Redmond Caves

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Redmond Caves
Entrance to Redmond Caves, Redmond, Oregon, 2005.jpg
Entrance to Redmond Cave no. 1
Location Deschutes County, Oregon, U.S.
GeologyHorse Cave lobe; basalt of Lava Top Butte [1]
Entrances6
List of
entrances		Each cave has one entrance, except Cave Next Door has two
DifficultyEasy to Moderate
AccessPublic
Cave survey 1997-06-07; 1980-11-??; 1969-03-28

The Redmond Caves are a group of six lava tubes in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. The caves are located in the city of Redmond and are jointly managed by the city and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). [2] [3] Five of the caves are in the Redmond Caves Park and have been known locally for over 100 years. The caves are part of the Horse Lava Tube System and the farthest northern extent of the system. [4] The lava flow that created both the Horse system and the Redmond Caves continued into the Redmond Dry Canyon and terminated near Crooked River Ranch. [4] [5] The caves have a geologic age of about 80,000 years. [6]

Contents

History

Many of the caves in the system were known by prehistoric Native Americans, indicated by archaeological artifacts found therein. [2] The first known caves of Central Oregon by Euro-Americans, may have been the Redmond Caves. During the 1870s an old stage road passed by their area. [7]

Since their discovery by settlers, various uses for the caves have been recommended. One report mentions they were considered for potato storage as early as the 1910s. [8] There was also a proposal from a Madras resident who wanted to use them for growing mushrooms. [7] On one occasion, the Deschutes Historical Society was notified about using the site as their museum. [9]

In 1954, the Lions Club of Redmond opened up an entrance to a previously inaccessible cave. After finally gaining entry into the cave, they discovered footprints of modern shoes in the dusty floor. Later, two boys admitted to squeezing into the cave the night before. [10] The newly opened cave turned out to be the longest on site and Y-shaped. [10] Later, the cave was fully explored by two boys searching for relics. They discovered the Y-shaped passage was instead a loop. [11]

After the discovery of the new cave, John Berning of the Lions Club showed a few artifacts to Dick Nooe and Harry Sly (then small boys). The artifacts had come from within the caves. Later, the boys would go back several times to sift through the dirt and pumice and found a wide assortment of ancient artifacts. After the boys were notified they were violating the Preservation of American Antiquities Act, they donated their collections to the University of Oregon. [11] [12]

During the 1960s, the caves were considered as fallout shelters by the Office of Civil Defense. [13] [14] The three largest caves were reviewed and noted to have a capacity up to 450 individuals. [13] [14] In the early 1970s, packets were mailed to residents of Bend and Redmond showing directions on how to get to their nearest fallout shelter. The caves were to be used in the event of an atomic attack, volcanic eruption, or earthquake. [15]

Since the 1970s, the caves were constantly being proposed as a city park site. [16] After 2005, the caves saw significant progress for incorporation into a park. Before improving the site, archaeological field studies examined the caves and their contents. [2] [17] [18] [19] In the meantime, the caves have suffered from recurring vandalism and defacement. [20] [21] [22]

Conservation

University of Oregon students mapping the caves Mapping Redmond Caves, Redmond, Oregon, 2005.jpg
University of Oregon students mapping the caves

The caves have been the center of cleanups over the years. After repeated vandalism and defacement of the caves, projects were created to help maintain them. [23] In 1997, the Oregon High Desert Grotto participated in the survey and mapping of all five caves on the site. [23] By 2002, the BLM held a cleanup event at the Redmond Caves. Together they extracted 300 tires in addition to a car at the park site. [24] In 2006 the BLM organized another cleanup. It took place on National Public Lands Day and received help from the Oregon High Desert Grotto and the Willamette Valley Grotto. They removed graffiti and trash, in addition to other projects. [25] [26]

Bat usage of the caves has been documented at various times. It has been suggested that prior to frequent human use, the caves held many bats. [27] On a visit in early 1986 by Mark Perkins, a bat biologist, however, he reported seeing only one hibernating big-eared bat. During a summer search, Perkins again noted only one big-eared bat using the caves as a night roost. [27] During the same survey, Perkins also documented the usage of the caves by two bats previously unknown to have used the caves. They were the big brown bat and the Western Small-footed Myotis; all were male bats. [28] The BLM drafted a Record of Decision on management of various resources. Among the considerations was the restoration of suitable bat habitat in a portion of the Redmond Caves. [29]

The caves

The park currently holds five caves; in the past, however, more caves around the site were known.

