This Underground Hike Will Take You Through A Lava Cave In Arizona & It's Free
You'll need to find the hole in the ground to enter!
A woman at Lava River Cave. Right: The interior of the cave.
We're always itching to go on new adventures that take us to hidden gems and let our inner Indiana Jones out. At the top of our list is the lava cave in Arizona where you can hike one mile underground through an actual lava tube.
The Lava River Cave in Flagstaff, AZ is a one-mile-long lava tube that formed about 700,000 thousand years ago. The entrance of the cavern is a simple hole in the ground.
You can hike this cave year-round, although during winter some roads may be closed. When they are, it's still possible to hike to the cave from US 180. However, it's about a 4.5-mile hike one way.
You can visit this cave for a daytime hiking trip with friends. There's free parking in the parking lot near the location and a sign pointing you the way.
You should plan on dressing warm because the cave can get as cool as 42 degrees Farenheight even during summer. Just be sure to bring plenty of flashlights because there's only one way in and one way out of this secret underground cave.
Once inside the cavern, you'll see that there are "small wave-like undulations in the floor" and icicles made of stone hanging from the ceiling.
The cave is pitch black, so it's best not to visit alone. You should also tell family and friends where you're going and when you plan to be back. The cave floor, which consists of a "frozen river" of lava, might also be slippery so dress accordingly.
Lava River Cave
Price: Free
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
Why You Should Go: How often does someone say they've hiked underground before? Not often but you can! It's only 2 miles, roundtrip, making for a quick daytime adventure.
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.
This article has been updated since it was originally published on September 19, 2019.