Skeleton 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 ...
within
Deschutes County,
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
, 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 ...
. The cave is within
Deschutes National Forest
The Deschutes National Forest is a United States national forest (NF) located in Central Oregon, in parts of Deschutes, Klamath, Lake, and Jefferson counties. It was established in 1908, with border changes following in 1911 and 1915. The f ...
and is located on the northern flank of
Newberry Volcano near the city of
Bend. The cave is between 75,000 and 400,000 years old.
Origin of the name
The cave was first documented by American settlers circa 1924, although a stick was found inside the cave with pencilled markings showing visitation from 1894. Perhaps on that same visit, an
illegal moonshiner's still was found inside the cave.
[
][
] At one time the lava tube may have been referred to as Bone Cave
[
] but it received its current moniker as Skeleton Cave from Phil Brogan who observed many assorted pieces of skeletons within.
One theory put forth by Dr.
James W. Gidley, a scientist from the National Museum, claimed all the fossils fell into the cave from cracks in the ceiling created by earthquakes. Gidley believed this because he couldn't fathom why an animal would crawl all the way into the cave to die.
[
] The skylight entrance to the cave served as a natural trap in which animals could not escape. Several newspaper accounts note fossils within. The most noteworthy remnants belonged to a horse from the
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...
that was later identified as ''
Equus niobrarensis''.
[
][
] A bear at least "one third larger than any living species" was also found in the cave.
Many other pieces of bone were found inside the cave.
A list of the known skeletal remains include:
* North American short-faced bear (''
Arctodus
''Arctodus'' is an extinct genus of short-faced bear that inhabited North America during the Pleistocene (~2.6 Year#mya, Mya until 12,800 years ago). There are two recognized species: the lesser short-faced bear (''Arctodus pristinus'') and the gia ...
'')
[
][
][
][
]
*
Deer
A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...
*
Elk
The elk (: ''elk'' or ''elks''; ''Cervus canadensis'') or wapiti, is the second largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. ...
*
Arctic fox
The Arctic fox (''Vulpes lagopus''), also known as the white fox, polar fox, or snow fox, is a small species of fox native to the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and common throughout the Tundra#Arctic tundra, Arctic tundra biome. I ...
*
Gray fox
The gray fox (''Urocyon cinereoargenteus''), or grey fox, is an omnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, widespread throughout North America and Central America. This species and its only congener (biology), congener, the diminutive island fox ...
(Newton's and Townsend's)
[
]
*
Horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...
*
Lynx
A lynx ( ; : lynx or lynxes) is any of the four wikt:extant, extant species (the Canada lynx, Iberian lynx, Eurasian lynx and the bobcat) within the medium-sized wild Felidae, cat genus ''Lynx''. The name originated in Middle Engl ...
[
]
*
Rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...
s
*
Dire Wolf
The dire wolf (''Aenocyon dirus'' ) is an Extinction, extinct species of Caninae, canine which was native to the Americas during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs (125,000–10,000 years ago). The species was named in 1858, four y ...
(nearly as large as
''Canis occidentalis'')
* A large
hyena-like dog
The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...
*
Marten
A marten is a weasel-like mammal in the genus ''Martes'' within the subfamily Guloninae, in the family Mustelidae. They have bushy tails and large paws with partially retractile claws. The fur varies from yellowish to dark brown, depending on ...
-sized carnivore
History
The cave was surveyed by Walter J. Perry and Phil Brogan using a
compass and pace method. They measured a length of 3,036 feet. Perry then later sketched the outline of the cave passage.
He noted a side passage at about 1,734 feet into the cave, which was later named the Bear Passage.
This same passage is where the majority of the skeletons and bone dust were found.
Perry would later be filmed in the cave by MGM and FOX News for a history film about the area.
[
]
In a book published by
Ronald Greeley of
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
, the cave was surveyed and his map produced a length of 3,300 feet. But it did not include the small portion south of the entrance.
[
] In 1971, a complete survey by Jim Nieland discerned a more accurate length of 3,560 feet.
Boyd Cave is a part of the same lava flow as Skeleton Cave and trends toward the Bear Passage, also known as the Tributary Tube.
[
]
In recent times prior to 2002, the cave, along with others nearby, was evaluated and an
environmental impact assessment
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is the assessment of the environmental impact, environmental consequences of a plan, policy, program, or actual projects prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action. In this context, the te ...
done. Skeleton Cave in particular had its parking lot relocated to minimize impact to the vegetation and cave resources. A seasonal closure was placed from October 15 to May 1 of every year for
bat
Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...
hibernation
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 mos ...
.
[
] The cave was historically known to be a bat cave (harboring bats) and was possibly mapped by the Bend Commercial club.
Today, Wanderlust Tours
is the only company permitted to lead tours through Boyd Cave.
References
{{reflist, colwidth=30em
External links
Oregon High Desert Grotto's cave information(
Caving club affiliated with the
National Speleological Society
The National Speleological Society (NSS) is an organization formed in 1941 to advance the exploration, conservation, study, and understanding of caves in the United States. Originally headquartered in Washington D.C., its current offices are in ...
)
Vandalism Leads To Staircase Removal at Skeleton Cave
Lava tubes
Landforms of Deschutes County, Oregon
Caves of Oregon