elizabethadventuresblogDid you know that Central Oregon is abundant in caves to explore?? Some are open year-round, some require a fee to enter and some have seasonal closures. Exploring caves can be fun activity not just for adults but for children. Not only is there so much to learn about the history of these caves, they are amazing to observe and see in person. This guide will help you slearn everything you need to know before visiting a cave from when to go, what to bring and which caves to check off your list first.
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Things to Know About Central Oregon and It’s Caves
- Bats live in the rocks and crannies of caves all throughout Oregon. It is extremely important to help do you part to protect them with just a few simple steps. First, never wear clothing or shoes you have worn into other caves into these caves. Spores from disease, like white nose syndrome, can live for years on clothing or shoes even after the washing. Always wear new shoes and clothing to prevent the spreading of diseases. Second, be respectful of their home and keep noise to a minimum. Remember, they are there sleeping while you’re exploring.
- Always bring at least two to three light sources when entering a cave and extra batteries. Having a proper light source is extra important when entering these dark caves. Having the right light source is even more important. Any thing under 600 lumens will be useless. I use a headlamp that is 900 lumens and a flashlight that’s 1,000. Sometimes even my headlamp doesn’t feel like enough when it’s really dark, so invest in a good light source. You can find my headlamp, here.
- Never mark or carve on the rocks in or around caves. Most of the caves around Central Oregon have been graffitied, which is very unfortunate. Always practice leave no trace principles in these caves by taking out any trash and never disrupting the natural elements around and in the caves.
- Some of the caves in Central Oregon are open year-round while others are only open certain months of the year. One of the caves even requires a fee and reservation made in advance to enter. Be sure to read all the details below to make sure you know if the cave you wish to visit is open. Always respect cave closures!
- The caves are much colder inside than the temperatures outside the caves. You may be wearing a tank top before entering and then reaching into your pack for a down coat minutes later. Be sure to pack plenty of layers, especially if you visit them late fall through spring when it’s colder out. It would be a shame to have to turn back early from exploring the longer caves because you are cold and didn’t bring enough layers. It’s always better to have more layers and accessories, like gloves and beanies, than you may need.
- Pets are not allowed in the caves. As tempting as it is to bring your furry friends along for the adventures, leave them at home for this. The caves are home to bats and bringing pets into the caves disrupts their home. Respect the bats home and don’t bring animals inside of them.
- Be on the lookout for rattlesnakes as you explore around these caves. Central Oregon is home to to these poisonous snakes and although you most likely wont come across one, you do not want to put your hands or feet in places you cannot see. They camouflage with the ground and rocks and you can easily walk next to one and not notice.
Before You Explore Central Oregon Caves
Be sure to know and follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles on trail. It’s so important to help protect these beautiful places we love and enjoy. Make sure you know these principles before going out on a hike.
- Plan Ahead and Prepare: Always check for current weather updates and educate yourself on trail conditions prior to starting a hike. Look for recent reviews or call the local ranger station for up-to-date trail information like closures, recent wildlife and road conditions.
- Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces: Stick to the trail. Avoid going off trail unless it’s to go to the bathroom. You can capture amazing photos from the trail. Do not cut switchbacks. Stepping off trail can cause years of damage with just one simple step. Camp in existing campsites rather than over vegetation.
- Dispose of Waste Properly: Pack out all trash and food scraps. Never toss food items on the ground. It is harmful to the wildlife. Properly dispose of human waste by digging a cat hole at least 6 inches deep and burying human waste. Bring a wag back to pack it out in fragile alpine terrain. Never leave toilet paper or feminine hygiene products behind. Bring a bag and pack them out to dispose of properly. Same goes for dog poop. Properly bury it or pack it back out to dispose of. Do not leave dog poop bags on the side of the trail. They are easy to forget, animals can get into them and other hikers don’t want to see them.
- Leave What You Find: Do not take objects like plants off trail with you. Preserve nature by not marking on rocks or harming any natural objects. Never pick wildflowers. It is illegal in many states.
- Minimize Campfire Impacts: Check and follow all local wildfire regulations. Use existing fire rings and keep fires small. Put fires out properly by dousing will multiple gallons of water. Coals should be cool to the touch before walking away.
- Respect Wildlife: Never touch, feed or approach wildlife. Give a minimum of 25 yards to all wildlife and a minimum or 100 yard for predators and larger wildlife. Wildlife are not like house pets. They can spook easily or feel threatened. Stay in your car if wildlife is near the road.
