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Stephanie Hicks

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Visit Fort Rock, Oregon

Have you ever walked around the inside crater of a volcano? In the western part of the United States, there are many amazing geological formations. The most famous are found in Utah and Arizona. However, Central Oregon has over 40 "tuff rings," that are equally amazing and no where near as mobbed by tourist crowds. Formed by ancient volcanic activity within lake beds that have long since dried up, the lonesome rock rings stand alone on barren landscape as a testament to years past. When hot air and gas finds its way through a vent in the lake bed, it pushes magma to the surface, where it meets the muddy lake bottom. Eventually, it explodes through the surface and settles around the vent in a ring, cooling in the lake waters.

One of the most significant "tuff rings" in the Brothers Fault Zone of Central Oregon is known as Fort Rock. It is approximately an hour's drive south of Bend, Oregon. If you are familiar with west coast cities, Bend is 6 hours from Seattle, Washington and about 3 hours from Portland, Oregon (driving distances). It is also served by an airport with several daily flights to and from Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, as well as other small regional cities.

Geologists believe that Fort Rock was created between 50,000-100,000 years ago. The surrounding lake has vanished, and half of the ring is gone, as well. This is said to be the result of high winds that eroded the side of the ring against which the waves relentlessly beat for thousands of years.

When you visit Fort Rock, there is a free parking lot, restrooms and picnic tables. Trails wind around through the inside of the crater. You can witness the erosion rings in the gorgeous rocks and even hike up on top for some magnificent views of the flat, surrounding landscape. Wildlife is abundant - we spotted jackrabbits, butterflies, raptors and a snake on our visit in March.

If you make arrangements ahead of time, you can also visit Fort Rock Cave, a National Heritage Site. This can only be accessed as part of a guided tour, two weekends a month (April through October). Prehistoric artifacts were discovered there, including 9,000 year old sagebrush sandals from Native Americans. To arrange for a tour, call (541) 388-6055 at least 3 days before your visit.

Contributor's Note
The author lives in Central Oregon and frequently writes about attractions such as Fort Rock