Physical Description of Higby Cave 

Opening - The opening is a collapsed section of a lava tube, 5 to 6 feet high and 23 feet wide with lots of jumbled 1 to 2 foot rocks.

Opening to 300 feet - The ceiling is 10 to 13 feet high. The floor slopes down at approximately 15 degrees with tricky footing across a field of large fallen rocks. These rocks vary in size from 1 to 6 feet.

300 feet to 500 feet - The ceiling is a constant 12 feet high and the floor is level, hard packed clay with a few fallen rocks that have been carried in by people possibly for campsites. There is a small opening at 400 feet which is 10 feet up the west side. There were lots of bats flying in and out of it, so we decided not to explore it. The area has much graffiti, some of it quite old (1920's and 1930's).

500 feet to 1,100 feet - The ceiling height is inconsistent, however it is still beyond reach (10 - 16 feet); the floor is the same as the last section except it has lost its moisture and is covered with a light powdery dust about 3 inches deep. There is a waterline mark at 2 feet up on the wall which supports old claims that Higby cave was an underground lake.

1,100 feet to 1,400 feet (end of cave) - The ceiling is still inconsistent but is low enough (4 to 7 feet) for a person to hit your head on it. The floor is hard packed clay that resembles a dried up river bed. There is a pit, 3 feet deep and 12 feet across, dug into the floor about 40 feet from the end of the cave. This end of the cave is very humid and the clay floor is very sticky (and slippery if you climb into the pit).

Four Rivers Field Office  |  3948 Development Avenue  |  Boise, ID 83705
208-384-3300  |  Fax: 208-384-3493  |  Office hours: 7:45am - 4:30pm, M-F