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The National Monument is always open to visitors. The Lava Beds’ caves, trails, camping, and attractions are open year-round. Frequently in winter, snow can temporarily close park roads until they are plowed. The Visitor Center is open every day except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. During the summer they are open from 8am until 6pm from Memorial Day through Labor Day. In the fall, winter and spring the visitor center is open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Teachers can borrow curriculum-based geology activity trunks to use in the classroom. Enjoy your geologic adventure.

The Crystal Ice Cave Tour reservations can be made up to three weeks in advance. Call or visit the Visitor Center at 530-667-8113 between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm for more information or to make tour reservations.

The Fern tour is offered on Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. from May 15th through October 31st, weather and road conditions permitting.

As one of the longest continually occupied areas in North America, the history and cultural legacy of the lava beds stretches back thousands of years. Explore the history early Native Americans left behind in rock art and at archeological sites, the conflict of the Modoc War, and the traditions and heritage of homesteaders, ranchers, cave explorers, “CCC boys,” and the modern Modoc and Klamath tribes.

Lava Beds National Monument was once known as “Modoc Homeland” that was the highlands to the south and wetlands to the north, and was the home to paleolithic peoples for thousands of years. This area is still infused with cultural and spiritual importance for many modern people of Modoc and Klamath descent. The Modoc people once lived on both sides of what is now the California-Oregon border, in villages on and near Tule, Lower Klamath, and Clear Lakes. Like the ancient people who first inhabited this area more than 11,000 years ago, they took advantage of abundant waterfowl and game, edible and medicinal plants, and an easily accessible water supply. They moved about the region freely with the seasons, until the coming of whites in 1826 when the pattern of Modoc life began to change. The Modoc, fiercely independent people, began to clash with some of the newcomers that laid claim to Modoc grounds for their own uses, and the seeds were sown for one of the most tragic of the Indian Wars: the Modoc War of 1872-1873.

The seasonal life of Modoc inhabited lands in and around the lava beds that followed from permanent winter villages around local lakes and into the highlands of Medicine Lake to the south. The annual journey began with the end of the last winter storms, when wildflowers indicated the coming of spring. Temporary camps were erected near Lost River, consisting of groups of domed huts made of tule reeds. Here the Modoc could take advantage of fish spawning runs, as well as gather bird eggs, roots, and berries. With the coming of the summer, the Modoc moved to higher elevations south of the lava beds, where they established mountain camps to hunt and gather nuts and berries. Autumn was a crucial time for the Modoc people when food was prepared and transported down to permanent winter camps on the banks of lakes and rivers.

Their earth lodges, as many as twenty in each village, were prepared for the severe cold of winter storms. When the band moved back into these villages in winter, older people repaired broken tools and weaved baskets, while the younger members of the village listened to the elders recount the history of the tribe in legend and song. Throughout the year, many different places of spiritual importance both in the lava beds and the highlands were visited by both spiritual leaders and young tribal members coming of age. The Modoc used many plants in this area for food, medicine, tools, or a combination of all three. The water lily, or “wocas,” provided a staple food when its seeds were ground into meal or flour in rock mortars. Tule reeds found along shorelines provided material for baskets, sleeping mats, and sandals, among many other uses. The Modoc also used sagebrush bark to make baskets, clothing and footwear. Women were responsible for much of the plant gathering and food preparation.

Modoc people developed intricate hunting and fishing implements from local materials. They fashioned boats and rafts for transportation and fishing from tule reeds, and hollowed out sturdier dugout canoes with fire and scraping. Nets of woven tule fibers weighted with lava rocks were used to catch seasonal runs of fish. Waterfowl were also caught in nets as they flew low over ridgelines. Bows were constructed from juniper limbs with deer sinew bowstrings. Arrow shafts were constructed from tule reeds, while the arrowheads were razor-sharp pieces of obsidian gathered from the highlands and worked with deer antler tools. Birds, fish, and game were all hunted with obsidian-tipped arrows or spears. Modoc men hunted mule deer, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, and many types of waterfowl. The hunt was an important part of a Modoc man’s life, and preparation for the hunt usually involved time in a sweat lodge.

The Modoc War of 1872-1873 had a devastating impact on the Modoc people. After the war ended, 155 Modoc who had fought alongside Captain Jack in the lava beds were transported as prisoners over 2000 miles by rail to the Quapaw Reservation in Oklahoma. For these people, this marked the beginning of a desperate struggle for survival in the history of their people.

Disease soon spread through the tribe in Oklahoma, as they lacked resistance to new illnesses. As the Modoc tried to adapt to planting strange crops, they were weakened by malaria. Thirty-three died in a single year. By the turn of the century twenty-seven years later, there were fewer than 50 Modoc on the rolls of the Quapaw Agency. Even so, the Modoc demonstrated their historic tenacity by working hard to make their land productive and to increase their herds of livestock. The Modoc further supplemented their meager government rations by working for whites in the border settlements, and by making and selling the popular arts and crafts of other tribes.

The Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma today is composed of descendants of only seven of the original 155 prisoners of war. The Modoc are now part of an eight-tribe council made up of native peoples from all parts of the country. More than a century after their exile, the Modoc of Oklahoma have continued to adapt to life in a new land, raising cattle and establishing businesses with their neighbors. Their history is one of adaptation and persistence—both an end and a beginning for a people and a way of life.

During the Modoc War, many never became involved in the conflict. They were never exiled to Oklahoma like the followers of Captain Jack. They were, however, forced to remain on the Klamath Reservation; the homeland of their Klamath neighbors instead of their own land. The climate and resources were similar to those to which they were accustomed to. They dealt in close quarters with Indian Agents as well as Klamath and Yahooskin tribal members. Like all Native Americans in the nineteenth century, they were also forbidden to practice their traditional religion or speak their native language.

All three tribes came to be recognized by the federal government as the Klamath Tribes, and engaged in many profitable ventures in the twentieth century in ranching, freighting, and the timber industry. In 1954, however, the Klamath Tribes were terminated from federal recognition. After a legal struggle spanning decades, they were finally successful in regaining status as a federally-recognized tribe in 1986. A Restoration Celebration is held every August in Chiloquin, Oregon to mark the event.

Lava Beds National Monument is one of few remaining places in the traditional homeland of Captain Jack’s southern Modoc band that has changed little since its occupation by native peoples. This is a place where the ancestors of modern Modoc people lived, gathered plants, conducted spiritual activities, and made their stand during the Modoc War. This area remains protected by the National Park Service. Today tribal members participate in both private activities and public education efforts at Lava Beds to ensure these connections to the landscape endure.

