Derrick Cave is a

lava tube A lava tube, more rarely called a pyroduct, is a 'roofed conduit through which molten lava travels away from its vent'. If lava in the tube drains out, it will leave an empty cave. Lava tubes are common in low-viscosity volcanic systems. La ...

located in the remote northwest corner of

Lake County, Oregon Lake County is one of the List of counties in Oregon, 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 8,160. Its county seat is Lakeview, Oregon, Lakeview. The county is named after ...

. The cave is approximately long. It is up to wide and high in places. It was named in honor of H.E. Derrick, a pioneer rancher with a homestead southeast of the cave. The land around the cave is managed by the

United States Department of Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal lands and natural resources. It also administers programs relating t ...

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...

. Derrick Cave is open to the public year-round; however, camping is no longer permitted in the cave.

Geology

Derrick Cave is a classic lava tube structure. It was created by

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a Natural satellite, moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a Fissure vent, fractu ...

flowing downhill from a

volcanic vent A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often fo ...

located north of the cave. Lava from the vent also created ''Devils Garden'', a lava bed southwest of the cave. Most of the lava deposited around the Devils Garden area was delivered through the Derrick Cave lava tube. "Derrick Cave"
, Lakeview District, Bureau of Land Management, United States Department of Interior, Lakeview, Oregon, 27 August 2013.Witty, Jim
"Derrick Cave"
''The Bulletin'', Bend Oregon, 17 February 2006.Sullivan, William L, "Derrick Cave", ''Hiking Oregon’s History'', Navillus Press, Eugene, Oregon, 2000, pp. 21–23. Derrick Cave began as an open channel of lava flowing south from a large volcanic vent. Eventually, a lava crust solidified over the top of the flowing lava. This formed a roof over the river, enclosing it in a lava tunnel or tube. When the eruption from the vent stopped, the lava drained out of the tube leaving a lava tube cave behind. After the cave cooled, several sections of its roof collapsed. These collapsed ceiling sections provided entrances to both the north and south parts of the cave. The age of the

eruption A volcanic eruption occurs when material is expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure. Several types of volcanic eruptions have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are often named after famous volcanoes where that type of behavior has ...

that formed Derrick Cave has not been definitively determined. However, it is known that the flow is no older than 13,000 years and no younger than 6,845 year-old, dated from overlaying

Mount Mazama Mount Mazama ( Klamath: ''Tum-sum-ne'') is a complex volcano in the western U.S. state of Oregon, in a segment of the Cascade Volcanic Arc and Cascade Range. The volcano is in Klamath County, in the southern Cascades, north of the Oregon– ...

tephra Tephra is fragmental material produced by a Volcano, volcanic eruption regardless of composition, fragment size, or emplacement mechanism. Volcanologists also refer to airborne fragments as pyroclasts. Once clasts have fallen to the ground, ...

that blankets the entire Devils Garden area including the surface area above Derrick Cave.

History

The cave was named for H. E. Derrick, a pioneer rancher with a homestead southeast of the cave. Because it was large and cool, early homesteaders in the

Fort Rock Fort Rock is a tuff ring located on an ice age lake bed in north Lake County, Oregon, Lake County, Oregon, United States. The ring is about in diameter and stands about high above the surrounding plain. Its name is derived from the tall, stra ...

area often used the cave as a summer recreation site. During social gatherings at the cave, families used the ice found in the cavern to make

ice cream Ice cream is a frozen dessert typically made from milk or cream that has been flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as Chocolate, cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit, such as strawberries or peaches. Food ...

. During the early days of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, local residents planned to use Derrick Cave as an

air-raid shelter Air raid shelters are structures for the protection of non-combatants as well as combatants against enemy attacks from the air. They are similar to bunkers in many regards, although they are not designed to defend against ground attack (but ...

if the

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

ese began bombing the west coast of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

.Mitchell, Chuck
"Derrick Cave has rich history"
''The Bulletin'', Bend Oregon, 25 March 1887, p. B-1. While residents of

Central Oregon Central Oregon is a geographic region in the U.S. state of Oregon and is traditionally considered to be made up of Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties. Other definitions include larger areas, often encompassing areas to the north towards t ...

