ABOUT THE CAVES

The best in Canada! That is one way to describe the cave resources of Vancouver Island, home to more than 1,000 caves. At Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park you can experience the magic of the underground world in the many caves protected within the surrounding provincial park. Horne Lake Caves has been a popular spot for locals and visitors to explore for decades, with Horne Lakes Provincial Park established in 1971. Operations at the site were conducted by a small group of dedicated volunteers for a number of years during the 1980s. Before long, the growing popularity of Horne Lake Caves made operating the site increasingly difficult for a small group of volunteers. In 1989 Richard Valera and a small group of partners stepped in and carried on operations at the caves, beginning a love affair that has lasted for over three decades. The past 30 years have seen Horne Lake Caves grow significantly under Richard’s leadership, both in popularity and in size with many new rooms and tunnels now explored. In 2011, Canada’s first and only cave interpretive centre was built on the site. This facility educates visitors of all ages on the ecology of caves in a fun and engaging way.

The Horne Lake Caves team is continually working to further improve the accessibility and safety of Horne Lake Caves in an environmentally conscious manner. Like most cave systems in the world, Horne Lake Caves has not been completely-explored yet. Exploring and mapping out these caves is an ongoing project for us here at Horne Lake Caves.

Have a spelunking caving outdoor adventure with low-impact practices about wilderness preservation.