Gillems Camp was a military encampment of the Modoc War of 1872-73. This camp came to life again under very different circumstances sixty years after the army left the lava beds. The old campsite became the center of Camp Tulelake, a base for a succession of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) crews that would transform the newly established national monument.

The CCC was a very successful relief program during the Great Depression. In an effort to alleviate unemployment while making needed improvements to public lands, President Franklin Roosevelt’s administration started the CCC in 1935. Men enlisted for six-month tours of duty, and most re-enrolled for a full two years. Up to 150 young men were formed into work crews under Army supervision. The CCC swiftly constructed thousands of camps all over the country, including hundreds in neglected or newly established western national park sites.

Among the tasks assigned to these crews were road and trail building, firefighting, the installation of electric and telephone lines, and the construction of park administrative and visitor services buildings. For his work, a young CCC enrollee received room and board in an Army-style camp and $30 a month, of which $25 was sent home to his family. With over three million total enrollees, the CCC program contributed enormously to the economies of many impoverished hometowns.

Within a few months in 1935, a ‘strike camp’ of army surplus tents with wood frames and floors was established on the old shoreline of Tule Lake. After two frigid winters, permanent wooden buildings finally replaced the tents. Camp Tulelake included barracks, mess halls, offices, a motor pool, and mechanical workshops.

The CCC crews were kept very busy. Different crews at Lava Beds built roads through the monument, laid the first power and telephone lines, and built a superintendent’s residence and headquarters building at Indian Well (where the modern Visitor Center stands). They also built a campground and picnic tables you can still eat at in the campground and at Fleener Chimneys. CCC boys from Camp Tulelake developed dozens of trails through the lava tube caves. They moved over ten million cubic yards of earth and debris from the caves near the Visitor Center and installed ladders and stairways – all without heavy construction equipment. In the caves, the CCC crews used picks, shovels, block-and-tackle rigs, and wheelbarrows. Occasionally, they used dynamite to widen natural openings, but the debris was removed largely by hand.

After an 8-hour workday, most CCC enrollees took classes to earn high school diplomas and improve their technical skills for future employment. Many “CCC boys” were as young as 18 when they enrolled. Hailing from states such as Georgia and Ohio, most had never seen a place like Lava Beds. Like many camps, Tulelake produced a camp newspaper that gave rare glimpses into the difficult and isolated life in the lava beds under Army command. Imagine the turmoil when 150 CCC boys showed up at a dance hall in the tiny neighboring towns.

With the outbreak of World War II, the CCC was terminated and many of the former enrollees became soldiers. The last CCC crew at Camp Tulelake closed the facility in the spring of 1942. During the war, the old buildings deteriorated, so that by 1949, most had been demolished. Today, little remains at Camp Tulelake except one piece of concrete foundation, but the CCC legacy lives on in the infrastructure still in use today at Lava Beds.

The CCC’s legacy also lives on in the great personal and societal changes it wrought. Young men with few opportunities in life learned to run heavy machinery, read and write, and depend on themselves under Army discipline far from home. Public lands were transformed, but so were lives. Giving jobs and hope to nearly five percent of the adult male population at the time, the scale of the program is hard to imagine today.

One reason Lava Beds is such a special place to contemplate cultural history is that it contains two types of rock art, or rock imagery, carved petroglyphs and painted pictographs. All of the monument’s rock imagery is located in the traditional territory of the Modoc people and their ancestors or predecessors. Discover an extensive collection of awe-inspiring pictographs and petroglyphs throughout the Lava Beds landscape.

It is hard to determine the age of rock art. This is especially true of petroglyphs, since material was removed in their creation, not added. It is possible that some of these images at Lava Beds were made more that 6,000 years ago. Estimating the age of an individual petroglyph based on weathering is complicated by the number of times it may have been inundated in water as Tule Lake rose and fell around the island that later became known as Petroglyph Point. Interestingly, some of the geometric patterns found in the rock imagery here appear on household items up to 5,000 years old from nearby Nightfire Island. With over 5,000 individual carvings, this site is one of the most extensive representations of American Indian rock art in California; it is possible that dozens or even hundreds of generations of artists paddled out in canoes, sharp sticks or stones in hand, to leave their mark here in the soft volcanic tuff.

Most of the pictographs are found around cave entrances. They are painted in black, produced from a charcoal base mixed with animal fat, and white, made with a clay base. Occasionally red was used, likely made from substances obtained through trade with Paiute Indians to the east. Since scientific dating techniques are possible with the carbon-based materials in some pigments, some pictographs have been dated to as many as to 1,500 years ago. However, since Lava Beds remains a sacred landscape for people of Modoc-Klamath descent, it is possible that other images are relatively recent. As with petroglyphs, guessing the age of an individual image by its condition can be deceiving. Images exposed to direct sun, wind, and rain fade much faster than those in more sheltered areas. Excellent examples of pictographs can be seen at Symbol Bridge and Big Painted Cave on boulders along the trail and walls around the entrances. Perhaps you can imagine generations of artists making their way out to caves such as these with paint supplies and an idea in mind.

Unlike rock art in other areas of the West, these images seem to be dominated by geometric patterns instead of depictions of people and animals. Looking at the images most visitors can’t help but imagine what such patterns might mean. Unfortunately, historic events in this area have made gathering information difficult. Before the Modoc War caused tribal fracturing and the removal of the Lava Beds’ band of Modocs to Oklahoma, no ethnographic study was ever done with Modoc peoples to record their stories about images they may have been familiar with or their beliefs about images left behind by even earlier peoples. Today, it is probable that some knowledge surrounding the rock imagery of the lava beds is not shared with those on the outside.

Visitors to the rock art sites of Lava Beds may notice that these places have not always been respected in modern times. Vandalism significantly mars some sites, especially Petroglyph Point. This type of activity unfortunately reflects the disrespect of a few for a cultural history that belongs to us all— a history that the National Park Service is mandated to protect. Though a chain-link fence was installed in the 1930s at Petroglyph Point to provide some protection to the images, pictographs at other sites depend upon the personal responsibility of each visitor to look but not touch. The oil on our hands can cause damage to the delicate images. You can help protect these treasures by reporting any inappropriate activity you see at rock art sites to a ranger or other law enforcement officer as soon as possible. Still, many visitors to rock art sites come away feeling they are very special places, places that perhaps even reach across time and culture to speak to universal human experiences. Petroglyph Point is the center of a Modoc creation story, while other sites with pictographs hold traditional significance for some modern Modoc and Klamath people.

