Tag Archives: cave

Timpanogos Cave Trail & Cave Tour (Timpanogos Cave National Monument, UT)

Posted on June 20, 2022 by Andrew Wojtanik

Nestled high above American Fork Canyon in northern Utah’s Wasatch Range, three limestone caves—connected today by man-made tunnels—are the prime attractions of Timpanogos Cave National Monument, a popular park in the Salt Lake City/Provo area. Discovered around the turn of … Continue reading →

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Balconies Cliffs – Balconies Cave Trail Loop (Pinnacles National Park, CA)

Posted on May 25, 2022 by Andrew Wojtanik

Talus caves—formed when crashing boulders fall into chasms, flooding the canyon with darkness—are an intriguing feature of central California’s Pinnacles National Park, which boasts two such pseudo-karst caverns. The most popular of the two is Bear Gulch Cave, most easily … Continue reading →

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Chalone Peak Trail (Pinnacles National Park, CA)

Posted on January 14, 2020 by Andrew Wojtanik

Rising to 3,304 feet, Chalone Peak is the highest point in California’s Pinnacles National Park and a worthy challenge for peak-baggers who seek to brave the exposed sun and 2,000 feet in elevation gain to reach the summit. The Chalone … Continue reading →

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Bear Gulch Cave – Rim Trail Loop (Pinnacles National Park, CA)

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Andrew Wojtanik

Sporting one of California’s finest talus caves and shoreline access to a picturesque, rock-hewn reservoir, the Bear Gulch Cave Trail is one of the most popular hikes in Pinnacles National Park. Here a jumble of boulders, so large and tightly-packed … Continue reading →

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Caves Trail (Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID)

Posted on September 7, 2019 by Andrew Wojtanik

Following a volcanic eruption, underground lava tubes serve as thoroughfares for draining molten lava. When the lava cools and remaining flows drain out of the tubes, the subterranean passageways remain, leaving behind caves to explore. There are several spots in … Continue reading →

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Sentinel Cave (Lava Beds National Monument, CA)

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Andrew Wojtanik

Sentinel Cave is the longest of the “easy” caves in California’s Lava Beds National Monument, as well as one of the only lava tubes in the park with multiple entrances. Inside the cave, the roughly 2/10 mile traversed by hikers … Continue reading →

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Golden Dome Cave (Lava Beds National Monument, CA)

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Andrew Wojtanik

Unlike limestone caves, lava tubes are usually characterized by their drab, colorless interior. Not so with Golden Dome Cave, which sports shiny ceilings, made possible by tiny bacteria that give the lava tube a golden sheen. Golden Dome Cave is … Continue reading →

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Skull Cave (Lava Beds National Monument, CA)

Posted on November 4, 2017 by Andrew Wojtanik

Lava tubes, cavities in the earth once filled with flowing lava, are the principal attraction of northern California’s Lava Beds National Monument, which boasts the greatest concentration of them in the United States. Reaching as wide as 60 feet in … Continue reading →

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Subway Cave Trail (Lassen National Forest, CA)

Posted on October 14, 2017 by Andrew Wojtanik

Northern California’s Subway Cave in Lassen National Forest is a relative newcomer to the area’s volcanic landscape; it formed less than 20,000 years ago as once-frequent lava flows drained away, leaving behind a wide, subterranean passage. Today it is a … Continue reading →

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Hazel Falls, Hazel Cave, and White Rocks Trail Loop (Shenandoah National Park, VA)

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Andrew Wojtanik

In terms of height, Shenandoah National Park’s Hazel Falls pales in comparison to its better-known neighbors, such as South River, Lewis Spring, or Dark Hollow Falls. But tucked away in a narrow, intimate gorge littered with caves, the multi-tiered waterfall … Continue reading →

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