Are you traveling to Bend and Central Oregon? Even if you’re not (yet), I have one very long, very awesome, very ancient reason to put Central Oregon on your family travel bucket list: Hiking the Lava River Cave. At this Deschutes National Forest site, you can explore an underground, mile-long, pitch-black, tunnel-like cave made from a collapsed lava flow. Hiking the lava tubes in Oregon is one of our all-time favorite activities in Bend. Family-friendly activities in Central Oregon just don’t get any cooler than this!

My in-laws stayed with us this summer but recently left to begin their mega adventure, aka traveling the country full-time in their RV after selling their home and all their belongings. (#lifegoals) To send them off properly, we did a family camping trip in Central Oregon, where we let the kids stay up way past their bedtime to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower under a big sky. During the day, though, we wanted kid-friendly activities in Central Oregon, which is how I discovered the Lava River Cave—a mile-long underground lava tube.

It was incredible.

Hiking the lava tubes in Oregon with kids was one of the most unique family activities I’ve done in my beautiful home state. And even though I grew up in Oregon, I’d never heard of this underground cave, which is just a 20-minute drive from Bend, OR.

If you’re looking for an undiscovered gem your friends and family have never tried, knock their socks off with the Lava River Cave near La Pine in Central Oregon. Read on for all the details you need to explore the otherworldly lava tubes in Oregon—and discover a whole new side of Bend, OR!

Exploring the inside of the earth at Central Oregon’s Lava River Cave

If you’re anything like my family, you like adventure—but the kind of safe, family-friendly adventure where you won’t actually risk losing a limb. Exploring Oregon’s Lava River Cave with kids absolutely fits that bill: It combines lava, underground caves, high-powered flashlights and having zero idea of what’s coming around the next bend for the perfect mix of excitement, anticipation and fun.

These lava tubes in Oregon was formed about 100,000 years ago, when 2,000-degree lava bubbled up from one of Central Oregon’s many volcanic features. After the lava cooled and dried, some of it collapsed—leaving the mile-long tunnel intact. In fact, Lava River Cave is Oregon’s longest lava tube. How lucky are we that we get to explore it?!

The Lava River Cave is part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, full of geologic and cultural highlights shaped by Central Oregon’s volcanic past. It includes lava flows, calderas, lakes, waterfalls and of course lava tubes!

When you hike Lava River Cave near Bend, Oregon, you’ll first descend a set of stairs with a railing into the mouth of the cave. About 40 feet in, you’ll absolutely rely on your flashlight because it gets completely dark—fast!

The first part of the trail is on a metal grate path the forest service built over the collapsed rock on the cave floor. Soon, though, you’ll be walking on the cave itself.

The first stretch of the Lava River Cave hike goes slow, as you’ll pick your way carefully over raised rock and fallen stones. You’ll also go downhill, though there are railings built into the path on the most difficult stretches. For context, my 5-year-old managed this section just fine; my 3-year-old did fine while holding our hand. My mother-in-law has two replaced knees and managed fine, though she had to go slowly.

Soon, you’ll pass the section with rocks on the ground, where some of the ceiling fell off the cave when ice in the cracks loosened the stone. (Don’t worry, the cave is stable now!) The path evens out and becomes mostly flat and smooth. I couldn’t believe we were walking on the same surface that formed 100,000 years ago in these lava tubes!

You may feel an occasional drip of water from above. In fact, when you look down, you’ll notice little divots in the stone, where the water droplets have carved out indentations after hundreds of years. Now that’s patience.

Level 10 travel tip: As you hike these lava tubes near Bend, Oregon, don’t forget to pause often and look around. Shine your flashlight up and to the sides. You’ll notice many different kinds of stone, which are formed depending on how quickly or slowly the lava cools.

Farther along in the cave, you’ll see stalactites. Some of the stalactites are hollow, formed by escaping gases; others were made when the lava remelted and dripped down from the ceiling. These “lavacicles” are thrilling to see, especially for kids! (And for me. #sciencenerdforever)

There is also a section of the mile-long lava tube where the ceiling is very low. Tall adults will have to crouch as they hike along, but you won’t have to crawl.

As you hike deeper into the Lava River Cave, you’ll start to notice sand on the floor of the tunnel. The sand has been left there gradually over the centuries as droplets of water carry bits of volcanic ash and dirt from the ground above.

The cave continues for a mile, though admittedly, my family didn’t make it that far. Groups going at a steady pace will need 1.5 hours to hike the length of Lava River Cave; my girls lasted about 45 minutes.

Although we didn’t get to see the entirety of the tunnel, hiking the lava tubes in Oregon was absolutely something I recommend for your family! I didn’t mind turning back early because it just leaves an excellent reason to return to this family-friendly activity in Central Oregon sooner rather than later.