- Be Considerate of Others: Respect other hikers by allowing those that hike faster to pass. Uphill hikers have the right of way, so safely step aside for them to pass, unless they offer to stop first. Limit noise and use headphones. Keep groups under 8. Say hello to a fellow hiker!
Where Are Central Oregon Caves?
Central Oregon is located in, well, the center of the state of Oregon. The caves are spread all over the area from Sisters, Redmond and South of Bend. That’s sort of what makes them fun to explore! You can add a cave into a trip you already have planned to one of these areas or go explore them all since they are relatively close.
A fun way to discover caves that I’m not sharing about is to get on Google maps, move the map to Central Oregon and type in “caves” to see what else pops up. This is how I’ve discovered all the caves I’m going to share about.
History of Central Oregon Caves
Most of the caves in Central Oregon are old lava tubes that now sit empty. Central Oregon was shaped from years of volcanic activity, which can be seen with the many buttes surrounding the area. The entire area is covered in these tubes, but there are a handful that have collapsed to create the caves we get to explore today. There is an estimated 858 caves throughout the area, most of which aren’t easily accessible or are closed off.
Best Time of Year to Visit The Caves
Some of the Central Oregon caves are only open certain months of the year while others are open year-round. It is extremely important to respect cave closures as they help protect the bat populations that call them home. Be sure to read below for each cave to see when and if they have seasonal closure, which usually fall between fall and spring months.
Best Central Oregon Caves to Explore
Below is a list of the best caves around Central Oregon as well as everything you need to know before you explore them. They are all within a short drive from one another and if you want, you can check multiple, if not all, off your list on a day or weekend.
Redmond Caves
Open: The Redmond Caves are accessible year-round
Fee: No entrance fee
Location: The Redmond Caves are located off SE Airport Way, directly across from the Redmond Municipal Airport. The parking area is a small dirt lot just off Airport Way you pull off the road into. It isn’t a marked parking lot so be sure to have directions so you don’t drive past it. It is not a very large space but the Redmond Caves usually aren’t too busy, so if you can find a spot you hopefully won’t have to wait too long for someone to leave.
What to expect/know: There are actually three separate caves to explore. The first cave is located just as short walk to the right of the parking lot. It is a short cave, but fun to explore.
The second cave is a short walk park the first cave. The cave splits into two. The left side is a dead end while the right side has a small opening in the rocks you can climb through. You can either climb through there to get to the third cave or return to the cave entrance and walk above ground to the third cave.
The third cave is a very tall but short cave. You could continue down the cave but it does get quite low where you’d have to end up crawling and shouldn’t attempting to go further.
Boyd Cave
Open: Boyd Cave is accessible year-round.
Fee: No entrance fee
Location: Boyd Cave is located off China Hat Road, southeast of Bend. The road is paved until the turn off to the cave. It then turns to dirt and gravel, but was recently fixed and is easy for any car to drive down. There is no actual parking lot here, but a large circle turnaround where cars can park along the side. Just be sure you find a spot that is off the road so cars can continue to turn around. Note that China Hat Road has heavy homeless camp populations for the first few miles, but there is currently nothing near the cave.
What to expect/know: The entrance to Boyd Cave is just a few steps from the parking area. You’ll be able to spot it easily as there is a fence around the opening since the opening to the cave is more like a hole in the ceiling of the cave. The temperature difference can be felt instantly at the staircase, so put on warm layers before you get in the cave.
There is a metal staircase you will need to walk down to enter Boyd Cave. Visitors essentially hike into the dark abyss of the cave, so be sure to have your light source on or ready to turn on. Once you reach the cave floor there is plenty of light surrounding the staircase though. The opening of the cave above acts as a sky light, but as soon as you begin to venture away from the staircase, the never ending darkness begins.
From the bottom of the stairs, do not go behind them, rather head down the slanted hill to explore the cave. That is a left from the bottom of the stairs. Boyd Cave is the second longest cave on this list. It is a little over a quarter of a mile to the end of the cave. Although it does go farther, it requires crawling and should never be done unless you are an experienced cave explorer with the proper gear.
Always watch your footing in the cave as it has rocks, dips in the ground and areas that cause cause you to trip. Try to stick to the areas that show foot traffic already to avoid increasing out footprint in the cave.
Hidden Forest Cave
Open: Hidden Forest Cave is accessible year-round.
