Prohibition CAVE TOURS

Explore the Lava Caves near Bend, Oregon!

Did you know there is a vast network of caves near Bend, Oregon? Strap on a helmet and headlamp and join our naturalist guides for a fun, educational, underground adventure! These tours are a great Bend, Oregon family activity.

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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: In 1916, Oregon reinstated Prohibition, (4 years prior to the National Prohibition). But just like today, Oregonians loved their alcohol and had a passion for producing. We will start the tour by exploring a cave in a system known to have been used to distill spirits (illegally)! Scattered around the sage-covered High Desert lie ancient caves, buried by the volcanic upheavals in centuries known to past peoples.

The Cave: The cave we guide in is a wild cave, meaning there is no paved path or lighting beyond the staircase into the mouth of the cave. This stunning lava tube is the longest discovered lava tube in the state with a round trip of over 2 miles! Its is also one of the earliest discovered caves in the state of Oregon. Your guide will help you and your group experience this stunning cave ecosystem to the fullest!
Closed toe shoes are a must to navigate the rocky and uneven terrain. We will outfit each guest with a helmet and headlamp as well!

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 long staircase into the mouth of the cave. 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.

Distillery: After caving, we’ll head to a local distillery. Guests will learn both the history and process of distilling (legally). We’ll enjoy local libations and from your most favored spirit we’ve included a happy hour cocktail of your choosing.

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.