never needed an air raid shelter during World War II, Derrick Cave was designated as a nuclear fallout shelter in 1963. Supplies of food and water for up to 1,200 people were stored at the site. The supplies were stored in a small branch of the cave behind a locked steel door. However,

vandal The Vandals were a Germanic people who were first reported in the written records as inhabitants of what is now Poland, during the period of the Roman Empire. Much later, in the fifth century, a group of Vandals led by kings established Vandal ...

s broke into the supply vault on several occasions and plundered the food cache. The vandals left the

civil defense Civil defense or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from human-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency management: Risk management, prevention, mitigation, prepara ...

water cans, probably because they had frozen solid. By 1970, all of the supplies had been stolen by vandals or removed by civil defense authorities. The

National Aeronautic and Space Administration The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the United States's civil space program, aeronautics research and space research. Established in 1958, it succ ...

also used Derrick Cave in the 1960s. As the agency was planning

lunar landing A Moon landing or lunar landing is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon, including both crewed and robotic missions. The first human-made object to touch the Moon was Luna 2 in 1959. In 1969 Apollo 11 was the first cr ...

s, it was interested in determining if caverns could be detected from high altitude using

gravimetric Gravimetry is the measurement of the strength of a gravitational field. Gravimetry may be used when either the magnitude of a gravitational field or the properties of matter responsible for its creation are of interest. The study of gravity c ...

instruments. To support the National Aeronautic and Space Administration,

North American Aviation North American Aviation (NAA) was a major American aerospace manufacturer that designed and built several notable aircraft and spacecraft. Its products included the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F- ...

and

Pacific Northwest Bell The Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone Company was an American telecommunications company based in Seattle, Washington. It was a local exchange carrier for the Bell System, the AT&T Corporation-controlled network of companies, providing telecommun ...

conducted high altitude gravimetric tests using Derrick Cave as the underground target.Brogan, Phil F., ''Visitor Information Service Book for the Deschutes National Forest'', Deschutes National Forest, United States Department of Agriculture, Bend, Oregon, 1969. In 1994, the Bureau of Land Management issued new rules for Derrick Cave. These new rules closed the cave to

camping Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...

, camp fires, and

cigarette smoking Tobacco smoking is the practice of burning tobacco and ingesting the resulting smoke. The smoke may be inhaled, as is done with cigarettes, or released from the mouth, as is generally done with pipes and cigars. The practice is believed to hav ...

. Also, large group gatherings were discouraged. These activities raised the temperature inside the cave, disturbing bats and fragile microorganisms. Climbing with bolts was prohibited as well. The rules were posted on a sign near the entrance to the cave.

Environment

The area near the cave entrance is dominated by

Western juniper ''Juniperus occidentalis'', known as the western juniper, is a shrub or tree native to the Western United States, growing in mountains at altitudes of and rarely down to . It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because it is a widesp ...

and

Ponderosa pine ''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine, is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is t ...

with

big sagebrush '' Artemisia tridentata'', commonly called big sagebrush,MacKay, Pam (2013), ''Mojave Desert Wildflowers'', 2nd ed., , p. 264. Great Basin sagebrush or simply sagebrush (one of several related species of this name), is an aromatic shrub from the ...

bitterbrush ''Purshia'' (bitterbrush or cliff-rose) is a small genus of 5–8 species of flowering plants in the family Rosaceae which are native to western North America. Description ''Purshia'' species form deciduous or evergreen shrubs, typically reach ...

mountain mahogany ''Cercocarpus'', commonly known as mountain mahogany, is a small genus of at least nine species of nitrogen-fixing flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae. They are native to the western United States and northern Mexico, where they grow i ...

rabbitbrush Rabbitbrush is a common name for shrubs, principally of the western United States, in three related genera of the family Asteraceae: * ''Chrysothamnus'' — about seven species in the United States, including Greene's rabbitbrush * ''Ericameri ...

, and a variety of desert grasses as the main ground cover. Common grasses in this area include

Idaho fescue ''Festuca idahoensis'' is a species of grass known by the common names Idaho fescue and blue bunchgrass. It is native to western North America, where it is widespread and common. It can be found in many ecosystems, from shady forests to open plai ...

bunch grass Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perennia ...

, and

bluebunch wheatgrass ''Pseudoroegneria spicata'' is a species of perennial bunchgrass known by the common name bluebunch wheatgrass. It is native to western North America. Description Bluebunch wheatgrass can grow up to tall. It can often be distinguished from other ...