A very small cave is located on the adjacent airport property. Airport Cave is a very small cave only 12 feet in length. [30]

One cave was known to exist at the site of a former lumber mill nearby. Dick Nooe recalled tunneling westward whereupon he heard a thundering sound overhead. It turned out to be a train on the surface. [12] This cave is known as Redmond Railroad Cave and was closed up years later by the lumber mill. It is located on the property of Brad's Auto Parts. [30]

On a similar note, a cave west of the Redmond Railroad Cave was accidentally breached. This cave had no known natural entrance prior to the breach. It was opened up during the construction of a parking lot. It was estimated to be 100 feet long and headed westward and the floor was covered in gypsum deposits. The cave was closed back up during the construction. The cave was originally discovered when a bank resided on the property, but today it is a Dairy Queen. [30] [31]

Lions Cave was opened up by the Redmond Lions Club in 1954 and named after them by an editor of The Redmond Spokesman. [32]

A lava tube was detected at the north end of the Redmond Canyon during an expansion of the water treatment plant. Before installing a new clarifier, seismic refraction detected a cavity between 40 and 50 feet below the surface. [33] It would make it the northernmost lava tube known in the Horse Lava Tube System to date. [30]

The six existing caves have two sets of names. Numbers have been designated by the BLM, and those previously without names, were coined by the caving clubs of Oregon or the local newspaper. [23] [30] [31]

Buried caves include: [30]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Deschutes County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 198,253. The county seat is Bend. The county was created in 1916 out of part of Crook County and was named for the Deschutes River, which itself was named by French-Canadian trappers of the early 19th century. It is the political and economic hub of Central Oregon. Deschutes comprises the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Deschutes is Oregon's fastest-growing and most recently formed county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redmond, Oregon</span> City in Oregon, United States

Redmond is a city in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. Incorporated on July 6, 1910, the city is on the eastern side of Oregon's Cascade Range, in the High Desert in Central Oregon. From Redmond there is access to recreational opportunities. Redmond is a full-service municipality and one of the fastest-growing industrial and residential communities in Oregon. Redmond had a population of 32,421 in 2019, and the population continues to grow at a rate of about 6.7 percent each year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pilot Butte (Oregon)</span> Lava dome in Bend, Oregon

Pilot Butte is a lava dome that was created from an extinct volcano located in Bend, Oregon. It is a cinder cone butte which rises nearly 500 feet (150 m) above the surrounding plains. Bend is one of six cities in the United States to have a volcano within its boundaries. The other examples are Mount Tabor in Portland, Oregon, Jackson Volcano in Jackson, Mississippi, Diamond Head in Honolulu, Glassford Hill in Prescott Valley and Pilot Knob in Austin, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Oregon</span> Region in Oregon, United States

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 the Columbia River, eastward towards Burns, or south towards Klamath Falls. These three counties have a combined population of 200,431 as of the 2010 census, with Deschutes the largest of the three counties, having approximately four times the population of the other two counties combined. As of 2015, the most populous city in the region is Bend, with an estimated 87,014 residents. As defined by the three county definition, Central Oregon covers 7,833 square miles (20,290 km2) of land. Central Oregon has had 3 record tourism years beginning in 2012. Over 2.2 million people visited Central Oregon in 2012 and again in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deschutes National Forest</span> National forest in the U.S. state of Oregon

The Deschutes National Forest is a United States National Forest located in parts of Deschutes, Klamath, Lake, and Jefferson counties in central Oregon. It comprises 1.8 million acres (7,300 km2) along the east side of the Cascade Range. In 1908, the Deschutes National Forest was established from parts of the Blue Mountains, Cascade, and Fremont National Forests. In 1911, parts of the Deschutes National Forest were split off to form the Ochoco and Paulina National Forests, and parts of the Cascade and Oregon National Forests were added to the Deschutes. In 1915, the lands of the Paulina National Forest were rejoined to the Deschutes National Forest. A 1993 Forest Service study estimated that the extent of old growth in the forest was 348,100 acres (140,900 ha). Within the boundaries of the Deschutes National Forest is the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, containing cinder cones, lava flows, and lava tubes. The Deschutes National Forest as a whole contains in excess of 250 known caves. The forest also contains five wilderness areas, six National Wild and Scenic Rivers, the Oregon Cascade Recreation Area, and the Metolius Conservation Area. Forest headquarters are located in Bend, Oregon. There are local ranger district offices in Bend, Crescent, and Sisters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cline Falls State Scenic Viewpoint</span>

