Tag Archives: lava tube

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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