get a lot of traffic, but is maintained by a local group of volunteers. The best time to hike the trail is in the Fall after some moisture has released from the skies and has frozen hard several times. The trail tops out at 7,500+ feet, thus if the Mt. Bachelor Pine Mountain Lodge webcam shows snow, expect snow on this trail. To get to the trail, you'll need to hike around to the Newberry Crater Rim / Swamp Wells junction. There are several ways to get there, and each will add at least four miles and 1,500 feet of climbing. Ways to get there: (1) hike the Newberry Crater Rim Trail starting from the west side of Paulina Lake or (2) hike the Newberry Crater Rim Trail starting from the east side of East Lake Paulina Loop.