Hercules Leg Cave

Hike Review

• We explored only the super short southern portion of the cave and a little bit of the northern branches.

• We had to turn around as there were bats present and our permit stated to leave them be if they were found.

• The bits that we did explore were beginner-friendly with high ceilings and a flat floor.

• If we had gone further, it would have been an expert-level cave, as there were multiple branches we could follow and very low sections of the cave to navigate through.

What Happened?

 

We explored the super short south end of this cave before heading north. There were two separate paths, one to the east and one to the west. When we entered the eastern path, Cassie saw a bat within the first 20 meters of entering the cave, so we beat a hasty retreat as we were told to do when we got the permit. We then went to the western path, where other people were exploring the cave. Within 30 meters, the couple ahead of us saw more bats, though they lingered. We suggested that we head back as instructed and they reluctantly followed us back to the cave entrance.

While it was a bummer that we did not get a chance to explore the cave more and get to the expert section of the cave, it was cool to see that the bats in Lava Beds National Monument were utilizing these caves as their homes.