Fee: No entrance fee
Location: Boyd Cave is located off China Hat Road, southeast of Bend. It is about another 10 minutes past Boyd Cave. Once you pass Boyd Cave the road turns to dirt and is a mix of washboard and pot holes. Once you turn off the main road it is a quick drive to a small parking lot. There is an inaccessible cave next to the parking area, but Hidden Forest Cave is a short walk away.
Be sure to use a map for the trail off AllTrails to take the right route as there are a lot of trails in the area. There will be a large hole in the ground from a collapsed cave, which you can crawl into from Hidden Forest Cave. You’ll need to keep walking where you will come to the edge of Hidden Forest Cave. Follow the trail to the right to walk down into the mouth of the cave. Note that China Hat Road has heavy homeless camp populations for the first few miles, but there is currently nothing near the cave.
What to expect/know: The trail to Hidden Forest Cave wanders through the Central Oregon desert before taking visitors down into the mouth of a collapsed lava tube. It’s a unique experience as the ancient lava tube meets the desert vegetation. Lava rock towers around as the sky is open above and trees grow all around. Hence the name of this cave. As you approach the actual cave, you’ll be amazed at the height of this one.
There are rocks and boulders to manoeuvre over and around as you enter the cave. If you look closely, as you near the back of the shallow cave there will be a light source coming in. If you’re comfortable, climb through the small hole in the rocks at the back of the cave and head to the open cave on the other side. Be cautious and watch your head as the rocks are low and you will have to squat or crawl through here.
It was formed when the lave tube’s roof caved in and now is filled with trees and vegetation. There is no exit from here and you must crawl back down into the cave to exit. Climbing through here is not necessary to enjoy this cave, but it is a fun adventure! Pets are not allowed in the cave.
Skylight Cave
Open: Skylight Cave is closed from September 20th to May 1st due to hibernating bats that call Skylight Cave home.
Fee: No entrance fee
Location: The Skylight cave is located 30 minutes west of Sisters. It is extremely important to have directions downloaded since there will be no cell service, the roads there are forest service roads and it’s easy to miss a turn. It is recommended to drive a 4 wheel drive or higher clearance car. A low clearance or 2 wheel drive car can cautiously make it to the cave, but know the risk of getting stuck.
Google map directions will take visitors along the McKenzie Highway to reach Skylight Cave, but the best route is actually to follow highway 20 out of Sisters. Turn left onto McAllister Road, which is directly across from the road into Camp Sherman. About 1/4 mile in, turn right at the fork onto NF-2061 and continue until you reach a large clearing followed by another fork in the road.
Turn left at the fork onto 1028 and continue another half mile to McAllister Rock. Make another left turn and Skylight Cave will be on the right, roughly a mile in) marked with a forest service sign.
What to expect/know: Skylight Cave is the only cave on this list I haven’t been able to go into, but it’s been on my list for years and I’ve been trying to make it happen. It is still on this list because it is an amazing cave that anyone visiting Central Oregon caves should try to visit if it’s open. It gets its name from the three holes where the roof collapsed, allowing light to pour into the cave, like a skylight.
Visitors will have to walk a little bit from the parking area and pay attention to spot the cave. There is a sign with information on the cave next to the cave’s entrance. In order to get into the cave, visitors will have to climb down some cut down trees that make a makeshift ladder. Once in the cave, visitors can go right and explore around 900 feet before the cave ends. Head to the left about 300 feet and reach the three skylight roles above.
The best time to see the skylight cave light beams is in the morning on a sunny day. It if is cloudy the sun wont’ shine inside leaving light beams. If you visit too late in the day, the angle of the sun won’t shine into the cave’s holes either. It is recommended to go between 9 am and 11 am to get the light beam experience, but you can visit the cave any time of day and still enjoy it.
Lava River Cave
Open: Lava River Cave is accessible from early May to September 15th. The cave’s hours vary by month. May is 10am to 4pm. June through September 4th is 9am to 5pm and the remainder of September is 9am to 4pm.
Fee: There is a $5 recreation fee or valid recreation pass require for parking. There is also a timed reservation system in effect when the cave is open. Half of the tickets are released on a 30 day rolling window while the remaining half are released 24 hours prior at 7am each morning. Each ticket gives a 2 hours time slot to explore the cave. Reservations can be made at here. The last reservation time for each day will be two hours before the closure of the cave. If the cave closes at 4pm, the last time slot begins at 2pm.
