Central Oregon – Paulina Lake “Grand Loop” – Idyllic Sparking Lake

My goal of these wilderness trail videos is to 1) show reverence for the beauty of the land, and 2) give YOU actionable trail information that can assist you in planning your own hike here.

This was a day-hike in Oregon, Newberry National Volcanic Monument, starting at Little Crater Day Use Parking & Trailhead and doing the Paulina Lake "Grand Loop" which captures 5 of the best highlights of the whole area in one Grand Loop hike - Little Crater Viewpoint, Paulina Lake Loop, Hot Springs (east side of Lake), Paulina Falls (west side of Lake), and Big Obsidian Flow (south side of Lake), approximately 12 miles. Weather was a low around 40, high around 70, blue bird day and very windy. This was hiked on 9/21/2021, trail was completely clear of snow, and there were NO Mosquitoes! On Alltrails this hike is a mix of "Paulina Lake Loop", "Paulina Falls", "Hot Springs", "Big Obsidian Flow", and "Little Crater Viewpoint". As far as road conditions, it's highway all the way until the turnoff for the campground, you enjoy paved roads right up to and including the parking lot. In my opinion, the road DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive. As far as permits, this hike DOES NOT require a Recreation.gov permit.