Cline Falls State Scenic Viewpoint is a state park near Redmond, Oregon, United States. It is located on the Deschutes River. The park covers 9 acres (36,000 m2). It is administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lava River Cave</span>

<i>The Bulletin</i> (Bend) Newspaper published in Bend, Oregon

The Bulletin is a daily newspaper in Bend, Oregon, United States. The Bulletin is owned by EO Media Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oregon Badlands Wilderness</span> Wilderness area in Oregon, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horse Lava Tube System</span> A lava tube system located near Bend, Oregon

The Horse Lava Tube System is a series of lava tubes within Deschutes County, Oregon, of the United States. The system starts within the Deschutes National Forest on the northern flank of Newberry Volcano and heads north into and near the city of Bend. The system continues north to Redmond and includes the Redmond Caves. The flow diverts into the Redmond Dry Canyon, where the last known segment is known to exist; however, the basalt flow that created the system goes beyond to Crooked River Ranch and terminates just short of the Crooked River Gorge. The lava flow that created the Horse system is also referred to as the Horse Cave lobe and it filled the ancient channel of the Deschutes River which at that time flowed around the east side of Pilot Butte. The Horse Cave lobe is a part of the basalt of Lava Top Butte which also consists of the Arnold Lava Tube System, the Badlands rootless shield, and the Lava Top butte basalt. All have a geologic age around 80,000 years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Redmond Hotel</span> United States historic place

The New Redmond Hotel is a historic commercial hotel in Redmond, Oregon, United States. The hotel was built in 1928 after the original Redmond Hotel, was destroyed in a fire. It is a three-story Georgian-style brick masonry building located on 6th Street in downtown Redmond. It has been in continuous use as a commercial hotel since it first opened. Today, the New Redmond Hotel is a major landmark in downtown Redmond. Because of its importance to the history of Redmond, the New Redmond Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On August 1, 2019, Soul Community Planet announced that after a two-year, $7 million renovation, The New Hotel Redmond by SCP opened in the Fall of 2019. The 41,000 square-foot, 49-room hotel, was redeveloped in partnership with the city of Redmond. The Rooftop, a 1,500 square-foot rooftop social garden, was added, opened in August. The redevelopment was made possible through a public-private partnership between the city of Redmond and the developer – a partnership managed by Alpha Wave Investors and RevOZ Capital. The city of Redmond, through its Redmond Urban Renewal Agency, provided a $3.53 million investment in the project.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skeleton Cave (Oregon)</span>

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<i>The Redmond Spokesman</i>