Location: Lava River Cave is located within the Newberry National Volcanic Monument just off of Highway 97. From the south, take exit 151 towards Cottonwood Avenue. Turn right on Cottonwood and the Lava River Cave will be roughly one mile on the left side of the road. From the north, either exit onto Crawford Road at the Newberry National Volcanic Monument and turn onto Cottonwood Avenue, where the cave will be roughly one mile on the right. The other option is to take exit 151 farther south, turn left and continue to the cave.
What to expect/know: When you arrive at the Lava River Cave there will be forest service rangers at the entrance building that will stop you to discuss the cave and make sure you are wearing shoes and clothing that has not entered another cave. Be honest and make sure you have appropriate shoes and clothing. At the building, there is an option to rent their flashlights that are 1,000 lumens for $5.
Next to the building is a shoe brush. Be sure to use it before entering AND after leaving the cave. The path into the entrance of the cave is all downhill and paved. You will feel the temperature change as you near the cave. In order to enter the cave, visitors must climb down a set of 55 stairs and cross over raised walkways before reaching the cave floor. Going down these 55 stairs means you must also be able to go back up them on the way out, so make sure you’re comfortable and capable of doing so.
Lava River Cave is a one mile long lava tube, two miles round-trip. Although the cave does continue farther, it is not accessible to visitors due to the low ceiling and dangers. Respect the end of cave signs and do not go further. Take you time and truly observe all the unique formations of this cave. Be sure to watch your step and do not damage or mark the cave.
If you look closely you may be able to spot various insects that call the Lava River Cave home. If you see a ranger working inside the cave be sure to talk to them and see what exciting things you can learn about. I had the last reservation time of the day and two rangers walk the cave to make sure no one is left inside. This meant we got to walk the mile back with them sharing details and history about Lava River Cave. Lava River Cave is without a doubt the most unique experience and a must see cave on this list.
What to Bring
Below are essential items you should be sure to pack in your backpack to make sure you are safe and comfortable exploring the caves in Central Oregon. These are items I always bring with me, no matter the time of year.
Backpack
Every person hiking should always have their own backpack with water and supplies. Never rely on someone else to carry your gear because if there is an emergency everyone should be individually prepared. I like to use one between 25-28L so I have plenty of room for food and layers. I have the Gregory Jade 28 and the REI Trail 25.
Headlamp or Flashlight
Entering the cave with a good light source is extremely important to be able to safely navigate the caves safely. Never use a cellphone as the main light source as they do not produce enough light nor can you rely on their battery to last. Use a light source no less than 600 lumens but 900 or greater is best for dark caves. I use this Petzl headlamp that is 900 lumens and have loved it for years!
Clothing Layers
It’s important to pack plenty of layers, especially for caves where temperatures can drop drastically. I like to bring a down coat and bring a fleece layer so I have options depending on how cold it is. I also bring a long sleeve shirt to wear over a tank top. It can be used as a sun shirt for protection or a warm layer. Gloves and a beanie are also great additions.
Closed Toed Shoes
Always wear proper shoes when adventuring in rocky caves. A great option is trail runners because they will provide good traction over wet or dry rocks while protecting your feet. If you want to protect your ankle for getting twisted in the dark you can always opt for hiking boots.
The 10 Essentials
No matter the length of difficulty of a hike, you should always carry a backpack with the 10 essentials. You can learn more about these item in my “The 10 Essentials” guide. This hike is a more difficult hike and if there were an emergency and you had to get help on trail you will want to have these items on hand. In addition, you can always help a fellow hiker in need.
Reminders
- Never wear the same shoes and clothing items into other caves, especially from different states or geographic locations. White nose syndrome is a dangerous disease that can harm bats living in these caves. The caves of Central Oregon don’t have white nose syndrome in the bat colonies and it’s extremely important visitors keep it this way by not tracking it into the caves. Be aware of what you’ve worn in other caves and don’t wear what you wore in these Central Oregon caves into ones elsewhere either.
- Know your comfort level with small dark spaces and be okay turning around. I have been in these caves dozens of times and have never had any issues in them. It is okay if you are uncomfortable and want to turn around before reaching the end. It is okay to not want to climb through tiny holes. Whatever you are comfortable doing while exploring is best.
- Always look up if a cave if the cave you plan to visit is open or not before going. Multiple caves have seasonal closures. Be a responsible adventurer and respect these closures. If there are certain caves you wish to see that close seasonally, plan your trip when you can visit them while they are open.
I hope this guide helps you with your adventure to these Central Oregon caves! Exploring them is such a fun experience I hope you enjoy as much as I do. If you have any further questions or want to share your experience after, please leave a comment below!
Happy Hiking,
Elizabeth
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