Lava River Cave, one of the top attractions on the Deschutes National Forest, will open this year on May 16. For those traveling to the cave by vehicle, tickets for timed reservations to enter the cave — open from mid-May to mid-September — are now available.

A valid federal recreation pass is also required for each vehicle. Visitors who walk or bike to the site do not need a timed reservation.

Half of the Lava River Cave timed reservation tickets are available on recreation.gov on a 7-day booking window while the remaining half of timed reservation tickets are available on a 24-hour booking window.

Timed reservations are for a two-hour entry block each day Lava River Cave is open. Every day there will be six daily entry blocks with a new entry block opening every hour, on the hour.

If tickets are available on any given day, visitors to the site without a timed reservation will be able to make a reservation through recreation.gov that day. A timed reservation covers everyone in a vehicle — there is not per person charge.

Timed reservation tickets are free, however, reservation.gov charges a $2 service fee per transaction. Reservation slots open up each day at 7 a.m. Reservations can also be made by calling recreation.gov at 877-444-6777. The call center is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Reservation tickets can be printed or downloaded to a mobile device to show to the attendant at the site.

The timed reservation system, in place since 2022, is a way to prevent people from parking their cars on the side of the road outside the parking lot. It was also developed to reduce public frustration from waiting in line for unknown periods of time before getting into the site.

Demand to visit the cave, which receives 70,000 visitors a year, has grown as the population of Bend expands and locals seek cool respite from hot summer days. Demand is also being driven by increased numbers of visitors to Bend from Portland, the Bay Area and other metro areas.

For more information, contact the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District 541-383-5300.