You may also notice painted markings left in lava tube caves by early explorers and even a few Japanese characters carved into the boulders at Petroglyph Point by interned Japanese-Americans during World War II. Though visitors may wonder why some markings are protected and others are considered graffiti, consider that hundreds of thousands of people now visit here annually.

Petroglyph Point, southeast of Tulelake, is one of the most historical treasures of Lava Beds National Monument. Petroglyphs carved 2,000 to 5,000 years ago can be seen along
the cliff face. On the east aspect of Petroglyph Point, also known as Castle Rock, nearly 50 feet above the ancient lake bottom, there is a painting of the United States flag. Although the flag is much younger than the petroglyphs below, it also symbolizes one historical period of the area. According to a 1997 letter from Charles Coppock, “The
Coppock family arrived in 1898 and homesteaded on the east side of the peninsula. Later, Milo Coppock obtained three additional homesteads which gave him several miles of waterfront land. The family raised cattle, sheep and had a small five-acre orchard which was primarily for family use. The Coppocks sold their Tulelake property in 1923.

Charles Coppock was born on December 28, 1900 in his family home on the ranch in Tulelake. He grew up on his family’s ranch with his three older sisters. In 1908,
the Bureau of Reclamation began to drain Tule Lake, increasing the acreage of the Coppock ranch. In 1917, Charles Coppock longed to enlist and fight in World War I. However, not yet 18 and unable to obtain his father’s signature of permission, Coppock was denied the opportunity. Determined to express his patriotism, Coppock decided to paint the United States flag on the flat surface of Petroglyph Point. Coppock wrote, “The flag was not painted from a boat. The water had receded away from the base of the cliff
about three or four years prior to painting the flag, and there was a road that went into the ranch past Castle Rock at that time. I built a 2 x 6 foot long platform from which I painted the flag. The platform was nailed to the stone with spikes much like a shelf. I worked on it on Sundays as I was pitching hay the rest of the time. It took about two or three Sundays to complete.

My father encouraged my idea and, in fact, supplied the white paint. I purchased the red and blue paint out of my own earnings.” The following year, Coppock enlisted in the Marine Corps for the duration of World War I. The recruiting officer in Reno got the year of Coppocks’ birth a couple of years early and he was able to go. After the war he returned to the Tulelake area briefly before going to a trade school in Kansas City, Missouri. He worked as a mechanic until about 25 years old. From 25 to 36 years of age he raised sheep and farmed in Siskiyou County. He then returned to work as a mechanic and construction worker until he retired in 1965.

Since the flag was painted over 80 years ago, it has been subject to a great deal of weathering (as well as vandalism), but the faded image of one young soldier’s patriotism can still be seen on the east side of Petroglyph Point. The Petroglyph Section of Lava Beds National Monument was listed on the National Register of Historical Places on May 29, 1975. All features of historical significance, the petroglyphs as well as those of local importance, are protected.

Lava Beds National Monument protects a wide variety of well-preserved lava features resulting from many eruptions of the Medicine Lake shield volcano over the past 500,000 years, including cinder and spatter cones, ‘lava beds’, and almost 700 lava tube caves. These features result from a tectonic plate beneath the Pacific Ocean slowly sliding under the continental plate. As it dives deep into the earth, this oceanic plate melts into magma, which then rises to the surface as lava several hundred miles inland from the coast. The Medicine Lake volcano is one of many places where these eruptions occurred throughout the Cascade Range of volcanoes, which stretches from northern California into British Columbia. Medicine Lake is unique among Cascades volcanoes for its great surface area, as well as the wide variety of features left behind by eruptions of different characteristics and composition. These special places are yours to explore both here and throughout the surrounding area.

Lava Beds lies on the northern flank of the Medicine Lake Volcano and covers only about 10 percent of its surface area. At approximately 150 miles around the base, 7900 feet in height, and covering over 700 square miles, Medicine Lake is by far the largest volcano by volume in the Cascade Range. It is believed to have many small underground magma chambers rather then one large chamber. Eruptions from nearly 200 surface vents have created a volcano with a low, broad, gently sloping profile, like a shield. This profile built up over time by relatively mild eruptions of fluid lava flowing over large areas. The amount of gas and certain chemicals present in magma also contribute to the way a volcano erupts. Current eruptions on the Hawaiian Islands are a good example of what the Medicine Lake Volcano looked like as it formed. By contrast, composite, or strato-volcanoes are what many people think of when they hear the term “volcano”. Familiar composite volcanoes of the Cascade Range include Mount Shasta, Lassen, Mazama (Crater Lake), St. Helens, and Rainier. These volcanoes result from layers of lava and ash that pile up primarily around one central vent, creating the characteristic pointed cone. These eruptions are often violent, and may include the ejection of large amounts of ash, pyroclastic materials such as hot rocks, and even massive mudflows if glaciers on a volcano’s peak melt quickly.

The Medicine Lake Volcano has erupted intermittently for approximately half a million years. The most recent flows of pumice and obsidian at Glass Mountain (south of Lava Beds in the Modoc National Forest) occurred less than 900 years ago. Since there have been no eruptions within historical times, and there are no signs that the volcano is getting ready to erupt soon, geologists consider Medicine Lake ‘dormant’. However, since the tectonic forces beneath all the Cascades volcanoes are still in motion, it is likely that there will be an eruption here again sometime in the future. Perhaps Native Americans watched as the volcano came alive here hundreds or thousands of years ago, and fountains of glowing rock fed rivers of fire that poured over the landscape. Perhaps future generations will witness this awesome spectacle again someday.

Today you can see the hardened results of over thirty separate lava flows exposed at Lava Beds. Rocks visible within the Monument range from two million year old volcanic tuff at Gillem Bluff in the northwest corner, to basalt about 1100 years old at the Callahan Flow in the southwest corner. Multiple eruptions of liquid basalt that flowed from Mammoth and Modoc Craters (on the Monument’s southern boundary) between 30,000 and 40,000 years ago formed most of the lava tube caves here. This flow covers about 70 percent of the Monument. A different flow in the southeast corner of the park that emerged around 11,000 years ago was lower in viscosity and created smoother textured caves, including Valentine Cave. Cinder cones, spatter cones, and other surface lava flows also appeared periodically between every few hundred and every few tens of thousands of years.

