Lava River Cave Letterbox LbNA #1107
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Nearby Boxes
Add Note
Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Oct 23, 2003 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Bend |
| County: | Deschutes |
| State: | Oregon |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Planted by: | The Nail Family  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | Calli-K |
| Last found: | Sep 17, 2011 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFFa |
| Last edited: | Oct 23, 2003 |
Lava River Cave
Lava River Cave Letterbox, Bend, Oregon, Deschutes County
Placed on 10/23/02 by the Nail Family
9/18/09 updated access fees in the clues.
Level of Difficutly:
Clues- easy
Trail- moderate, some rocks and tricky stepping at times. Most of the trail is on hard packed sand. We must mention this disclaimer, however: THIS ADVENTURE IS NOT FOR THE CLOSTERPHOBIC OR THOSE WHO FEAR THE DARK. This letterbox is hidden over 100 feet underground and appx 1/2 mile down a trail in a lava cave. If you fear small spaces or have a great fear of the dark this is not for you. However, it is a wonderful adventure for those who dare.
Distance- appx 1 1/2 mile round trip if you go all the way to the end of the cave. The cave actually continues further for those who dare to crawl under the low hanging ceiling beyond walking areas. Again, not for those who fear dark closed in spaces.
Advice- TAKE FLASHLIGHTS OR LANTERNS AND EXTRA BATTERIES/FUEL. This cave is pitch black-blacker than black-not a hint of light-darker than dark, dark, DARK!!! Kind of spooky for adults, really scary for children (although our kids enjoyed it as long as they were close to the flashlights). Also, take warm clothes as the temperature stays a constant 42 degrees underground.
Cost: Requires $5/vehicle entry pass/Recreation Pass
Lantern Rental $4.00
Open from mid April (depending on ice) thru mid October
Directions:
From Bend take Hwy 97 South appx 7 miles into the Newberry National Volcanic Monument area. Follow signs and turn left into the Lava River Caves Parking Lot. Your daily or yearly Forest Pass will suffice for entry. If you do not have one you can pay at the ranger station if it is open when you visit. Although the park is closed from October until April the cave remains open even when the gate is closed, just park near the highway and walk in the short 400 yard driveway and follow the path into the cave.
Clues:
Descend into the deep dark subterranean world. This is a cave formed by a lava flow from a recent(geologically speaking) volcano. As the lava cooled on the surface and hardened, it formed a pipeline where the hot molten lava continued to flow inside. Eventually, the molten lava flowed out leaving the tube, or lava river cave behind. There are many such caves throughout the region. Many have been
used by ancient peoples for shelter, religious ceremonies, etc. Early settlers used the cave as a place to store fresh meats due to the constant 42 degree temperature. Animals such as cougars and bears seasonally seek shelter here as well during the hard cold winters.
When you come to the bench under the highway you are about 1/3 of the way to the box.
Continue on and see the ‘tube within a tube’. This marks the 2/3 point.
Continue on but be careful as you must step down amongst the rocks.
Reach the Sand Gardens and you are almost there.
From the last fence post on the south end of the Sand Gardens take a bearing of
250 degrees magnetic. Locate the furthest rock in the pile before smooth sand again. Take 28 steps from this last rock along the south wall to the next set of fallen rocks.
The box lies under the largest of the southern rocks in this pile near the south wall. Take care when reaching in, there are spiders in this cave.
Perhaps a stick might be of use if you can find one or if you were thoughtful enough to bring one with you. After stamping in, make sure to hide the box back where it was and hide it well by pushing some sand around it to keep it out of view of passersby.
The cave continues further for about another 1/4 mile. Eventually you will come to an area where the roof comes down so close that to continue you would have to stoop over. This continues for appx 50 yards and then gets so low that the only way forward is to crawl. For the adventurous souls with strong knees, the cave continues another 150 yards or so and finally dead ends with the roof meeting the floor.
When you walk back take notice of the lines along the walls where the lava scraped its way along as it flowed through. Also see the places where the roof has sloughed off in large slabs. This is an amazing place and one that you will never forget once you have been there. After appx 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours inside you will be delighted to see the light of day as you climb up the last steps and out of the mouth of the cave. Look around the area and see that this cave seems to just appear in the middle of the hillside among the pine forest.
Who knows how many other caves there are in the area that are yet to be discovered. The only way they are discovered is when there is a cave-in and an opening to the surface is formed.
