Responsible Forest Management
As a preserved forest land, we are passionate about protecting our environment from large scale disturbances such as wildfire. Though the Ponderosa pine is naturally resilient to low-intensity fire thanks to certain characteristics found within its bark, we actively engage in vegetation management treatment observed and implemented by the United States Forest Service to ensure that we proactively address forest health and reduce fire risk.
Celebrating Our Namesake
The land of Caldera Springs is a gift of nature at her provocative best. A half-million years ago, the unique landscape of central Oregon was created by thousands of volcanic eruptions. The 500-square-mile Newberry Volcano and its remaining 17-square-mile Caldera is one of the largest in the Cascades.
Caldera Springs lies on the western edge of the Newberry Volcanic National Monument. Though eruptions are long past, natural elements born from Volcanic activity and the effect this activity had on shaping the localized ecosystem is still evident at Caldera today. Now a peaceful enclave of abundant Ponderosa, outcroppings of volcanic rock, and local plants and wildlife, Caldera will always owe its unique geography and verdant natural setting to the sometimes impetuous, yet always rejuvenating forces of nature.
Hotel Harper and School
Originally built in 1916, the Harper Hotel was owned and operated by the Millers, a family who had chosen to settle in the area (then called Lava) in the fledgling stages of a town being built. The hotel served as a respite for weary travelers making the trip between Bend, LaPine, and all the way down to Klamath Falls. In addition to providing meals and a place to rest, the hotel also served as the stagecoach changeover point. Those who arrived on the morning stagecoach from LaPine would eat and relax at the hotel while they waited for the stagecoach to Bend to pick them up in the afternoon.
Peter Thompson from Minnesota bought the hotel from the Millers in 1916. Thompson, his wife, and their ten children ran the hotel as a family. Several of the Thompson children were young enough to still be in school, but the small schoolhouse a mere 300 yards east of the hotel lacked a teacher and enough children to form a class. The Thompson family helped hire a teacher, letting her board in the hotel, and found enough children to form a class.