A gentle slope and very fluid lava are required for the formation of lava tubes. Lava up to 2000° F flows downhill and immediately begins to cool and solidify upon contact with the ground and air. Lava touching the ground solidifies first, followed by the sides and then the top of the flow. This hard shell of cooled lava insulates the liquid rock inside, allowing it to flow long distances before it cools and comes to a stop. The lava continues to flow until it either drains out or seals the end of the tube. Imagine when lava tubes extended largely unbroken for up to 10 miles from Mammoth Crater stopped only by the waters of Tule Lake. In the millenia since, weather and gravity have punched holes in the ceilings of these extensive tube systems every few hundred feet, leaving behind almost 700 individual caves. These caves now provide not only outstanding opportunities for exploration, but habitat for a host of species ranging from threatened bats and bacteria, to tree frogs and sword ferns that cannot survive in the dry surface environment. The perennial ice formations found in some caves also give scientists an opportunity to study the effects of climate change.

Cinder Cones are rounded mounds of many cinder cones that dot the Lava Beds landscape. A cinder cone forms when high pressure and dissolved gases in magma cause an eruption that blows a fountain of lava into the air. The cooling lava then falls as cinders around the vent. Many cinder cones also ooze liquid lava from their bases if the eruption’s underground magma source changes character, such as the Schonchin Lava Flow emanating from Schonchin Butte. This is the only cinder cone with a trail to the top; please help preserve others by not climbing on them. Spatter Cones are thick blobs of lava resembling lumpy oatmeal that are thrown out of a vent. Thicker than cinders and thrown less high into the air, they form a cone where they land. Black Crater is an example of an impressive spatter cone. A hollow chimney may also form where the lava emerged; those found at Fleener Chimneys are 150 ft deep.

Mammoth Crater once contained a massive lake of lava that overflowed rather than erupted, and left behind an enormous empty crater. The highly fluid, basaltic lava was transported many miles to the northern part of the Monument, creating networks of lava tube caves all along the way. Gillem Bluff is an example of a fault scarp, a place where large blocks of crust move relative to each other, sometimes during violent earthquakes. Many long cliffs or ridges in this area are found along faults. Gillem Bluff has moved up relative to the basin below, exposing layers of ancient basalt believed to be two million years old.

The name given to each type of volcanic rock is determined by the amount of silica (a glassy mineral that crystallizes and changes the viscosity of a lava flow) present, as well as by the character of the resulting rock. Basalt contains the least amount of silica of rocks found here, at around 47 percent. Approximately 90 percent of the rocks at Lava Beds are basaltic. It’s extremely hot, fluid character allowed it to flow rapidly over large areas to create expansive lava beds and tube cave systems. Aa and pahoehoe are two Hawaiian terms used to describe the texture of basaltic lava. Aa is very rough and jagged; the Devils Homestead lava flow is one example. Pahoehoe has the consistency of pudding, smooth and ropy, and is perfect for making lava tube caves. Pieces of basalt full of bubbles from trapped gasses are called scoria and make up the ‘cinders’ of most cinder cones.

The remainders of Lava Beds’ surface rocks are primarily andesite. Containing more silica than basalt, andesite is slightly thicker and more resistant to flow. Rhyolite has the highest content of silica, up to 77 percent. Eruptions of rhyolite tend to be either explosive or very slow moving, forming thick flows. One form of rhyolite is obsidian, a volcanic glass prized by Native Americans for making arrowheads and other tools. The nearest location of an obsidian flow is Glass Mountain, located about 30 mi from the Visitor Center in the Modoc National Forest. Pumice is another rhyolitic rock that is filled with gas bubbles and blown high into the air. Tiny bits of pumice from Glass Mountain’s last eruption 900 years ago cover almost the entire surface of Lava Beds. This keeps the soil loose and well drained. Rainwater soaks in quickly, nourishing only plants with deep roots and leaving no surface water behind. Tuff forms from compacted layers of volcanic ash. The tuff of Petroglyph Point formed when lava erupted into Tule Lake and exploded into ash, violently reacting when it mixed with the cool lake water. Tuff is very soft in comparison to other volcanic rocks. Native Americans took advantage of this to inscribe the cliffs of Petroglyph Point.

Learn more about the geology of Lava Beds by viewing the video in the Visitor Center, looking through the interpretive binders there, and speaking to a ranger. Daily ranger-guided cave tours are offered in summer, and geology slide programs are among those offered on summer evenings. View labeled rock samples and cave formations in the Visitor Center museum, on the trail between the Visitor Center and Mushpot Cave, and inside Mushpot. You can also take a virtual tour of Valentine Cave in the museum, and more than a dozen wayside displays explain geologic features at roadside and trailside throughout the Monument.

The vegetation of the Monument is a mix of common plants adapted to generally dry, warm summers and cool winters, and special plants that take advantage of small areas with specific micro-climates. There is an amazing variety of flowers that bloom from early spring to late fall that can be found in the monument. Unlike arid landscapes of the Southwest and elsewhere, the wildflowers here do not come-and-go in one dramatic spring pulse. Instead, plants stagger their blooms over the course of the warmer seasons providing a long, varying flower show that starts when the snow melts in March and lasts into September. At Lava Beds you will find a large assortment of different flora for your viewing pleasure. Here are few flowers and plants you may come across while enjoying your stay at the park.

Winecup clarkia is a distinct deep-purple flower with four rounded petals and minimal leaves. It blooms mid-spring, and is usually solitary. Sagebrush mariposa lily is arguably the most beautiful flower at Lava Beds. It blooms in early summer and is usually found in open sagebrush areas. It ranges from deep lavender to white in color. The California poppy is California’s state flower. It is a common perennial on sunny slopes in the monument, blooming most of the summer. The Blue flax is a tall baby-blue flower that only opens its blooms during cool mornings in late spring. As the day warms, they fold closed and virtually disappear. Arrowleaf balsamroot is the largest flower in the sunflower family found in the monument. Native Americans boiled and ate the roots, and used the leaves to make a tea to soothe stomach pain and headaches. The Sickle-pod rockcress is a common spring flower in rocky areas of the monument. It gets its name from the long, curved, sickle shaped seed pods that form along the flower stalk as its blooms mature. Slender penstemon is a common late spring bloom at Lava Beds, and is a favorite nectar source for bees. Tall hawksbeard blooms in early summer all over the monument, and is a favorite nectar source for many butterflies. It is in the sunflower family, which includes daisies, asters, and even thistles. One of the first flowers to bloom in early spring is the Carpet phlox. It grows in low, dense mats on rocky soils and is completely covered in pink or white flowers. Horsemint is a member of the mint family, also called “smallleaf giant hyssop,” and is a summer bloomer common in rocky areas of the monument. Its crushed leaves have a strong mint and licorice smell. The Slender woodland star is a small, delicate white flower common in the spring on shaded slopes such as those along the Schonchin Butte Trail.

