Photos of Lava River Cave
About Lava River Cave
The Lava River Cave is an amazing shooting gem that runs about 1.6 km under the pine forest just south of Bend. It was originally formed by a lava flow that slowly drained away, at some point a section of its roof collapsed making the cave entrance. Inside the cave sits at 5.5°C all year and goes fully black just past the entrance, so bring a tripod and a flashlight. Echo Hall is the main cave room, with a ceiling around 18m overhead. Placing a lit figure in the frame will give this huge room a sense of scale. As you explore deeper into the cave the ceiling drops at Low Bridge Lane before the passage opens into the Two Tube Tunnel, where one tube sits inside another. Near the far end, a fence rings the Sand Garden. The cave is only accessible from mid-May to mid-September because rest of the year is a protected bat habitat. You will need to book a timed reservation in advance plus have a federal recreation pass to access the cave (walking or biking in lets you get around the need for a reservation). Since this is a fragile ecosystem any gear or clothing you have previously used/worn in any other cave or mine can not be brought into this cave. (Bend, Oregon, USA)
