Ski or snowshoe to Central Oregon's Paulina Falls at Newberry National Volcanic Monument
For the past 15 years, I’ve been on a quixotic quest to visit as many of Oregon’s snowy waterfalls as possible.
Our state’s cascades are resplendent any time of the year, but it’s the snow and ice and challenge of reaching them via skis or snowshoes that makes waterfalls most alluring.
In January, I was finally able to check a big one off my list — Paulina Falls at Newberry National Volcanic Monument in Central Oregon.
It’s a beautiful double falls, that often freezes, in a circular rock bowl with a viewpoint from above or a more adventurous one below.
The trip offers a great ski route, views of a snow-covered lake and even a restaurant to stop midway for lunch or dinner.
Outstanding ski route, but snowshoes doable
What made this trip stand out was the quality of the cross-country skiing experience. On many winter waterfall trips in the western Cascades, the snow is wet and low-elevation, which doesn’t lend itself to good skiing. Sahalie, Proxy, Watson and Salt Creek falls, to name just a few, are better visited on snowshoes than skis.
Such is not the case for Paulina. The 6 to 8 mile tour begins at 10 Mile Sno-Park at over 5,500 feet outside La Pine. It climbs to the falls at over 6,000 feet and Paulina Lake at 6,300 feet. That high elevation means quality snow for skiing throughout, even on a warm and sunny day.
Add additional ski miles at Paulina Lake, and it’s probably the best terrain surrounding a snowy waterfall that I’ve come across.
Not that you’re required to ski. A shorter snowshoe trek to the falls and back is not only possible, but based on the tracks on the trails, appears a more popular option.
The area is a hotbed for snowmobiling, but the non-motorized trails swing away from snowmobile routes and it’s quiet for the most part.
Preparing for the trip
You’ll need a sno-park permit to park at 10 Mile Sno-Park, a gigantic parking area, at the end of a paved and plowed road just north of La Pine and south of Sunriver. Buy one at a local outdoor store or online at bit.ly/3vVOGOf
If you need to rent skis or snowshoes, you’re in luck. 4 Seasons Recreational Outfitters, which rents both, makes for an easy stop in Sunriver. (I actually forgot my ski poles and had to drop by).
Another critical piece of equipment is a map. Luckily, Deschutes National Forest has a pretty good map online at bit.ly/3udPltO
On the trail
There are two main ski and snowshoe trails that begin at the sno park — Ponderosa Rim and Paulina View. Combined, they create a roughly 7 mile loop. But you can take Ponderosa out and back for a 5 to 6 mile snowshoe trek.
Either way, I started on Ponderosa Rim and climbed the medium steep trail through the burnt-orange trees and just above the rushing creek.
There were a few steep and tricky spots on skis, so I’d call it intermediate or maybe even difficult in terms of technical challenge on skis.
Paulina Falls
After 3 miles and 800 feet of climb, and crossing snowmobile routes twice, you reach the viewpoint for Paulina Falls. There’s a nice viewpoint of the falls from above on a platform.
There’s a more adventurous option for better views as well.
In summer, there is a trail down to a lower viewpoint. It’s covered with snow in winter but it’s still easy enough to follow. So I swapped my skis for snowshoes and headed down to the lower viewpoint, which gives a nice upward view of the two waterfalls and snowy canyon.
Paulina Lake and lodge
Just up the trail, the route reaches Paulina Lake and Paulina Lake Lodge. I skied down to take in some views of the lake before popping over to the restaurant and lodge. There are cabins to rent here and even better, a restaurant.
The restaurant is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday in winter and serves meals as exotic as a prime rib dinner. It’s recommended you call in advance for reservations.
The lake is beautiful and there’s some ski trails that take in the views, but I didn’t have quite enough energy for an extra 2 to 3 miles. Instead, I headed to the return loop on Paulina View Trail.
Final run is most fun
Up to this point, the skiing had been fun but nothing to write home about. This final stretch changed my mind. It was a wonderful forested route that gradually traveled downhill, allowing some speed to build up and some turns to navigate. It wasn’t exactly hard, but it wasn’t super easy either, making that nice combination of scenic with just a little extra speed and thrill.
Overall, the combination of so many good things — the waterfall, lodge, lake and ski routes — made this one of my favorite snowy waterfalls to visit and explore. Because the trip offers a lot more than just the falls.
Paulina Falls and lake
In a nutshell: A ski or snowshoe route to Paulina Falls and lake in Newberry National Volcanic Monument in Central Oregon.
Trailhead: 10 mile snow park, located north of La Pine and south of Sunriver.
Distance: 6 to 8 miles, depending on trail options
Elevation gain: 1,000 to 1,200 feet
Difficulty: Moderate to difficult
Permit? Yes, a sno-park permit is required
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 15 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. Urness is the author of “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Ski, snowshoe to Paulina Falls at Newberry National Volcanic Monument