Animals common in the forest around the cave include

mule deer The mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus'') is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. Two subspecies of mule deer are grouped into the black-tailed deer. Unlike the related whit ...

pronghorn The pronghorn (, ) (''Antilocapra americana'') is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed, hoofed) mammal indigenous to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is known colloquially in North America as the American ante ...

coyotes The coyote (''Canis latrans''), also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely relat ...

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the wildcat, bay lynx, or red lynx, is one of the four extant species within the medium-sized wild cat genus '' Lynx''. Native to North America, it ranges from southern Canada through most of the c ...

cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, KOO-gər''), also called puma, mountain lion, catamount and panther is a large small cat native to the Americas. It inhabits North America, North, Central America, Cent ...

, and

American black bear The American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), or simply black bear, is a species of medium-sized bear which is Endemism, endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. It is an omnivore, with ...

. Smaller mammals include American badgers,

porcupine Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp Spine (zoology), spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two Family (biology), families of animals: the Old World porcupines of the family Hystricidae, and the New ...

golden-mantled ground squirrel The golden-mantled ground squirrel (''Callospermophilus lateralis'') is a ground squirrel native to western North America. It is distributed in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and Alberta, and through much of the western United States. D ...

s, and

chipmunk Chipmunks are small, striped rodents of subtribe Tamiina. Chipmunks are found in North America, with the exception of the Siberian chipmunk which is found primarily in Asia. Taxonomy and systematics Chipmunks are classified as four genera: '' ...

s. There is also a wide range of bird species common to the Derrick Cave area. Small bird species include

mountain bluebird The mountain bluebird (''Sialia currucoides'') is a migratory small thrush that is found in mountainous districts of western North America. It has a light underbelly and black eyes. Adult males have thin bills and are bright turquoise-blue and s ...

western meadowlark The western meadowlark (''Sturnella neglecta'') is a medium-sized icterid bird, about in length. It is found across western and central North America and is a Bird migration, full migrant, breeding in Canada and the United States with resident ...

white-crowned sparrow The white-crowned sparrow (''Zonotrichia leucophrys'') is a species of passerine bird native to North America. A medium-sized member of the New World sparrow family, this species is marked by a grey face and black and white streaking on the upp ...

lark sparrow The lark sparrow (''Chondestes grammacus'') is a fairly large New World sparrow. It is the only member of the genus ''Chondestes''. Distribution and habitat It breeds in southern Canada, much of the United States, and northern Mexico. It is much ...

s, and

sage grouse Sage-grouse are grouse belonging to the bird genus ''Centrocercus.'' The genus includes two species: the Gunnison grouse (''Centrocercus minimus'') and the greater sage-grouse (''Centrocercus urophasianus''). These birds are distributed throug ...

. Larger birds include

raven A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...

great horned owl The great horned owl (''Bubo virginianus''), also known as the tiger owl (originally derived from early naturalists' description as the "winged tiger" or "tiger of the air") or the hoot owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an extreme ...

turkey vulture The turkey vulture (''Cathartes aura'') is the most widespread of the New World vultures. One of three species in the genus '' Cathartes'' of the family Cathartidae, the turkey vulture ranges from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of Sou ...

red-tailed hawk The red-tailed hawk (''Buteo jamaicensis'') is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies. It is one of the most common members of ...

golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of pr ...

s, and

bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche ...

s.Kerr, Andy
"Fort Rock Lava Beds Wilderness (Proposed)"
''Oregon Desert Guide'', The Mountaineers, Seattle, Washington, 2000, pp. 113–114. Inside the cave, water from rainfall and snow melt seeps down through the soil and cracks in the cave roof, accumulating as ice during the winter months. Dripping winter drainage often forms ice

stalagmite A stalagmite (, ; ; ) is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalagmites are typically composed of calcium carbonate, but may consist ...

s that are tall. While the ice normally melts away in the summer, it has been known to last through an entire year before disappearing the following summer.Sullivan, William L., ''Oregon Trip and Trails'', Navillus Press, Eugene, Oregon, 2008, p. 263. Derrick Cave is home to a population of

