After October Gypsum cave we headed over to Paiute Cave, which is actually a lava tube cave on the Arizona strip region of North Grand Canyon.  This cave was more of a pile of breakdown beyond a room inside a volcanic sink. The drive was a bit long but once we got to the entrance, we could drive right up to the cave itself.

The Paiute inhabited this region for thousands of years and are thought to have drawn these red and yellow pictographs inside the Lava Tube cave.  I can not remember the last time I saw colored pictographs anywhere in the southwest, especially rock art like this inside of a cave. The lava tube cave appeared to be a cold sink as the temperature dropped 15-20 degrees as we got into the cave. I have recently read a report that this cave might extend down another 300ft through the breakdown but there is nothing more to see, other than more breakdown rubble.  We also checked out another lead in the cliffs nearby but it turned out to be a small alcove with bedding remains for an old animal house.   I am curious to know if this cave actually ends in breakdown, or with a little extra push, will Paiute cave pop into a tube passage?

To learn more about safe caving activities, caving in Nevada, or to learn how you can get involved and visit caves like these, please reach out to your local caving grotto, The Southern Nevada Grotto.  If you have any questions or you need help with reaching out to the right caving organization, please reach out to me directly.