The presence of potential microbial trace fossils (endolithic microborings) has been well documented in oceanic basaltic pillow lavas, hyaloclastites, tuffs, and transitional subglacial marine lavas in the past 30 yr. De spite their evident abundance in oceanic to subglacial environments, they have not been observed in continental basalts that were not erupted in marine or subglacial settings. To expand the record of putative endolithic micro borings in volcanic rocks to non marine, continental lacustrine environments, we ex amined hydrovolcanic pyroclastic deposits in the Fort Rock volcanic field, central Oregon. This study presents the textures, mineralogy, and geochemistry of basaltic tuffs containing possible endolithic microborings com para ble in morphology, size, and distribution to those described in earlier oceanic and sub glacial basalt studies. We observed a variety of tubu lar and granular textures that show evidence of biogenic morphologies and be havior, and a primary geological context that expresses their age and syngenicity. Petro graphic relationships with secondary phases (chabazite, nontronite, calcite) indicate that the construction of microtunnels occurred in saline, alkaline fluids at temperatures of 25-80 °C. In addition, positive correlations were observed between the extent of aqueous (abiotic) alteration and both the abundance of microtunnels and morphological type. These correlations suggest that microtunnels were more readily formed where there was greater abiotic alterationfluid flux and that the resulting change in chemical composition of those fluids may have had a direct influ ence on the formation process or possibly the type of constructing microbe. This work adds to understanding of factors controlling micro tunnel formation and is the first ac count of putative endolithic microborings in a continental lacustrine setting. This new in formation may also have implications in the search for habitable extraterrestrial environ ments, such as on Mars.