Lava River Cave

If you could take just one photo: Lava River Cave

Trekking - then crawling - into the depths of Lava River Cave is an intense experience even during the day, when fellow explorers and their lanterns provide welcome relief from the cold, dark, ethereal silence that only exists hundreds of feet underground. But on summer nights, after sidestepping a single closed traffic gate, the subterranean passage adapts a whole new dimension of grandeur... and eerieness. Whether solo or with companions, the same question invariably arises: if you made it down here so easily, what else might have? From there, both the stunning natural rockwork and the explorer's imagination provide more visceral an experience than any haunted house. I promise. It's a real local's treat.

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The mouth of the Lava River Cave gapes open, and its teeth—icy domes formed by water droplets—reflect the glow of lanterns. Spidery fractures on the ice mimic intricate glass. The domes set expectations for a mile-long display of nature’s eye candy. From there, daylight disappears into darkness, and the cave’s appeal goes unseen. Solidified lava forms the walls and ceiling, and its tunnel was once a river of flowing lava. Rainfall drips from above, feebly denting the soil and forming abstract sandcastles. Also above are hibernating bats. “If they wake up, they lose the energy they’ve worked hard to store up,” warned the ranger. Maybe some things are better left unseen.

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