Lava Tube Caves of the Pisgah Crater, California

The Pisgah Crater is a young lava field in the Mojave Desert with over one hundred lava tubes. The black pahoehoe and A'A mixed with basalt shows interesting signs of volcanic folding. The dormant cinder cone in the middle of the field makes a fantastic camping spot with sweeping views of the basin. We visited around 9 caves including Bad, Owl 3, TF, AF, QQ, PSJ, Mojave, Cactus, and Glove lava tube caves.

Most of the lava tubes are quite short and dusty — most without corrosion or formations, except for a few skylights and walking passages. QQ cave has a vertical entrance we didn't have rope to check. Temperatures were around 80 degrees — must be brutal in the 100-degree summer. Bring kneepads, elbow pads, a helmet, and three lights. Camping on top of the crater comes with sweeping basin views and dark skies. Highly recommended for cavers who love tight crawly holes.

🎒 Gear for this: Petzl Tikka Headlamp · Petzl Vertex Helmet