Paulina, Oregon

Elevation ranges from roughly 3,000 feet on the sagebrush flats to approximately 7,985 feet at Paulina Peak, the highpoint of the Newberry shield volcano caldera. The landscape transitions from broad, flat desert basins rimmed by volcanic buttes (Fort Rock, Glass Buttes) in the south and east, through rolling juniper and ponderosa foothills, to the heavily forested Paulina Mountains on the unit's northern and western portions. The Newberry National Volcanic Monument (54,822 acres, entirely within the unit) contains Paulina and East lakes inside the caldera, extensive obsidian and lava flows, and steep caldera walls. The Deschutes River and its tributaries (Little Deschutes) drain the northern portions; the southern half drains internally to the Fort Rock basin.

The unit is bounded by U.S. Highway 97 on the west, State Highway 126 on the north, State Highway 27/Crooked River Highway and U.S. Highway 20 on the north and northeast, and a network of Lake County roads on the south and east; State Highway 31 bisects the southern portion. Paulina Lake Road (County Road 21) branches east from US-97 south of Bend and provides the primary access into the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. The Deschutes National Forest (Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District) manages the northern and forested portions; the Prineville BLM Field Office manages extensive mid-unit acreage; the Lakeview BLM Field Office covers the southern sections near Fort Rock and Christmas Valley. Three Travel Management Areas restrict motorized access: Fox Butte TMA (35A, approx. 210 sq mi, Townships 20–24S Ranges 14–16E) limits motor-vehicle access starting 3 days before the controlled buck deer season through season close; Timbers TMA (35B, approx. 25 sq mi, Townships 23–24S Ranges 9–10E) is permanently closed to motor vehicles year-round; Spring Butte TMA (35C, approx. 30 sq mi, Township 23S Range 11E) is also permanently closed year-round. The Timbers and Spring Butte TMAs cover private timber company land opened to public hunting under cooperative agreement. The Cabin Lake–Silver Lake Winter Range closes to motor vehicles December through March. Contact the Bend ODFW office (541-388-6363) for current closure information.

The dominant cover type progression from low elevation to high reflects the Basin and Range-to-Cascades transition: sagebrush-steppe and rabbitbrush dominate the Fort Rock basin and eastern flats (roughly 3,000–4,500 ft); western juniper woodland occupies the mid-elevation foothills and benches; ponderosa pine forest covers the Paulina Mountain slopes; lodgepole pine, white fir, and mixed conifer occur near the Newberry caldera rim and in the highest drainages. Clearcuts from past logging are present in the forested portions of the Deschutes National Forest. The Flat Top, Firestone, and Pine fires (ca. 2024) created burn mosaics in portions of the unit that will benefit deer browse in subsequent years; large areas were closed to public access during the 2024 season with Deschutes NF reopening targeted for October 1.

Rocky Mountain elk inhabit the forested Paulina Mountain portions and TMAs year-round, with the Timbers and Spring Butte TMAs holding good concentrations due to permanent motor-vehicle restrictions. ODFW's 2025 forecast notes that lower-elevation habitat in the Paulina unit is dry, resulting in fewer elk than in adjacent Upper Deschutes and Metolius units. Mule deer range broadly across the unit from high-desert winter range to forested summer range; 2024 fall surveys showed approximately 30 bucks per 100 does, above management objectives, partly due to large burn-area closures that increased buck escapement. Pronghorn antelope occupy the southern Fort Rock basin and sagebrush flats with a stable, modestly-sized population. American black bear numbers are rising districtwide across the east Cascades, concentrating in berry-rich areas, riparian corridors, and recent burn-scar openings. Mountain lion populations are similarly increasing. Bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain mountain goat tags are listed in the unit's controlled hunt series (500 and 900 series respectively), indicating an established but very small huntable presence. Wild turkey and upland birds (chukar, Hungarian partridge on drier edges) are also present.