Lava Butte

OK, I'm not a professional photographer so this pic of Lava Butte doesn't quite do it justice (sigh).   But hopefully it gives you a feel for the area.  Lava Butte is one of several cinder cones associated with the Newberry Volcanic Complex (actually there are about 400!).   It's ~ 500' high and consists of basaltic to basaltic-andesite lava flows and cinders and bombs ejected explosively from the vent.  One of the striking things about Lava Butte is that as you're following the trails around the cone base you notice that there's not much of any vegetation growing on the lava.  It's "fresh" geologically-speaking.  I believe one of the rangers told us the most recent flows from Lava Butte have been carbon dated at 6,000 years ago.  You might have noticed that there are quite a few trees on the actual cinder cone itself.  The lava flows flowed from the sides and base of the cone, not the top.