Summer of weekly guided tours to begin at Lava River Cave on Newberry National Volcanic Monument

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Deschutes National Forest and Discover Your Forest invite you to discover your national forest while participating in a guided Lava River Cave tour! Immerse yourself in the volcanic history of Newberry National Volcanic Monument while exploring Lava River Cave.

Lava River Cave interpretive hikes will take you on a two-mile hike through Oregon’s longest lava tube. Discover Your Forest and Forest Service rangers will guide you on your cave adventure while providing information on central Oregon geology and cave ecology! Whether local or visiting, you will learn exciting new information about Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

Lava River Cave guided programs are available on Thursdays, June 6 through September 5, with the exception of Thursday, July 4. Programs are at 2:00 p.m. and last one and a half to two hours. No hiking or caving experience is necessary.

Participants must come prepared for the cold, in close-toed shoes, and have a flashlight. Flashlight rentals are $5 if necessary. Dogs are not permitted, and children under eight are not permitted. All participants must follow cave white-nose syndrome policies. Prior registration is required. Please register at: Lava River Cave Tours - Discover Your Forest. A Recreation.gov timed ticket is not required for this program.

Discover Your Forest programs are free; however, donations are greatly appreciated to support Discover Your Forest’s free education and interpretation programs throughout the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests.

For questions, please contact Laken Bosé Education and Interpretive Programs Manager at (541) 383-5557 or laken.bose@discovernw.org