If you are planning on visiting the park and explore the talus caves, a flashlight (especially a bright headlamp) is definitely required. The caves are extremely dark in certain areas so you do not want to go in without one. Also note that most of the park is not handicap accessible. You have to get through a lot of tight squeezes especially in the caves. In Bear Gulch Cave, I had some areas I had to get down on all fours and crawl. Bringing a friend is definitely recommended as traveling alone in the wilderness is never safe.
A bit of history about the talus caves. The caves formed very very long ago when the area was geologically and volcanically active. The land (and rocks) broke apart into canyons. Over time, geological forces shifted the fault line and volcanoes elsewhere, small rocks fall to the bottom of the canyon and are weathered away, while big rocks get wedged between the cave walls forming these caves. Bats do hibernate in these caves and when they do, parts or all of the caves can be closed (they are also sometimes closed for storms when the caves can be flooded).
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This is part 1 of my photos. There are photos of scenery around the park and from Bear Gulch Cave.
Hiking towards Bear Gulch Cave from parking lot.
HDR composition shot while hiking towards Bear Gulch Cave from parking lot.
Photo of rock tunnel shot while hiking towards Bear Gulch Cave from parking lot.
Forest scenery shot while hiking towards Bear Gulch Cave from parking lot.
Photo of rock formations shot while hiking towards Bear Gulch Cave from parking lot.
Black and white process of the photo above.
HDR composition shot while hiking towards Bear Gulch Cave from parking lot.
HDR composition shot while hiking towards Bear Gulch Cave from parking lot.
HDR composition shot while hiking towards Bear Gulch Cave from parking lot.
Rock formations inside Bear Gulch Cave.
Black and white process of the photo above.
Rock formations inside Bear Gulch Cave.
Black and white process of the photo above.
Rock formations inside Bear Gulch Cave.
Black and white process of the photo above.
HDR composition of an opening between cave chambers at Bear Gulch Cave.
Rock formations inside Bear Gulch Cave.
Black and white process of the photo above.
Rock formations inside Bear Gulch Cave.
Black and white process of the photo above.
This is all the photos for today. I hope you have enjoyed the photos! In the next part, I will have more photos from the caves, Bear Gulch Reservoir, and more. Please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.
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