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References

  1. ↑ Jensen, Robert A. (2009), A field guide to Newberry Volcano, Oregon; The Geological Society of America, Field Guide 15, pp. 53–79.
  2. 1 2 3 O'Grady, Patrick (c. 2005). "Redmond Caves Archaeological Field School". University of Oregon. Retrieved 2009-12-01.[ dead link ]
  3. ↑ Bureau of Land Management (September 2005), Upper Deschutes Record of Decision and Resource Management Plan (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-01-22, retrieved 2009-12-02
  4. 1 2 Champion, Duane E. (2002-05-14), Mapping Newberry Volcano's Extensive North Flank Basalts, archived from the original on 2011-06-08, retrieved 2009-12-01
  5. ↑ Peterson, Norman V.; Groh, E. A.; Taylor, E. M.; Stensland, D. E. (1976), Geology and Mineral Resources of Deschutes County, Oregon, Bulletin 89 (State of Oregon, Department of Geology and Mineral Industries), pp. 20–22
  6. ↑ Donnelly-Nolan, Julie M. (2004), "Magnetic Excursion Recorded in Basalt at Newberry Volcano, Central Oregon", AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts, 2004, Bibcode:2004AGUFMGP43B0861C
  7. 1 2 Unknown (1954-02-08), "City of Redmond Takes New Interest in Ancient Caves", The Bend Bulletin , p. 6
  8. ↑ Unknown (1940-02-15), "Redmond Group to Explore Caves", The Bend Bulletin , p. 1 Section One, retrieved 2009-12-02
  9. ↑ Unknown (1978-05-03), "Cave Viewed as Museum", The Bend Bulletin
  10. 1 2 Unknown (1954-04-08), "Lions Club Breaks Into Large Cave, Cavern Biggest in Redmond Park Area; Small Boys Beat Explorers", The Redmond Spokesman, pp. 1, 3, 6
  11. 1 2 "Federal Act Stops Relic Hunt in Cave", The Redmond Spokesman, pp. 1, 6 Section One, p. 3 Section Two, 1954-04-01
  12. 1 2 Stranahan, Martha (1978-06-28), "Redmond Caves Beckon their Former Explorers; Haze Hides Caverns' Past, Future; 'Atlatl Boys' Stake First Redmond claim", The Redmond Spokesman, p. 12
  13. 1 2 Grant, Ila S. (1963-01-09), "Marking of shelter sites is underway", The Bend Bulletin , p. 1, retrieved 2009-12-02
  14. 1 2 Krupka, Robert A. (1966-06-11), An Evaluation of the Shelter Potential in Mines, Caves and Tunnels, Appendices I, II, III, Office of Civil Defense, pp. 11–35
  15. ↑ Tripp, Julie (1973-02-13), "A-bomb or Volcano, Shelter Plan Offers Hope For Some", The Bulletin , p. 6
  16. ↑ Pratte, Bob (1979-05-23), "Cooperation Is The Key, Officials Excited With Project", The Bulletin , p. 4
  17. ↑ Pinkerton, Trish (2005-10-29), "Caves Explored for Park", The Bend Bulletin, p. C1, C10
  18. ↑ O'Grady, Patrick (c. 2005), Redmond Caves Archaeological Project (PDF), retrieved 2009-12-02
  19. ↑ KOHD News (2007-10-26), Redmond Caves, archived from the original on 2011-07-13, retrieved 2009-12-02
  20. ↑ Darr, Deanna (2000-04-19), "Despite Vandalism, Redmond Caves a Good Getaway", The Bulletin , p. B1, B3
  21. ↑ Flowers, Eric (2003-09-10), "Officials Seek to End Vandalism at Redmond Caves", The Redmond Spokesman, p. 3
  22. ↑ Merritt, Rebecca (1997-06-11), "Cave Job Begins With Plan", The Bulletin , p. B1
  23. 1 2 3 Nichols, Sarah (1998), "Redmond Caves Project", Oregon Underground, pp. 9–10
  24. ↑ U.S. Forest Service (2002-09-25), National Public Lands Day Culminates Local Cleanup Effort , retrieved 2009-12-02[ dead link ]
  25. ↑ Bureau of Land Management (2006-09-26), 2006 National Public Lands Day Sites and Activities (PDF), p. 4, archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-07, retrieved 2009-12-02
  26. ↑ U.S. Forest Service; Bureau of Land Management (2006-10-12), Local Volunteers Clean Up Redmond Caves (Ochoco and Deschutes National Forests and Prineville District, Bureau of Land Management Office of Communications) (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04, retrieved 2009-12-02{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  27. 1 2 Perkins, J. Mark (1986), Central Oregon Survey for Townsend's Big Eared Bat, Plecotus Townsendii 1986 Final Report, ODF&W Contract # 86-3-03, USFS Requisition # 88-FWL-86, p. 92
  28. ↑ Perkins, J. Mark (1998), Results of Mist Netting and Bat Trapping at Redmond Caves and Selected Mine Sites for Prineville Bureau of Land Management
  29. ↑ Bureau of Land Management (2005), Upper Deschutes Record of Decision and Resource Management Plan (PDF), p. 20, archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-01-22, retrieved 2009-12-02
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Skeels, Matt (2015), The Middle Ground - 2015 NCA Regional Guidebook, p. 20
  31. 1 2 Skeels (2009-12-03). "Central Oregon Caves". Oregon High Desert Grotto. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
  32. ↑ "New Cave - But Just the Beginning". The Redmond Spokesman . April 8, 1954. p. 2 Section Two.
  33. ↑ Seimens & Associates (December 2005), Redmond WPCF Expansion: Addendum # 1: New Secondary Clarifier, Redmond, Oregon, p. 16
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