| China Hat | |
| Elevation: | 6,573 |
| Map: | USA Oregon |
| Location: | Deschutes, Oregon, U.S. |
| Range: | Cascade Range |
| Coordinates: | 43.6809°N -121.0338°W |
| Topo: | USGS China Hat |
| Type: | Pyroclastic cone |
| Age: | 6.3 - 7.4 Ma[1] |
| Volcanic Arc: | Cascade Volcanic Arc |
| Last Eruption: | Pleistocene |
China Hat is a volcanic butte on the southeastern flank of Newberry Volcano in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is a rhyolitic dome dating from the age of the Middle Pleistocene.[2] Both China Hat and nearby East Butte are covered by Mazama Ash and Newberry Ash.[3]
Although China Hat is often thought of as a side vent of Newberry Volcano less than ten miles away,[4] it is estimated to be older than first formation of the Newberry Caldera, 780,000 thousand years old [5] versus 500,000 years ago [6] and is on the western edge of a series of high lava plains eruptions derived from a tongue of the same mantle plume that fuels the Yellowstone Caldera[7]
China Hat Road, named after the butte, starts in Bend and heads to Fort Rock.[8] The road is a hotspot for law enforcement.[8] China Hat Campground is a campground located near China Hat butte along this road.[9]
The butte was named for its similarity in appearance, when viewed from Fort Rock, to the Asian conical hat worn by Chinese immigrant laborers.[8]