Lava River Cave

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

Useful Information

History

Description

Lava River Cave is a typical lava tube, a tall tube of nearly constant diameter. The floor shows interesting flow features. The lavacicles on the walls were formed, when the lava was still molten. The cave crosses beneath U.S. Hwy. 97, where the roof of the cave is 15m thick. This is typical for lava tubes, as the roof is formed by the cooled surface of the lava flow, it always has about this size.

The place where lava came from, the vent, is about 550m uphill from the cave entrance. It looks like a low, rocky pile now largely buried by soil. The liquid lava flowed downhill for some time, the surface slowly cooling thus forming the cave. When the production of lava stopped, the last lava flew out of the tube and the cave existed. Later the roof collapsed at one point, and so the cave was cut into two branches, the upper and the lower. Only the lower branch is open to the public.

The cave is entered down the collapse and through a rather unapparent hole. The visitor enters a large cool chamber where stalactites and stalagmites of ice, formed during winter whwn the cold air flew down into the cave, persist until the warmer days of June. The first white discoverer, the trapper Leander Dillman, used this place as a natural refrigerator and stored his venison here.

Now the main passage follows, with a post marking the overhead passage of Highway 97. Rather huge, this tunnel is easy to walk and shows remains of the lava flow all over. Often the walls are covered with a shiny and glazed form of lava resembling slumped gray toffee. It was formed by remelting, when most of the molten lava had drained out and hot gases were trapped in the interior of the tube. Othe speleothems are volcanic stalactites called lavacicles. Similar to liemstone stalactites there are two forms, hollow cylindrically shaped soda straws, and the cone shaped drip pendants. The soda straws were formed by escaping gases, the conic lavacicles by remelted lava dripping from ceilings and walls. So despite the similar form, the processed of formation are different from their limstone siblings.

A special thing with this cave are the self guided tours. The cave is not a show cave, there are no developed paths and no light. There are 126 steps into the cave and inside a sort of trail with some uneven floor. But there are no restrictions by the National Forest, and the cave was even visited by 90 years old.

Stop at the U.S. Forest Service Visitor Center, which is located at the turn-off from U.S. Route 97 to Lava River Cave. Here you will get information about the cave and can rent a lantern. Additional light, warm clothes and good shoes are also a good idea. However, there are restrictions on the type of own lamps you are allowed to take in.

In and around Lava River Cave SP, several other caves, like Boyd Skeleton Cave, Arnold Lavatube System, Surveyors Cave, Wind Cave, Charcoal Cave, South Ice Cave, and Lavacicle Cave, can be visited. A detailed map is necessary. Ask at the Visitor Center about visitation guidelines and check the road conditions.

See also

• Search Google for "Lava River Cave"
• Google Earth Placemark
• Lava River Cave Day Use, official page by the Newberry National Volcanic Monument Deschutes National Forest.
• U.S. Show Caves Directory: Lava River Cave
• U.S. Show Caves Directory: Orego

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