The southern most area of the park is the highest, receives the most precipitation, and supports a ponderosa pine forest. Farther downhill to the north, the middle elevations are a juniper and shrub woodland. Extending to the northern boundary are lower grasslands and sagebrush. Listed below are a handful of wildflowers you may encounter while visiting the monument. These flower bloom in early spring; March through early May.

- There is Sagebrush Buttercup, which is best viewed March through April. They are sheltered under shrubs and rock outcrops. They are about 2 cm in size and are a Perennial. This wildflower is often considered shy, hidden under sagebrush or other shrubs in sheltered places or rock cracks. This flower of all is the earliest bloomer during the last weeks of winter.
- The Carpet Phlox and Spreading Phlox are best viewed in April through May. They are located in open areas and rock outcrops. They are 1.5 cm in size and are also a Perennial. They grow in low, spiny clumps in most open areas of the park and put on an impressive show where ever a dozen or so plants live together. They are white, pink, or a mixture of both colors.
- Woodland-Stars are best observed in April through May. They are usually located in shaded areas in the open woodlands. They grow to 1 cm in size and are considered an Annual. They are easily found along the lower portion of the Schonchin Butte Trail. There are two common species, the bulbus and slender woodland-stars.
- The Yellow Bell / Fritillary are best seen in late April through May. They are located in open shrubs or grasslands. They grow to 2 cm in size and are a Perennial. They can be found at the top of Gillems Bluff. The flower changes color from bright yellow to shades of orange and red as it ages.
- The Biscuitroot is best viewed in late April and June. This flower can be found in open shrubs and grassland. They grow up to 2-5 cm in size. They are considered a Perennial. These flowers are members of the carrot family and were named for their edible roots. There are several species with white to yellow umbels (broad clusters) of flowers. They can be found at the top of Gillems Bluff; a reliable spot for most kinds.
- The Daggerpods are best seen in late May through June. They are also located in open shrub or grasslands. In clusters they grow up to 4-5 cm and is a Perennial. They vary in white to pink in clusters of 15-25 flowers. They can be found at the top of Gillems Bluff. There were named for there long pointed seed pods which is typical of the mustard family.

Some of the other plants you may encounter while visiting Lava Bed are: ferns, which grow in sheltered, shady, moist areas, often at cave entrances; lichens which are part algae and part fungus; mushrooms and other fungi which are essential to how plants get nutrients from the soil; grasses which is the foundation of many plant communities; mosses and liverworts which are non-vascular plants that are common in surprising places; and a variety of very different trees and shrubs that live on the arid landscape.

Many visitors to Lava Beds are excited to discover there is much more to do here than they thought. There is plenty see and do for a day or even a week, explore a cave, hike a trail, photograph wildlife, climb a spatter cone, contemplate a battlefield, peer into a crater, or view Native American rock art. Maybe you love caves, or you’ve never been in one. Maybe you’re a history buff, love wildflowers, or just need a few hours of solitude in the wilderness away from the daily commute? Indoors or out, any time of year, there’s always a variety of activities and events to keep you busy, interested, and amazed. Make Lava Beds your next adventure. Programs include guided cave tours, evening campfire programs in the campground, plant or flower walks, guided historic walks, and more.

Lava Beds has a wide variety of hiking trails. The most popular trails are short, but lead to interesting historic sites and geological features. All trails cross or enter the non-developed backcountry, while the long trails are primarily in designated wilderness areas.
Hidden Valley and Mammoth Crater is a short trail that meanders along the rim of Hidden Valley under Ponderosa pines. Enjoy the rare shade this area provides in summertime, and observe the impressive results of lava that flowed through from Mammoth Crater. The short trail to Mammoth Crater begins across the road at the parking area and leads up to the rim. Imagine lava flowing in multiple episodes from this massive crater about 30,000 years ago. It created all the lava tube caves in the Cave Loop area, and many farther North. To explore the rocky, forested landscape of Lava Beds’ southern end further, continue around the Big Nasty Trail or hike the nearby trail to Heppe Cave.

Symbol Bridge and Big Painted Cave is an easy 0.8 mi trail that leads to Symbol Bridge with a short spur trail to Big Painted Cave. Both cave entrances contain black and white Modoc-style pictographs on boulders and walls. Although many pictographs are weathered and faint, you will still marvel at the artwork here.

The Schonchin Butte is a steep 0.7 miles hike to the historic Schonchin Butte Fire Lookout. It is well worth the effort. Imagine the labor of the Civilian Conservation Corps crew that not only carried up by hand all the materials needed to build the lookout, but first had to build the trail itself. Enjoy the breeze and scenery any time of year from the lookout’s balcony, where interpretive panels identify landmarks in all four directions. In summer, a firefighter may be on duty to tell you about their work and administer a Junior Fire safety course.

Fleener Chimneys is a short side road that takes you to the fascinating Fleener Chimneys. This spatter cone is the source of the rough Devils Homestead flow. It was created as erupting globs of molten lava piled up on each other like sticky oatmeal, leaving a 50 feet deep chimney behind in the center. Picnic tables at this site are shaded by junipers. The tables were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps more than sixty years ago. The massive logs were obtained at Oregon Caves National Monument, and the rocks gathered locally. An accessible restroom is also available here.

Thomas-Wright Battlefield and Black Crater is a 1.1 miles trail that leads to the site of a Modoc ambush on an Army reconnaissance mission during the Modoc War. Interpretive signs at the beginning and end of the trail explain the battle and its aftermath. The main trail follows the edge of the lava flow from Black Crater. A short side trail just past the trailhead also leads onto Black Crater itself, a large spatter cone. Look for tree molds, made when a living tree was burned away by fresh lava and left the imprint of its bark inside. If you are interested in exploring more geologic features, be sure to stop at pullouts in the Devils Homestead lava flow, just north on the main road.

