Nevada-Oregon Trip, Day 12: Paulina Falls, the Trek to the Hidden Hot Springs, and the Wild Lava Tube of Derrick Cave

An adventurous and extraordinary day took me from the heart of the pine forests deep into a massive volcanic caldera, soaking in hot springs on a lake shore, and exploring a wild, isolated lava cave in the desert, before wild camping on the very edge of a volcanic cinder cone.

Morning in LaPine State Park and the Waterfalls of the Deschutes River

I opened the morning with a short drive to LaPine State Park, a quiet and lovely area flanking the Deschutes River, famous for its massive pine trees, including the largest Ponderosa pine tree in Oregon, known as the "Big Tree."

From there, I continued toward Paulina Creek for a morning walk along a series of beautiful waterfalls:

Natural Water Slides: I stopped at a unique spot in the creek where the water flows over exceptionally smooth basalt rock shelves, looking and functioning exactly like natural water slides in the heart of the forest.

Paulina Falls: I continued on a short drive and arrived at the impressive Paulina Falls. Here, the water plunges with tremendous force from a height of about 30 feet over a sheer, double basalt wall. It is a powerful and spectacular sight that can be viewed both from the upper observation platform and from a short trail that descends to the base of the falls.

The Trek Along the Lake to the Hidden Paulina Lake Hot Springs

After visiting the waterfalls, I drove deeper into the Newberry Caldera, a massive volcanic crater that houses two large lakes. I parked the vehicle near the Paulina Lake Lodge resort and prepared for a hike to one of the area's best-kept secrets: the hot springs on the lake shore.

To reach the springs, there is absolutely no vehicle access, and the only way to get there is to set out on a foot trek along the Paulina Lake Trail. This is a trail of about 2.5 miles in each direction, beautifully following the water line of the lake along its northern side.

The walking is mostly flat and pleasant, passing through a pristine forest of pine and aspen trees, with the deep blue view of the lake on one side and the massive caldera walls rising on the other, including the area's famous fields of basalt and obsidian.

As you approach the far end of the lake, you begin to smell the familiar scent of sulfur and realize you have reached the destination. The hot springs here are a completely wild experience.

These are not developed pools, but natural thermal springs bursting right out of the sand and rocks at the lake's water line. Hikers who have been here over the years built small "tubs" and dams using rocks and logs to trap the hot water, which reaches a temperature of over 104°F, and there are buckets on-site that allow you to bring in cold lake water to regulate the heat.

A point to keep in mind: Contrary to standard American conservatism, it is generally custom, even if informally, to bathe in full nudity at natural hot springs deep in US nature. Wearing a swimsuit is of course an option and there is no problem with it, but most people on-site skip it. Keep this in mind if you plan to travel in the area with kids.

The big hit here is the temperature game: you sit inside a small, warm pool of mud and sand, and when the water becomes too hot, all you have to do is move a small rock or simply reach your hand out into the freezing lake water right beside you to balance the heat.

There was only one other elderly couple there. The combination of solitude in nature, the snowy view of the surrounding peaks reflecting in the lake, and the relaxing soak after the walk made this trek an unforgettable experience.

While walking toward the springs, I met a hiker who told me about another "secret" spring located separately from the main hot springs area that was much better.

It is located about a third of a mile before the main springs, not on the trail itself but at the end of an unclear path that drops down to the lake shore. He mentioned that you have to look for it carefully, but it is well worth the effort.

Of course, I went looking for this spring, but at the time, another traveler who had arrived directly by kayak was occupying it, so I hadn't seen him coming in advance. I decided to continue to the main hot springs site first and told myself I would stop by here again on the way back. On the return loop, about half an hour later, I saw he was already in the stages of getting organized to leave. I waited patiently for him to paddle away and stepped into the deep spring. Unlike the others, it wasn't boiling hot, but at a perfect temperature for a long soak.

After a long hour of resting in the warm water, I stepped out, took a quick and invigorating dip in the cold lake, got dressed, and marched the way back to the vehicle. What an amazing experience.

Pine Mountain Observatory and the Off-Road Drive to Derrick Cave

I returned to the jeep, exited the caldera limits, and began driving east, with the landscape quickly changing again and turning exposed and desert-like.

I drove east on Highway 20 and turned at the exit leading up the mountain road toward the Pine Mountain Observatory, an isolated, historic observatory situated at the top of the mountain at an elevation of about 6,200 feet.

