Starlight Cave Tour

Explore the Lava Caves near Bend, Oregon!

AVAILABLE: Spring & Fall | Additional Cave Options: daily year-round cave tours

Please Note: We do not visit Lava River Cave (operated by the Deschutes National Forest)

CARE TO MAKE YOUR TOUR PRIVATE?

Any group tour of 10 or more people (or price equivalent) can be made private and customized to your needs. Learn more >>

About

Adventure: Wanderlust Tours is the premier destination for cave tours in Bend, Oregon! Join us on this epic subterranean tour on Bend’s ponderosa pine-studded high desert. Our renowned naturalist guides will highlight sweet bits of these cool caverns that might not initially meet the eye. 

Naturalist Guided Experience: During our 2 hours underground, in the darkest, quietest spot earth can provide, we may impart an understanding of the region’s geology- how massive volcanoes created these wonders. Or we might share how the cave habitat provides for creatures important to human life. Your crew will be energized with revelations about natural and cultural history that’ll keep your mind humming with delight long after you return home with fond memories of the tour.

Caves: Bend’s lava caves have a delicate ecosystem that few have experienced to the fullest! Wanderlust Tours is the only guide company permitted in these special lava caves. These caves are also wild, meaning they do not have a paved path or lighting. Closed toe shoes are needed for navigating the uneven rocky surfaces.

Cave Difficulty: Mother Nature has created a wonderfully diverse array of caves that offer a variety of experiences. All of the caves we visit are wild, meaning other than the staircase to enter them there are no man made improvements put into the caves (walkways or lights). The walking surface is uneven and can be varying degrees of rugged and rocky.

In our estimation, this cave presents a moderate degree of difficulty as it involves many fun opportunities for scrambling up/down/around rocky areas and crawling through short passages.

On all our cave tours, our guides are attentive to keeping the pace suitable to all members of the group so that everyone can move at a comfortable speed.

Stargazing Experience: After caving, emerge to be treated to delectable desserts and hot cocoa. Our naturalist guides will point out planets, stars and constellations. The magic of this wholly unique experience will remain instilled within you forever!

SPECIAL NIGHT SKY DATES: Fall 2023 & Spring 2024

October 2023
8th: Draconids Meteor Shower (Meteor shower lasts from Oct. 6-10th, peaking on the 8th)
13-15th: New Moon
21st: Orionids Meteor Shower (Meteor shower lasts from Oct. 2 - Nov. 7th, peaking on the 21st)
27-29th: Full Moon

November 2023
12-14th: New Moon
17th: Leonids Meteor Shower (Meteor Shower lasts from Nov. 6-30th, peaking on the 17th)
26-28th: Full Moon

April 2024
7-9th: New Moon
22-24th: Full Moon
22-23rd: Lyrids Meteor Shower (Meteor shower lasts from Apr. 16-25th, peaking from the 22-23rd)

May 2024
6-8th: New Moon
22-24th: Full Moon

PLEASE READ: WHITE NOSE SYNDROME IN NORTH AMERICA

In March 2016, WNS was found in Washington state. Wanderlust Tours is committed to cooperating with state and federal agencies, as well as conservation groups, to provide information to the public on the value of bats and the threat posed by WNS. Some of our Bend-area caves serve as winter hibernaculum, and we will not visit these caves. We operate year-round cave tours in caves where our bats do not hibernate. WNS does not affect humans in any way. Learn more about WNS in the United State here.