In April through June 1873, Army soldiers were stationed at Gillems Camp and Sheepy Ridge during the Modoc War. Walk the easy guided trail around this area and discover why ancient Modoc, the Army, the Civilian Conservation Corps, and National Park Service rangers cherish its location on the shores of old Tule Lake. You can also hike to the top of Gillem Bluff (known as Sheepy Ridge to the Modoc and settlers) along the route the Army used to bring supplies to Gillems Camp. The view from the top provides a great perspective of Lava Beds’ volcanic landscape. Generations of Modoc once netted waterfowl here as they flew low over the ridge, and a fence still stands from the attempted reintroduction of bighorn sheep in the 1980’s. You can also look down on Canby Cross, the site where a Modoc War peace meeting ended in tragedy.
Visit the cross at the next stop heading east.

As you walk the Captain Jacks Stronghold 1.5 miles trail through the trenches of the Stronghold, think of the courage it took for a small band of Modoc people to endure the winter of 1872-1873 here. Try as well to imagine the fear Army soldiers must have felt launching an assault on this virtual fortress of lava. Hospital Rock, one of the sites from which the Army attacked, is also visible from high points within the Stronghold. It can be visited along the road just to the east. It took the Army five months to drive the Modoc from the Stronghold, and soon after from their entire homeland. Still, a modern culture of Modoc descendants survives, especially in Oregon and Oklahoma. You may see prayer ribbons and sage offerings hanging on the medicine pole near the junction of the two trails, signifying the continuing importance of this special place.

Petroglyph Point Trail is a very short trail that begins on the east side of Lave Beds. The trailhead parking lot is on top of a short rise across from the trail entrance. Hike to the top to enjoy an impressive view of the basin and the Medicine Lake volcano. Please do not hike to the edge of the cliff to avoid disturbing nesting birds. Please do not attempt to hike to the top from the west side of Petroglyph Point. A social trail there has caused severe erosion and passes too close to nesting sites. Bunchgrass Trail is along the northeast side of Crescent Butte to the park road. This trail is Approximately 1 mile long.

The Missing Link Trail links the Three Sisters Trail to the Bunchgrass Trail, creating a 10-mile loop. The Missing Link begins on the Bunchgrass Trail is about a 0.5 mile hike. If you hike on the Missing Link Trail for 0.7 mile you will reach the Skull Cave road. The trail ends across from the trailhead for Symbol Bridge. Hike another 0.1 mile on the road to Skull Cave to reach the trailhead for Lyons/Three Sisters Trail. Heppe Cave Trail can be found on the road to Mammoth Crater. This 0.4-mile trail begins under tall Ponderosa pines. As you reach the end of the trail, you will view an enormous collapse. Follow the trail into Heppe Ice Cave that has a large opening at both ends. Big Nasty Trail is 2 miles long. It was named after a brush-covered rough lava area just to the north of the trail. From the Mammoth Crater/Hidden Valley pullout, the trail starts along the crater rim. Turn left from the Mammoth Crater Trail.

There are also a few long trails to enjoy if you are feeling adventurous. The Three Sisters Trail is 8.7 miles long and loops out into the wilderness and returns to the skull Cave road. The Lyons Trail is a 9.4 mile hike. This trail was once a former monument road; it crosses the park wilderness from the south to the north between the Skull Cave parking area and Hospital Rock. The Whitney Butte Trail is located from the Merrill Cave parking area to the west boundary of the monument. This trail crosses the wilderness in an east-west direction, curving around Whitney Butte. While on this hike enjoy an impressive view of Mount Shasta and the Callahan Lava Flow. This trail is 3.3 miles one way.

Stop at the East and West Wildlife Overlooks to view migratory and resident birds on the waters of Tule Lake in any season. Waterfowl are especially abundant here in the spring and fall as they pass through on their journey along the Pacific Flyway. Imagine the sights and sounds of up to six million birds here before the early 1900’s when lake drainage for agriculture began. You may encounter many other species of mammals,
terrestrial birds and reptiles throughout the Monument, especially if you journey away from roads and developed areas early or late in the day. Drive the nearby Tulelake National Wildlife Refuge’s Wildlife Tour Route along the edge of modern-day Tule Lake for a more in-depth birding experience.

There is more Native American rock art here than anywhere else in California and Modoc stories is still told about this unique and important formation. Weather has enlarged crevices that prairie falcons, great horned owls, and even Canada geese use as nesting sites. Petroglyph Point formation was created when volcanic tuff erupted from the floor of ancient Tule Lake to form an island. Waves undercut the cliff, and early people paddled out in boats to carve images into the soft rock.

Visitors are able to explore dozens of developed caves of varying difficulties on their own at Lava Beds. The Crystal Ice Cave Tour is available December through March and reservations are a requirement. Crystal Ice Cave contains some of the most spectacular ice formations among Lava Beds’ many caves. Because of the sensitive nature of this cave’s formations, it is open to park visitors on small ranger-guided tours only during winter months. Tours for no more than 6 visitors are offered every Saturday at 1:00 p.m. from December through March and last 3 to 3.5 hours. This is a strenuous excursion for people 12 years and older in good physical condition. Tour participants descend and ascend a sloped ice floor with the aid of a rope, crawl through holes, and negotiate boulder-strewn floors while avoiding fragile formations. Proper equipment is highly recommended.

Fern Cave Tours are available May through October. Fern Cave has been a sanctuary for native people for more than a thousand years; their pictographs still mark the cave walls. The cave’s fragile microclimate supports a lush, moist haven for plants and animals otherwise not found for hundreds of miles. Most caves in the Monument can be explored anytime without a reservation. The entrance area is not open to the public at any time other than during a ranger-guided tour. The exceptional rock art and sensitive biotic environment in Fern Cave are among the reasons that only guided tours are allowed here.

