Just a few miles west of Trout Lake on Hwy 141, deep in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a series lava tubes with local roof collapses that capture and keep the winter snows and ice all summer long. Close to the parking area one of the collapses has a wooden stairway down into it, but be careful of the extremely slick ice at the bottom. Explore the faint trails in the surrounding area to find several other collapses, some of which are interconnected by very low-ceiling lava tubes that are still open but probably unsafe to pass through.

These caves were a summer-long source of ice for the early inhabitants of the area, and still provide a great respite from the heat of summer. In fact, even on the hottest days you may want a jacket or long sleeved shirt when you descend into their icy bowels. For more information stop at the Trout Lake Ranger Station on your way west out of town.

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