Pluto's Cave

Located in the Shasta Valley on the north side of Mount Shasta lies a little traveled and little known set of ancient lava tubes. These tubes were formed 190,000 years ago as the northern reaches of the Cascade Range were coming into being and Mount Shasta was erupting. Though there are cave-ins along the first stretch of the main tube, you can journey nearly 2 miles into the final section if you are brave enough and have brought proper footwear and lighting you. There is no exit, however, and so you will have to carefully work your way back out. The trail to reach the caves is a simple walk on dry high desert sand through desert shrubbery, offering a few different flowers that may be in bloom and some great views of Mount Shasta off in the distance. There are species of bats that inhabits this area, and they may or may not be active. While it is always cool to see animals in their natural habitat, make sure not to disturb them as you venture through the caves! The total length of this trip varies from 1.5 miles to 3.5 miles depending on how deep you journey into the cave.