Hiking the lava tubes in Oregon—everything you need to know

Visiting Lava River Cave with kids (or people of any age) requires just a little bit of planning. Here’s what you need to know:

Bundle up

Lava River Cave is cold: The underground lava tube is a constant 42 degrees year-round, so dress warmly—even if it’s hot summer above-ground. You’ll also need to wear close-toed shoes—no flip flops!—to keep your footing in the cave.

Bring flashlights—and backups

The lava tubes near Bend, Oregon are dark, as in pitch-black. Regardless if you bring your own flashlights, I recommend you also rent at least two from the visitor center at the Lava River Cave. They’re super-bright, and for safety you want at least two (in case one malfunctions).

Level 10 travel tip: Rent a flashlight from the Lava River Cave visitor center for $5. It’s bright enough for you to shine on the lava tube’s walls and ceiling (some of which reach 75 feet high!); your average flashlight isn’t’ powerful enough to reach that far.

Arrive early

You can visit the Lava River Cave with kids from May to October, but it’s busiest during summer vacation. Especially in the busiest months of July and August, arrive before 10 to get a parking spot—and get in.

On a recent August weekend when we visited, we got one of a few final spots—at 9:50am, less than an hour after the cave opened. All the parking spots were full by 10am.

The park ranger explained to me the Lava River Cave has no overflow parking because the limited lot is a way of controlling how many people are in the cave at one time. This prevents overcrowding (so you’re not bumping into a million people underground when you really want a unique, quiet family-friendly activity in Central Oregon) and it would help with rescue efforts in case of an emergency.

Watch your step

This seems like a no-brainer, but when you’re underground in the Lava River Cave, watch your footing and hold hands with your children. Some of the floor of these Oregon lava tubes is smooth and flat, but other parts are rock-strewn and downhill.

The cave has metal stairs with railings in some parts, but in other sections you have to step your way around rocks that fell from the ceiling hundreds of years ago. I recommend that you wear/backpack carry all children under three years old. I wouldn’t have been comfortable with visiting Lava River Cave with kids any younger than 3, unless they weren’t walking on their own, because the terrain is hard to navigate in some parts.

Protect the bats

Lava River Cave is home to a small population of bats, though you won’t see them when you visit—they tuck themselves into cracks in the cave’s ceiling to sleep during the day. Even still, they’re susceptible to White Nose Syndrome, a devastating fungal disease that decimates bat populations.

To protect them, you need to make sure none of your clothing or gear has been worn or used in any other cave. Spores can get on your clothes and gear, then contaminate the next cave you visit—and the spores aren’t completely removed, even after cleaning and washing. And you definitely want to prevent the spread of White Nose Syndrome.

Why should you care? Well, bats are an important species for pest control, among many other reasons. Did you know just one bat can eat 1,000 mosquitoes an hour? Thank you, bats!

So far, the vulnerable bat population in the lava tubes near Bend, Oregon is healthy and free of White Nose Syndrome. Let’s keep it that way.

Visiting Lava River Cave near Bend: The details

• Lava River Cave is open May through the end of September.
• Hours depend on the month you visit; the park opens at 9am during peak months and 10am in the spring and fall.
• A daily visitor pass is $5 per car. They also honor these park passes.
• You can rent high-powered flashlights from the visitor center for $5 apiece. The last rental is at 4pm daily.
• Lava River Cave is about 20 minutes outside of Bend, Oregon on Highway 97.
• There are two sets of vault toilets near the visitor center but no restrooms inside the cave. Make sure you and your kids use the facilities before going into the lava tubes!
• Don’t bring your dog—pets are not allowed in the cave, and it’s unsafe to leave them in the car.

A family-friendly activity in Central Oregon you’ll never forget

Before we visited the Lava River Cave near La Pine, Oregon, my girls were beyond excited: “Is it real lava?” “Did it come from a volcano?” “Will we be underground?” They were full of questions.

Once we stepped underground, they were just as enthusiastic. They had never done anything like this—and it’s something they won’t soon forget.

(In fact, my older daughter drew a picture of us exploring this underground cave in Oregon for her “memory book,” a collection of drawings she made about our family camping trip.)

We will 100% for sure be revisiting the lava tubes in Oregon, and I’m so thrilled to share this adventure with you. This family-friendly activity near Bend, OR is unlike any other, and I’m pretty certain you and your kids will love it.

In fact, I’d appreciate your sharing this post by pinning, posting or tweeting because your friends will want to add the Lava River Caves to their adventure bucket list, too. Thank you!

Have you ever visited lava tubes in Oregon, or any other underground cave? What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve done with your kids?

PS – If you’re in Central Oregon with kids, check out nearby Paulina Creek Falls, which has a terrific family-friendly hike, as well as the High Desert Museum just outside Bend.