Just an Hour's Drive SE of Bend is Fort Rock State Park

It has been several years since we last visited the Fort Rock area located 67.7 miles SE of Bend in Lake County. Fort Rock itself is a volcanic tuff ring located on an ice age lake bed. The ring is about 4,460 feet in diameter and stands about 200 feet high above the surrounding area. Its name is obvious from its resemblance to the tall, straight walls of a fort.

When we arrived at the state park February 6th, we saw just a handful of people using the facility. We hiked the 1.1 miles around the interior of the crater, but then scrambled up the far side to the rim which provided for nice views of the mountains to the west. The hike itself was easy and would be very warm in the summer. We had hoped to combine this trip with another hike in the general area - Hole in the Ground - but the forest service road to this location was closed for the winter.

If you do go to Fort Rock, a stop at the Fort Rock Homestead Museum is very worthwhile for those who enjoy seeing how early settlers to this part of Oregon lived. When we were there February 6th, the museum was closed; not sure if this was due to Covid restrictions or if it was just a seasonal shut down.