Skeleton Cave
Encyclopedia
Skeleton Cave is a lava tube within Deschutes County
, Oregon
, of the United States
. The cave is within Deschutes National Forest
and is located on the northern flank of Newberry Volcano
near the city of Bend
.
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. 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
that was later distinguished as Equus niobrarensis. Many other pieces of bone were found inside the cave.
A list of the known skeletal pieces include:
In a book published by Ronald Greeley
of NASA
, 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. In a book by David Purcell, Boyd Cave is hinted at being related to Skeleton Cave which trends toward the Bear Passage, also known as the Tributary Tube.
In recent times, the cave, along with others nearby, was evaluated and an Environmental Assessment
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
hibernation
. The cave was historically known to be a bat cave (harboring bats) and was possibly mapped by the Bend Commercial club.
Deschutes County, Oregon
-National protected areas:* Deschutes National Forest * Newberry National Volcanic Monument-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 115,367 people, 45,595 households, and 31,962 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 54,583...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The cave is within Deschutes National Forest
Deschutes National Forest
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 along the east side of the Cascade mountains. In 1908, the Deschutes National Forest was established from parts...
and is located on the northern flank of Newberry Volcano
Newberry Volcano
Newberry Volcano is a large potentially active shield volcano located east of the Cascade Range and about southeast of Bend, Oregon. It is not a typical shield volcano. In addition to erupting basaltic lavas, it also has erupted andesitic and even rhyolitic lava.The volcano is in diameter and...
near the city of Bend
Bend, Oregon
Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population...
.
Origin of the name
The cave was discovered in about 1924 although a stick was found inside the cave with penciled markings showing visitation from 1894. Perhaps on that same visit, an illegal moonshiner'sMoonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
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. 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
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
that was later distinguished as Equus niobrarensis. Many other pieces of bone were found inside the cave.
A list of the known skeletal pieces include:
- BearBearBears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
- HorseHorseThe horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
- DeerDeerDeer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
- ElkElkThe Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
- Alopex Fox or Arctic FoxArctic foxThe arctic fox , also known as the white fox, polar fox or snow fox, is a small fox native to Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and is common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. The Greek word alopex, means a fox and Vulpes is the Latin version...
- Gray FoxGray FoxThe gray fox is a mammal of the order Carnivora ranging throughout most of the southern half of North America from southern Canada to the northern part of South America...
- Wolf (nearly as large as Canis occidentalis)
- a small carnivoreCarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
the size of a martinFerretThe ferret is a domesticated mammal of the type Mustela putorius furo. Ferrets are sexually dimorphic predators with males being substantially larger than females. They typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur... - RodentRodentRodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s - LynxLynxA lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...
- A large hyena-likeHyenaHyenas or Hyaenas are the animals of the family Hyaenidae of suborder feliforms of the Carnivora. It is the fourth smallest biological family in the Carnivora , and one of the smallest in the mammalia...
dogDogThe domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
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
Ronald Greeley
Ronald Greeley was a Regents’ Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University , the Director of the NASA-ASU Regional Planetary Image Facility , and Principal Investigator of the Planetary Aeolian Laboratory at NASA-Ames Research Center...
of NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, 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. In a book by David Purcell, Boyd Cave is hinted at being related to Skeleton Cave which trends toward the Bear Passage, also known as the Tributary Tube.
In recent times, the cave, along with others nearby, was evaluated and an Environmental Assessment
Environmental impact assessment
An environmental impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects....
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
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
hibernation
Hibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
. The cave was historically known to be a bat cave (harboring bats) and was possibly mapped by the Bend Commercial club.
External links
- Oregon High Desert Grotto's cave information (Caving clubOregon High Desert GrottoThe Oregon High Desert Grotto is a caving club, known as a Grotto.OHDG is involved with caving and conservation efforts in central Oregon and beyond, including the Oregon Caves National Monument, the Lava Beds National Monument in northern California, and caves in western Idaho...
affiliated with the National Speleological SocietyNational Speleological SocietyThe National Speleological Society is an organization formed in 1941 to advance the exploration, conservation, study, and understanding of caves in the United States. Originally located in Washington D.C., its current offices are in Huntsville, Alabama...
) - Vandalism Leads To Staircase Removal at Skeleton Cave