The Least Challenging Caves have relatively high ceilings and smooth floors or trails. These caves are a good choice for groups with young children, or anyone who wants a less strenuous experience. Listed below are the least challenging caves:

-The Mushpot Cave is 770 feet deep and is recommended as an introductory cave; this cave has lights and interpretive signs explaining the formations.
-The Indian Well Cave is 300feet and has easy access on a wooden walkway, a high ceiling, and unusual ice formations in winter.
-The Sentinel Cave is 3,280 feet deep. This cave’s easy main trail requires no stooping or ducking, and has lots of interesting features. This is one of the only developed caves with two entrances.
-Valentine Cave is 1,635 feet deep and was discovered on Valentine’s Day in 1933. It
has a large main passage with very smooth floors and walls. It had a different lava source than the caves on Cave Loop.
-Skull Cave is 580 feet deep. This cave was named for the bones of antelope and mountain goats, bighorn sheep skulls and two human skeletons discovered inside. It is a remnant of two very large lava tubes, one on top of the other. This allows cold winter air to be trapped inside and create a year-round ice floor on the lower level, accessible via a smooth trail and down a metal stairway to a platform.
-Merrill Cave is 650 feet deep. Visitors once ice skated by the lantern light on an enormous ice floor at the bottom of this cave. Changing air flow patterns are the suspected cause of melting, and today you can see small ice remnants from a viewing platform at the bottom of a stairway.
-Heppe Cave is 170 feet deep. Walk a short trail to this short twilight-lit cave with a small pool that is frozen most of the year. A spatter cone, huge collapse pit, and several other short cave passages can also be explored nearby.
-The Big Painted Cave is 266 feet deep and Symbol Bridge 148 feet in size.
Historic Native American pictographs adorn the entrance areas of these two shallow caves, and many are visible without lights. An easy 0.75 mile hike is required to reach them.
-Ovis Cave is 216 feet deep. This large cave contained 36 bighorn skulls when it was discovered in the 1890’s. Ceiling heights exceed 25 feet, and some outside light is visible
throughout the cave. Ovis and Paradise Alleys are adjacent caves; you can enter in one and return via the other.
-Paradise Alleys is 1,033 feet deep. It is an upstream section of the Catacombs tube system, separated into individual caves by a series of collapse trenches. Smooth floors and ceiling heights exceeding 7 feet are found throughout this cave.

The Moderately Challenging caves may involve some stooping through low sections, and/or have areas of rough floor to conquer. Please note that additional protective gear is recommended for the more difficult spots.

-Golden Dome Cave is 2,229 feet deep. When entering and exiting this cave please beware of “headache rock”. The downstream portion of this cave requires some stooping. The golden ceiling in this and many other Lava Beds caves is the result of light reflecting off water droplets that bead up on a coating of hydrophobic bacteria. The bacteria is not harmful to humans but are protected, so please do not touch. The upstream portions of this cave require more stooping and some crawling.
-Sunshine Cave is 466 feet deep. The two collapses allow sunlight to enter the cave and allow vegetation to grow. Stooping is required in the main passage, and the back section has floors that are steep and sometimes wet, or very rough. There is beautiful hydrophobic bacteria coating the ceiling at the back of this cave, and icicles adorn cracks in the ceiling in winter.
-Balcony Cave is 2,903 feet deep and Boulevard Cave 759 feet deep. There are short trails that lead to these caves from the parking lot. They have sections of low ceilings, and an optional crawl up onto a balcony created by changing lava flow levels. The “boulevard” was named for the smooth floor created by a lava cascade.
-Blue Grotto Cave is 1,541 feet deep. It is named for the pale blue-gray portions of the ceiling inside the “Blue Grotto”. The ceilings are high throughout this cave but the floors are rough.

The Most Challenging Caves have some portions that require duck-walking or crawling. Helmets, kneepads, and gloves are a must in these areas to protect you from sharp lava. Other sections may be easier. These caves are also more complicated in some areas. Purchase a map in the Visitor Center to find your way if you intend to explore them completely.

-The Labyrinth Cave is 1,239 feet deep and the Lava Brook Cave is 859 feet deep. These caves near the Visitor Center are connected and require crawling and twisting. Ceiling heights vary but tend to be low throughout. Pay attention to your route, as the name Labyrinth suggests. The “Lava Brook” is an interesting pattern left on the floor of one passage by the last lava flow.
-The Hopkins Chocolate Cave is 1,405 feet deep. It was named for the rich brown color of lava coating the ceiling and walls. Stooping is required in a couple places, and there is one passage with a ceiling height of 3 feet that requires duck-walking.
-The Hercules Leg Cave is 1,948 feet deep and the Juniper Cave is 2,362 ft deep. These two caves were connected by the removal of debris in a collapse pit, and together make one long excursion with an entrance and exit. The Hercules Leg portion has generally high ceilings and smooth floors. The connection to the Juniper branch involves crossing a breakdown with a passage height of 2.5 feet and several low sections thereafter.
-The Catacombs Cave is 6,903 feet deep and is easily entered, but gradually
increases in difficulty. It is possible to walk upright for approximately 800 feet to the stairway, after which the ceiling rarely exceeds 3 feet. A few places exist where the ceiling height is less then 12 inches.
-The Thunderbolt Cave is 2,561 feet deep. Crawling is required in the downstream portions of this cave where it connects to Labyrinth and Lava Brook Caves. Maneuvering upstream from the entrance are a few tight areas, one of which is 6 inches wide at knee
level. There is some stooping before the ceiling height allows walking upright.

Lava Beds also offers camping. The campground has 43 sites available on a first-come, first-served basis. There are sites suitable for tents, pickup campers, small trailers, and motor homes up to 30 feet. Each site has a picnic table, fire ring and a cooking grill. Restrooms with water and flush toilets are available year-round. Showers, hookups, dump stations, and amenities such as gas, propane, and firewood sales are not available in the Monument. Free backcountry camping is also permitted and provides an experience of wilderness solitude.

Wildland fire is one of the most powerful forces of nature and is often viewed as purely
destructive. However, within the last few decades, scientific research has enlightened land managers to the ecological importance of fire in wild ecosystems. In wild areas such as Lava Beds, fire management is reintroducing fire to protect developed areas and restore ecosystem health. Periodic wildfires in the lava beds once burned away plant litter and undergrowth regularly. As a result, most fires crept along the ground and were not hot enough to do long-term damage to plant communities. Burning vegetation recycled nutrients into the soil. Wildfires also burned in a “mosaic” pattern, following fuel beds and natural barriers such as lava outcroppings. Patches of ground were cleared for new vegetation, providing nutritious browse for wildlife. Some older vegetation was left behind, providing adequate cover for small animals.

From the 1920’s to the late 1970’s, all fires at Lava Beds were suppressed. The belief was that all wildfire was “bad”. Natural fuels are now presented in excessive amounts that can produce more intense wildfires. These fires are more difficult to control and pose a greater threat to life and property than periodic ground fires. The lack of fire has also been detrimental to the plants of Lava Beds. The plant community of bitterbrush and other shrubs is now overgrown, with little new growth. New bitterbrush sprouts are primary forage for the Monument’s deer population. The ponderosa pines along the Monument’s southern boundary have thick bark when mature, and are generally resistant to periodic ground fires. However, aging shrubs now provide an abundance of “ladder fuels” that allow fire to climb higher into large trees and kill them. The lack of periodic fire to burn away the understory has also inhibited the growth of new ponderosa pines.
These trees require clear ground with minimal competition for nutrients and sunlight in order to reproduce.

