Paulina Lake has the feel of an exotic sea.  Deep, azure waters lap against rocky shores.  Seagulls cry.  Hidden beaches beckon.  But this remarkable lake is actually well over a mile above sea level, and the forested rim that walls it from the outside world is in fact the collapsed caldera of the enormous Newberry Volcano.  If all this fails to pique your curiosity, how about a lakeshore hot springs, a gigantic flow of obsidian glass, and a miniature cinder cone crater?   . . .

Other Options

If you're willing to add 1.1 mile to the hike you can avoid . . .  The path circles the tiny volcano's crater to a viewpoint overlooking both Paulina and East Lake.

This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes: Eastern Oregon