A panel explains how the garden was planted: A fence encloses the Sand Gardens to protect these fanciful creations. Eventually, you’ll arrive at the Sand Gardens, a special area on the right side of the lava tube with sand castle-like mounds. The roof shortens as you walk farther into the deep, dark cave. Arches of hardened lava separate the passage that you walk through from a larger chamber above. When lava levels decreased late in an eruption cycle, the lava only flowed through the lower, smaller tube. You will reach a low ceiling area named Low Bridge Lane about 1,500 feet from the cave entrance.Ĭontinue deeper into the cave to the third checkpoint, “Tube in Tube.” Here the lava flow formed a vertically stacked passage, a smaller channel within the large tube. Some stretches of the cave that lie ahead have ceilings that are just five feet tall. The Highway Crossing Area has high ceilings and feels quite grand. You’ll find flow lines in other parts of the cave as well. Metal walkways and staircases take you over the roughest stuff, but you will need to maneuver some boulders to make your way into the cave. At this end of the tube, large sections of the roof of the cave have collapsed, placing obstacles on the bottom of the cave. The terrain is roughest near the entrance of the cave, where a couple breakdowns block easy travel. Most of the “trail” in Lava River Cave is on easy (though uneven) surfaces on the floor of the Lava tube. When the volcanic eruption ends – lava drains out leaving an empty tube. Cooling rock eventually confines liquid lava to a narrow pipeline. Inside, molten lava stays a comfortably searing 2,100☏ (1,150☌). If you are wondering how lava tubes form during volcanic eruptions, a park sign explains that:įlowing lava cools quickly and a hard, rock shell forms on all exposed surfaces. After less than a tenth of a mile, reach a metal staircase plunging into a dark cave. The trail makes a horseshoe bend to the right and eases down between walls of volcanic rocks. Check in, rent a lantern if you need one, and begin down the paved path. Leave the parking area and walk up to a ranger station at the top of Lava River Cave Trail. After a mile in the dark, venture back to the surface to complete a unique underground hike. Walking through Lava River Cave, you will see wild features left behind by volcanic eruptions 100,000 years ago. Put fresh batteries in your flashlights and head to Newberry National Volcanic Monument, which is in Deschutes National Forest just a dozen miles south of Bend. Lava River Cave is the longest lava tube in Oregon and is fascinating to explore.
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