We hope that you enjoy this unique experience. Please let us know how the box is doing and how you enjoyed the experience. Contact us at
the7nails@yahoo.com
Lava River Cave Letterbox, Bend, Oregon, Deschutes County
Placed on 10/23/02 by the Nail Family
9/18/09 updated access fees in the clues.
Level of Difficutly:
Clues- easy
Trail- moderate, some rocks and tricky stepping at times. Most of the trail is on hard packed sand. We must mention this disclaimer, however: THIS ADVENTURE IS NOT FOR THE CLOSTERPHOBIC OR THOSE WHO FEAR THE DARK. This letterbox is hidden over 100 feet underground and appx 1/2 mile down a trail in a lava cave. If you fear small spaces or have a great fear of the dark this is not for you. However, it is a wonderful adventure for those who dare.
Distance- appx 1 1/2 mile round trip if you go all the way to the end of the cave. The cave actually continues further for those who dare to crawl under the low hanging ceiling beyond walking areas. Again, not for those who fear dark closed in spaces.
Advice- TAKE FLASHLIGHTS OR LANTERNS AND EXTRA BATTERIES/FUEL. This cave is pitch black-blacker than black-not a hint of light-darker than dark, dark, DARK!!! Kind of spooky for adults, really scary for children (although our kids enjoyed it as long as they were close to the flashlights). Also, take warm clothes as the temperature stays a constant 42 degrees underground.
Cost: Requires $5/vehicle entry pass/Recreation Pass
Lantern Rental $4.00
Open from mid April (depending on ice) thru mid October
Directions:
From Bend take Hwy 97 South appx 7 miles into the Newberry National Volcanic Monument area. Follow signs and turn left into the Lava River Caves Parking Lot. Your daily or yearly Forest Pass will suffice for entry. If you do not have one you can pay at the ranger station if it is open when you visit. Although the park is closed from October until April the cave remains open even when the gate is closed, just park near the highway and walk in the short 400 yard driveway and follow the path into the cave.
Clues:
Descend into the deep dark subterranean world. This is a cave formed by a lava flow from a recent(geologically speaking) volcano. As the lava cooled on the surface and hardened, it formed a pipeline where the hot molten lava continued to flow inside. Eventually, the molten lava flowed out leaving the tube, or lava river cave behind. There are many such caves throughout the region. Many have been
used by ancient peoples for shelter, religious ceremonies, etc. Early settlers used the cave as a place to store fresh meats due to the constant 42 degree temperature. Animals such as cougars and bears seasonally seek shelter here as well during the hard cold winters.
When you come to the bench under the highway you are about 1/3 of the way to the box.
Continue on and see the ‘tube within a tube’. This marks the 2/3 point.
Continue on but be careful as you must step down amongst the rocks.
Reach the Sand Gardens and you are almost there.
From the last fence post on the south end of the Sand Gardens take a bearing of
250 degrees magnetic. Locate the furthest rock in the pile before smooth sand again. Take 28 steps from this last rock along the south wall to the next set of fallen rocks.
The box lies under the largest of the southern rocks in this pile near the south wall. Take care when reaching in, there are spiders in this cave.
Perhaps a stick might be of use if you can find one or if you were thoughtful enough to bring one with you. After stamping in, make sure to hide the box back where it was and hide it well by pushing some sand around it to keep it out of view of passersby.
The cave continues further for about another 1/4 mile. Eventually you will come to an area where the roof comes down so close that to continue you would have to stoop over. This continues for appx 50 yards and then gets so low that the only way forward is to crawl. For the adventurous souls with strong knees, the cave continues another 150 yards or so and finally dead ends with the roof meeting the floor.
When you walk back take notice of the lines along the walls where the lava scraped its way along as it flowed through. Also see the places where the roof has sloughed off in large slabs. This is an amazing place and one that you will never forget once you have been there. After appx 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours inside you will be delighted to see the light of day as you climb up the last steps and out of the mouth of the cave. Look around the area and see that this cave seems to just appear in the middle of the hillside among the pine forest.
Who knows how many other caves there are in the area that are yet to be discovered. The only way they are discovered is when there is a cave-in and an opening to the surface is formed.
We hope that you enjoy this unique experience. Please let us know how the box is doing and how you enjoyed the experience. Contact us at
the7nails@yahoo.com