Northern Arizona Lava Caves

 

 

Highlights:
Explore the depths of Northern Arizona's volcanic past with an underground hike.
Near: Flagstaff, AZ
Scenery: ****
Distance: 2 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 60 ft
Hike Time: 1 hours
Difficulty: Moderate

 

 

 

 

 

    How  Lava Caves are formed: Lava tube caves are formed when volcanoes spew forth millions of tons of molten, liquid rock.  The river of lava forms outer layers which cool and become solid while the molten lava continues to flow through the inner: pipe- like centers.  The fresh lava moves away while the active flow diminishes.  The lava flow forms the floor of the tube.  The ceiling material dries to form lava stalactites which adds decoration to the barren, subway-like tunnel.  This is the extent of the growth of a lava tube.   It began in a moment of blaze and fury.  It matures in the moments of the draining of the lava and remains until the roof collapses or until it is once again filled with another river of hot molten lava. 

Information found at  http://www.scsc.k12.ar.us/chadi

   

    Directions: From Flagstaff, go northwest on US 180 to mile marker 230 (9 miles). Turn left (W) on FR 245 and follow it 3.6 miles to its intersection with FR 171. Turn left (S) on FR 171 and go 1.0 miles to FR 171B. Follow this .25 miles until its end. The cave entrance is 300 yards east of the end of the road. Look for a large circle of rocks that mark the cave entrance.

    Special instructions: This cave has a year round temperature of 34 degrees. There is usually ice near the mouth of the cave. DRESS ACCORDINGLY. It is also extremely dark. Be sure to bring two flashlights per person. Being caught in this cave without light could be very dangerous!

    From the entrance, climb down into the cave. Be careful of the ice. The cave has several low ceilings at the entrance, so watch your head. After a quarter mile the cave opens up and walking becomes easier. The floor gets quite smooth.

   Approx. .5 miles in there is a fork in the cave. Take the left fork--the ceiling off to the right drops down about a yard off the floor. Towards the end of the tunnel, there are several areas where the ceiling gets kinds of low just keep going. The end of the cave is obvious.      

 

           

                

                  Information found on www.localhikes.com

    
        
 

              Maps found on www.nationalgeographic.com/topo