Townsend's big-eared bat Townsend's big-eared bat (''Corynorhinus townsendii'') is a species of vesper bat. Description Townsend's big-eared bat is a medium-sized bat (7–12 g)

s. The bats

hibernate Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic reduction entered by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It is most ...

until late April and resume hibernation in October. They are

nocturnal Nocturnality is a ethology, behavior in some non-human animals characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatur ...

mammals, active at night and asleep during the day. If a bat is sighted, the

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is a state government, government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for programs protecting Oregon fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. The agency operates hatcheries, i ...

recommends not disturbing it. This is particularly important when the bats are hibernating. Waking a bat from hibernation is extremely stressful, and can cause the bat to die from the sudden expenditure of energy.

Cave tour

Derrick Cave is open year around. The mouth of the cave is at an elevation of above sea level. The cave is between and below ground level. The total length of the cave is . The Bureau of Land Management rates the cave as moderately difficult. The entrance to Derrick cave appears as a large broken-face hole in the ground. From its mouth, the entrance leads to a wide lava tube. The lava tube runs in two directions from the entrance: north and south. The north cave is relatively small. This is the area where the civil defense shelter was once located. The south portion of the cave runs gradually downhill in a southwesterly direction from the entrance. In this area of the lava tube, the floor is covered by volcanic sand. Over the centuries, the ceiling has collapsed in several areas of the cave, creating natural skylights, and leaving piles of rock below. In this area, the cave is about wide. Beyond the last skylight, the cave is dark and artificial light is required. After a short walk, the cave opens into a large room wide with a ceiling that reaches a height of . This area is known as the ''Big Room''. In the Big Room and beyond, the original lava flow lines can be seen along the walls. They appear as rounded over-hanging shelves and lateral markings etched in the walls. In some places there are also ''lavacicles'' hanging from the ceiling. These formations were created after the lava had drained out of the tube leaving superheated gases trapped in the lava tube. The hot gases melted the walls of the lava tube causing drips to form. As the gas cooled, the remaining drips hardened into lavacicles.

Visiting

Derrick Cave is located at the northeast corner of Devils Garden, northeast of the unincorporated community of

Fort Rock, Oregon Fort Rock is an unincorporated community in Lake County, Oregon, United States, southeast of Fort Rock State Natural Area. History The community of Fort Rock was named after the natural feature Fort Rock by the town's founder, Ray Nash. Fort ...

. The land around the cave is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The road to Derrick Cave is very rough and there are no facilities at the site. The Bureau of Land Management recommends that visitors plan their trip carefully and use caution along the road to the cave site. Visitors should wear warm clothing because the cave is quite cool. Battery powered lights are best, as long as they provide reliable illumination. Today, the Bureau of Land Management has established rules designed to protect caves located on government property. The rules that apply to Derrick Cave and other Bureau of Land Management administered caves in Oregon and

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

specifically prohibit the following activities in and around natural caves:"BLM FRCPA Regulations for Oregon and Washington"
, Bureau of Land Management, United States Department of Interior, Portland, Oregon, 14 April 1995; reprinted in ''Cave Conservationist'' (Volume 14, Number 2) by Oregon Grotto. *Defacing, removing or destroying

plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

minerals In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2011): M ...

, or other cave resources *Digging, excavating, or displacing any natural or cultural features *Camping *Building campfires, using stoves, or smoking *Depositing or disposing of human waste in or near a cave *Discharging a

firearm A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions). The first firearms originate ...

air rifle An air gun or airgun is a gun that uses energy from compressed air or other gases that are mechanically pressurized and then released to propel and accelerate projectiles, similar to the principle of the primitive blowgun. This is in contr ...

, or paint gun *Possessing or discharging

fireworks Fireworks are Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large numbe ...

or other

pyrotechnics Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating fireworks, but also includes safety matches, oxygen candles, Pyrotechnic fastener, explosive bolts (and other fasteners), parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, q ...

*Bringing a domestic animal into a cave *Any activity that disturbs the environment within a radius of a cave opening or any known cave passages

References

External links

Bureau of Land Management, Lakeview DistrictBureau of Land Management, Derrick Cave information
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130625233102/http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/site_info.php?siteid=83 , date=2013-06-25 Caves of Oregon Lava tubes Landforms of Lake County, Oregon Protected areas of Lake County, Oregon