Just a heads-up to let you all know the annual Free Summer Activity Guide should be posted soon.
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FYI most of the “popular” China Hat caves, with the exception of Boyd, are now closed off with Bat Gates. This includes Wind Cave and Skeleton. Some of the less known ones are still free of gates, but you need to do some homework to find where those are.
I’m sure Boyd will be gated within the next few years, or as soon as some “recreators” decide to vandalize the stairway into submission. Thats what happened at Skeleton cave.
Skeleton, in years past, is open to the public on the last Sunday of each month by the Forest Service and Wanderlust Tours (whom operates permit-accessed trips to the tube for $). So you can still hike skeleton on the cheap, albeit once per month.
I also think access to Lava River Cave is a bit dicey at the moment due to road construction on HWY 97… you might need to check on the availability of that paid trip this summer.
My only other .02 when it comes to Lava Tubes is for people to treat the ones that are still open with respect. Practice leave no trace ethics… resist the urge to build a bon-fire in the cave, and leave your spray-paint back at the car. It is tragic to see what has been done to the tubes, and it really bums me out that I can no longer go enjoy Skeleton and Wind on a whim.