Overview

Lava tubes are formed when the surface of a stream of lava cools to form a hard crust, but the lava below the surface stays hot and continues flowing (similar to a frozen river with water flowing beneath a crust of ice). When this happens, molten lava (which is now insulated by the crust) can flow out from under the crust, leaving behind an empty tube. Once formed, fresh lava from new eruptions can flow down the tubes, leaving fresh coats of lava plastered to the sides of the tube. Lava tubes have a habit of partially collapsing and forming holes in the ceiling. Fresh lava flowing on the surface can fall into the holes, and the holes can get plugged up or the lava can flow down the wall and into the tube. Evidence of these events is recorded in the roof and on the walls of this lava tube.

This adventure starts from the pavement rather than the end of the road. The 4.8-mile dirt road should be passable to all vehicles, but it is sandy in places and subject to washouts, so drive slowly and carefully, and use your own good judgment about the road conditions. From the end of the 2-wheel-drive (WD) road, this hike follows a 4-WD road for a few hundred yards, runs a short distance up a hillside, and then drops into a lava tube. This is an underground adventure, so bring flashlights and be careful.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ... going into holes in the ground in inherently dangerous. Take extra lights, wear a hard hat, and don't get hurt because underground rescues are very difficult. Review the standard warnings about going into caves. Taking all of this into account, this is a pretty safe hole in the ground because it is short and there are holes in the roof that let some light into the tube. The 4.8-mile dirt road should be passable to all vehicles, but it is sandy in places and subject to washouts, so drive slowly and carefully, and use your own good judgment about the road conditions.

Lava tubes are the kind of place where Hanta virus might be a problem, so don't stir up too much dust. I've been exposed to Hanta virus many times, and I haven't gotten sick or died, but I don't tempt fate: if you develop flu-like symptoms soon after leaving a dusty cave, seek medical attention and tell your doctor that you may have been exposed to Hanta virus.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, even though this is a short hike, it is in a remote area, so be sure to at least have the 10 Essentials in the car.

Trail Guide
Getting to the Trailhead

This hike is located Mojave National Preserve, about 2 hours south of Las Vegas.

From town, drive out to Cima (Table 1, Site 831) in the Mojave National Preserve. From Cima, drive southwest on Kelso-Cima Road to Kelso (Site 837). Just before crossing the railroad tracks in Kelso, turn north (right) onto Kelbaker Road and drive north for 14.9 miles (towards Interstate-15) to Aiken Mine Road (Site 841).

Alternatively, from Las Vegas, drive south on Interstate-15 for about 85 miles to Baker (Site 840). Exit the Interstate at Highway 127 in Baker and turn south (left) towards Kelso on Kelbaker Road. From the center of the interstate, drive 19.7 miles to Aiken Mine Road (Site 841).

At the Aiken Mine Road turnoff, there is a large (about 50 yards long), dirt parking area on the northeast side of the road with a small, faded "Aiken Mine" sign on the south end of the parking area. This is the only large pullout on the Kelbaker Road.

The Aiken Mine Road is fairly wide and relatively well-graded (two lanes wide in places) most of the way to the lava tube, but there are a few rocks, sandy spots, and rough spots, and the road is washboarded. From Kelbaker Road, drive northeast on the Aiken Mine Road. At about 0.55 miles from the pavement (Site 843), the road bends to the east (right) and a narrow road forks off to the west (left). Remember this point on the way out, although it is pretty obvious which is the main road. About 1.7 miles from the pavement, there is a corral with a water tank and an old truck body on the north (left) side of the road.

Continue northeast for another 2.8 miles to an intersection (Site 844) with a narrow, one-lane road (4.5 miles from the pavement). Turn north (left) onto the one-lane road.

The Aiken Mine Road actually bends to the right at this point, so you just go straight onto the one-lane road. After 0.15 miles, there is another corral on the north side of the road. Continue for another 0.15 miles (0.3 miles from Aiken Mine Road and 4.8 miles from the pavement) to a parking area at the end of the 2-WD road (Site 842). Park here; this is the trailhead. If you have 4-WD vehicle, you can drive a little farther up the road, but what's the point?

The Hike

From the trailhead (Table 2, Waypoint 1), walk northeast on the 4-WD road. After about 0.2 miles, there is a little parking area (Wpt. 2) on the uphill side of the road (the second little parking area on the 4-WD road) and a collapsed lava tube on the downhill side of the road (which is the lower end of the lava tube and looks like a rock-lined ditch). From this second little parking area, a use-trail runs south and up the hill. The white dirt on the trail contrasts with the black volcanic rocks.

Follow the use-trail up the gently sloping hill for less than 0.1 miles to the entrance to the lava tube (Wpt. 3). There are two entrances here, plus some smaller holes in the roof of the tube. The first hole along the trail that you are likely to notice is actually an ominous-looking pair of holes that is not an entrance. The next hole is the first entrance, which is a large round hole with sturdy metal stairs leading down in.

Just past this large hole is a smaller hole that you can use as a second entrance to scramble down into the tube. Just past the scramble-in hole is yet another, much smaller hole with some timbers keeping it open (like a mine shaft), but I don't know where that hole goes.

From the first or second entrance, scramble down into the lava tube, which runs downhill and back towards the road, and enjoy the dark coolness. After scrambling past the rubble from where the roof collapsed, the floor of the tube is smooth and covered with a fine, dry dust. At one point, you have to crawl under a low spot, but farther in, the ceiling is about 15 feet high. In the dark, watch your head as the ceiling always seems to sneak up and smack you when you aren't looking. Also watch your step because there are a few rocks on the otherwise smooth floor that will catch your toe while you are looking up at the ceiling.

The tube is actually fairly short, taking only a minute or two to quickly reach the end. However, I suspect that few people would want to spend only 2-3 minutes inside the tube before leaving.

Inside the lava tube, watch for signs of animal use. Packrats, mice, bats, and birds all use the cave and have left marks. Look in the cracks for bits of vegetation that these creatures hauled into the cave for food or bedding material. There are some nice packrat middens inside the tube, and these guys left many calling cards on the ledges. This is actually the kind of place where Hanta virus might be a problem, so don't stir up too much dust. I found a sleeping woodpecker (Northern Flicker) in a little hole in the ceiling near the climb-in entrance. I guess that's what you do when there are no trees big enough for nest holes.

Inside the tube, also watch for evidence of multiple lava flows. There are places where you can clearly see layers of "fresh" lava on the lower walls of the tube and places where you can see lava that was splattered against the ceiling. In other places, you can see that there were holes in the ceiling where fresh lava flowed in, sometimes plugging the hole. At the climb-in entrance, you can see the results of successive lava flows that each left thin layers of lava on the surface above the tube.