• ABOUT THE SPOT

Caving / Spelunking in Lava River Cave, Bend, Oregon USA

Downhill:
5211 ft/1588 m
Uphill:
1560 ft/475 m
Ceiling height:
58 ft/17.7 m
How would you feel about a tour inside the deep corridors of Lava River Cave?

If you are interested in this kind of adventure, don’t hesitate to try this place out. Located near Bend, this cave has two directions when reaching the entrance, one is mostly downhill at 5211 ft/1588 m and the other carries on for about 1560 ft/475 m and is slightly uphill.

There is no access to public in this section due to rock collapsing danger. While taking a tour in the cave, you come across different stages. At the beginning, there are 126 steps you should descend in order to reach a cool compartment, decorated with ice stalactites. After proceeding further, the ceiling rises up to 58 ft/17.7 m and you enter the so called Echo Hall, which has taken its name from the echo created from the sleek walls.

Then the ceiling lowers and you enter another area with glazed walls, created by the melted lava. One of the most bizarre parts of the cave is Sand Garden, because the floor is covered with sand drawn into the cave by water throughout the years.