The site was chosen for its dry desert air and clarity from light pollution, and the viewpoint from the summit over the wilderness expanses of eastern Oregon is simply massive. The high area is covered by a highly impressive forest, but right when I arrived, there was a strong smell of fire in the air.

After passing the observatory, I understood exactly why: a forest fire had been raging on the southeastern part of the ridge just a short time before. I carefully descended the steep trail passing through the burned section of the mountain until I reached the flat terrain below, where the fire had not touched.

From the high Pine Mountain, I turned onto the challenging segment of the day—a long, tough, and dusty off-road drive on remote dirt tracks in the heart of the High Desert, aiming to reach one of the more unique and lesser-known lava caves in Oregon: Derrick Cave.

The drive was not difficult in terms of technical navigability, as it is an organized OHV area, but the main challenge was navigation, ensuring at each split that I took the correct trails. This drive took quite a bit of time.

The Visit inside the Cave

Derrick Cave is a massive, prehistoric lava tube formed hundreds of years ago during a volcanic eruption in the Fox Butte area.

As the lava flowed like a scorching river, its outer layer cooled and hardened upon contact with the air, turning into a solid rock crust, while the liquid lava inside continued to flow and drain out, leaving behind a giant, hollow underground tube.

The cave is named after H.E. Derrick, a local pioneer who discovered it at the beginning of the last century, and during the Cold War years, it was even designated by the US government as a potential emergency fallout shelter due to its isolation and the thickness of its walls.

When I arrived at the isolated site, I parked and walked across the basaltic terrain according to the map markings toward the cave entrance.

I found a massive collapse opening in the ground through which you descend inside. At the entrance lay a visitor logbook; I flipped through it and saw that the last time anyone had visited here was two days before me.

The moment you step inside, the temperature drops all at once, a constant, cold temperature of about 45°F is maintained inside the cave throughout the year, regardless of the desert heat outside.

This cave is not illuminated or developed; there are no constructed paths or handrails, and it is shrouded in absolute darkness, making the use of powerful headlamps and good hiking boots mandatory.

The dimensions of this tube are simply crazy: its length reaches about 1,200 feet, and in some sections, the ceiling rises to an amazing height of about 45 feet and the width reaches 80 feet, giving the sensation of marching inside a massive, underground basalt cathedral. It was a rather long, slow walk.

I advanced with great caution.

I wasn't afraid of the thought that the opening would suddenly close and trap me in the isolated cave, but rather of the more tangible danger of breaking a leg on the hard, jagged rocks on the floor.

The floor of the cave was not flat at all, and in several spots, the lava flow had ruptured in the past in what looked like a sort of ancient internal eruption.

This sight truly reminded me of the iconic egg-hatching scene from the movie Alien; in a place like this, you can easily let your imagination run wild and spin a whole series of adventure stories…

As I shone the headlamp onto the walls and ceiling, I could clearly see the "grooves" of the ancient lava flow, small lava stalactites frozen in time (lavacicles), and fascinating volcanic rock surfaces.

At one point, I turned off the headlamp just to experience the absolute quiet and absolute darkness of the belly of the earth for a few moments—a powerful and breath-expanding experience.

It was an amazing experience hiking the cave completely alone and far away from any settlement or person, and reaching it via a long off-road drive only added to the intensity of the moment.

Forest Off-Road Driving and Dispersed Camping on the Cinder Cone

After emerging back into the sunlight and desert heat, I started the jeep and entered another off-road drive, this time on beautiful, internal tracks crossing an isolated, wild pine forest, far away from any civilization or paved road.

The final destination of the 12th day was the exact coordinate point I had marked in advance on the map: 43°40'51.6"N 121°02'01.6"W.

Evening was already beginning to fall. The jeep climbed steep, winding dirt tracks, with the pine tree branches practically closing in on the sides of the vehicle from both directions. I went up the trail that circled the perfect cone several times until I arrived exactly at the high edge of a hidden, forested cinder cone.

The location is simply perfect.

I am here completely alone, on the rim of the old crater, surrounded by tall pine trees, with the massive expanses of Oregon stretching out beneath me (though the thick trees hid most of the open view).

I started getting organized for the night camp, lit the camp stove for a good dinner, and prepared to sleep inside the vehicle under a sky strewn with millions of stars, at the wildest and most isolated spot I have had so far throughout the entire trip. In total, I managed to drive 235 miles today.