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Boyd Cave

Bend, Oregon

5.0/5
based on 4 reviews

Details

Distance

0.69 miles

Elevation Gain

66 ft

Route Type

Loop

Description

Added by The Outbound Collective

Unique lava tube hike. Fun outing on rainy days, with easy access. Creepy but exciting hike. 1.1 miles out-and-back. 90 foot elevation gain. Close proximity to various hikes/outings near Bend.

Located 20 miles southeast of Bend, Boyd Cave is a well preserved lava tube stretching close to a mile. To get there, take Highway 97 South through Bend and turn left on China Hat Road. Go straight for exactly 9 miles. Turn left at mile 9 onto the trail at FS242. You will know it has been 9 miles if you see a cattle guard and the road becomes unpaved just a few feet ahead. The small park sign will say 0.5 miles to Boyd Cave, continue on till a round about and look for the stair case.

Once in the cave, make sure you have headlamps or flashlights (headlamps are suggested to keep your hands free to scale small rock sections). The trail is flat the whole way, but you will have to climb over several sections of rocks and encounter one 8-10 foot section that requires army-crawling on the ground to get through. While the trail maintains ceilings tall enough to walk through 80% of the hike, you will have to crouch through several sections. If you are claustrophobic, I would not recommend this excursion.

After a mile or a little less, you will come to the end. There is a small space small enough to crawl through at this point, which may lead you to believe there is more to explore, but beyond it is a closed section.

Because of the nature of the hike, a backup light source is strongly suggested. If your primary source of light happens to go out, the pitch black can be disorienting and create a tough time getting back to the entrance. The caves are open year round, but it if you choose to go in winter, there are two points to consider: it can get very cold underground, so warm clothing is essential. Also, if bats are hibernating, waking them can cause them to lose their body fat they are storing for the winter and not let them survive until spring. It also could be a terrifying experience.

Happy cave exploring!

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Boyd Cave Reviews

Yep

Great trip that lasted about an hour of cave exploring. Not too strenuous great time exploring a new cave

Great cave. Nice and cool on a scorching hot day. Fairly easy hike, cave goes both directions from the stair entry. To the right coming down the stairs there is a belly crawl to continue through the cave. To the left the cave goes for a very long distance with no short passages. Wash board road beat up my car a bit but so worth the drive.

Wow!!! This place is literally a hole in the ground in a field 8 miles back off the main road! I went by myself, which proved to be more difficult than I thought, because when you get down into the cave and start hiking into the lava tube it’s SOOO DARK!! I had a flashlight, headlamp, and even tried using my cell phone flashlight and couldn’t see that far ahead of me. Make sure you bring water and a really strong flashlight and a friend to hold hands with as you trek through this black underworld.

It's way shorter than 2 miles. Probably shorter than a mile. It's probably good for kids since it's short and not too rocky.

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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