Kuna Caves facts for kids
The Kuna Caves are amazing underground tunnels located south of Kuna, Idaho. These tunnels are actually lava tubes. Imagine hot, flowing lava from a volcano. As the outside of the lava flow cooled and hardened, the lava inside kept flowing, leaving behind a hollow tube when it drained away. That's how lava tubes like the Kuna Caves are formed!
There is one main entrance that people know about. It's an opening in the ground with a ladder that goes down into the cave.
Exploring the Kuna Caves
How Big Are the Caves?
The Kuna Caves go down about 50 feet (15 meters) deep. From the entrance, the cave stretches about a quarter-mile north. It also goes about 1,000 feet (305 meters) south.
The southern part of the cave is a bit tricky to explore. You need to crawl through a narrow trench. This trench was dug out of the clay floor. It leads to a small space where you can turn around. This small space is about 4 feet (1.2 meters) long, 3 feet (0.9 meters) wide, and 3 feet (0.9 meters) high.
One Cave or Many?
Even though it's called "Kuna Caves" (plural), it's actually just one big cave system today. However, local stories say that a long time ago, the system was much larger. It might have even had many different caves. Some people believe it once stretched all the way to the Snake River!
The United States Army Corps of Engineers worked on the cave a while ago. They blocked off a part of the cave, which made it smaller than it used to be.
Visiting the Caves
In 2018, a special logbook was placed deep inside the north end of the cave. Visitors can sign their names in it!
The ladder at the entrance helps you get down into the cave. However, this ladder is not regularly checked or fixed. The short road leading to the cave can also be very muddy and is not maintained. Inside the cave, you might find trash and graffiti.
The temperature inside the cave stays around 56°F (13°C) all year. Like all caves, it gets very dark the further you go from the entrance.
The Bureau of Land Management, which manages public lands, suggests that the general public should not visit the Kuna Caves.