The National Park Service recognizes that natural forces should be the primary influences on park ecosystems. The fire management program at Lava Beds is actively engaged in reintroducing fire through two methods, wildland fire use and prescribed fire.
-Wildland Fire Use: If weather conditions will permit lightning-ignited fire to burn at the proper intensity to benefit rather than damage natural resources, managers can allow fires to burn. If threats are too great, the fire will be suppressed entirely, or minimum suppression tactics may be used to contain the fire within safe boundaries.
-Prescribed Fire: It is difficult for nature to catch up with fifty years of fire suppression. For this reason, fire management personnel prescribe fire to treat unhealthy landscapes,
just like a doctor prescribes medication to treat illnesses. Under strict weather and fuel conditions, managers selectively ignite areas in an effort to reduce heavy fuel loads and reintroduce fire. Reduction of fuels helps managers control future wildfires and protect life and property. The monument’s boundaries and developed areas are primary targets for prescribed fire.

The weather in northeastern California is particularly irregular and visitors should be ready for all conditions throughout the year. However, summers are generally sunny and warm while winters are cold with below-freezing nights with occasional snow. Visitors should always have warm clothing, sturdy boots, gloves, and protective headgear available if they plan to visit the lava tube caves. Park elevations range from 4,000 to 5,700 feet. Cold weather is possible any time of year, and snow has been recorded in all months. Winter day¬time highs average 40°F; lows average 20°F. Morning fog is frequent from autumn through spring. Summer daytime highs average 75° to 80°F; lows average 50°F. Occasional thunderstorms occur in summer. The weather underground is mild all year round.

At Lava Beds the average annual precipitation total is 15.33 inches with an average annual snowfall of 44.1 inches. The most snow accumulation occurs in the month of January. July tends to be the hottest month and August the driest month. December is the wettest and January the coldest. Be prepared for a wide range of weather conditions. The Monument is within a high desert area and tends to be hot and dry during summer days so carry plenty of drinking water at all times. Summer evenings average 45°F to 50°F. Conditions may change with little notice. Thunderstorms with lightning are common during the summer. August is the only month with no snow reported. Winter conditions vary from year to year. Some years will have more snowfall than others. Roads may be icy. High winds are frequent. Some of the surrounding areas are not open in the winter due to road conditions. Inquire at the Visitor Center before trying to reach the Medicine Lake highlands anytime after Labor Day.

Current Park Weather

Please remember that the unique geology of Lava Beds belongs to everyone, and rock collection is prohibited. Please leave flowers for other visitors to enjoy. Wildflowers, like all natural, cultural and historic things in the park, are protected and preserved for the enjoyment of all. Do not pick the flowers.

Here are some very important tips to follow so you can stay safe during your visit. Please respect cave closures. Do not go caving alone, exploring as a group makes caving safer. Stick together and warn other members of your party about hazards and sensitive resources. If you must go alone, choose easy caves and carry multiple light sources. Tell a friend or family member where your are going and when you expect to return. Protect your group and choose caves that are easy enough for the least capable members of your group. Children and seniors should be able to walk safely on their own. Caves are not appropriate places for infants. Bring enough light; each member of your group should carry at least one flashlight with extra batteries and bulbs if available. Flashlights are loaned free of charge daily at the Visitor Center. Always protect your head; cave ceilings can be low and sharp. Use bicycle, construction, or other types of rigid helmets to protect your head. Bump hats are sold at the Visitor Center. Most caves are about 55 degrees all year, and caves containing ice are colder. Wear long sleeves, long pants, and closed-toed shoes or boots to protect against rough lava and cold. Gloves and kneepads reduce injuries in more difficult caves. Carry plenty of water regardless of trail length; no surface water exists at Lava Beds. Watch for rattlesnakes and wear sunscreen and a hat in summer. Be prepared for sudden weather changes any time of year.

Be observant and pay attention to your route, and make mental notes by looking back at junctions and landmarks. You can also purchase a book of cave maps in the Visitor Center. You should always learn to read map symbols before you go. Monitor your level of fatigue and don’t push beyond your limits. Injuries, exhaustion, and disorientation have a greater chance of occurring when you’re tired. Save some caves for your next adventure to Lava Beds. Please stay on the trail and do not touch the pictographs, since oils from your skin will cause further deterioration.

Pets make wonderful companions, however, they are not always compatible with the dangers you can encounter in wild areas, or with the resource protection policies of national parks. If you have already left home with your pet and wish to have fewer restrictions on your visit, several boarding facilities are available in Klamath Falls.
Service animals are exempt from the restrictions. However, please use caution to protect yourself and your companion.

The rocky terrain, thorny plants, snakes, and high temperatures at Lava Beds can harm your pet so be careful where you plan to visit if you have a pet with you. Remember predators, including mountain lions, are curious about dogs and may approach your party when they otherwise may have passed you by. Please keep in mind that dogs are predators that may chase, frighten, and transmit diseases to wild animals. Wildlife can also transmit diseases to pets and then to humans. The territorial scent dogs leave behind disrupts the behavior of native animals. If you do decide to bring your dog they must be kept on a six foot leash or in a vehicle or crate at all times. Leaving your pet in a closed vehicle in summer can be deadly. You may bring your pet along in developed areas, but not on trails, in caves, or into buildings. Pet waste must be immediately collected and disposed of in a trash can.

Horses and pack animals are only permitted on the Three Sisters, Lyons and Whitney Butte trails. All wilderness rules apply to horse and rider. Ride at a slow pace; the terrain is rough. Horse riders should carry plenty of water. Summer days are hot and there is no surface water for animals to drink from. Leg protectors are recommended for horses and riders. Be alert for rattlesnakes on the trail. Horses should be sprayed completely, especially on the legs, with a fly and tick spray.

Tour reservation procedures and requirements for Fern Cave Tours are as follows: There is only one tour per Saturday and reservations are required and in high demand. The tour is limited to 6 visitors per tour and lasts approximately 1 hour. Reservations can be made up to 3 weeks in advance by calling the Visitor Center, during operating hours only, at 530-667-8113. Participants are required to confirm their reservation the day before the tour by telephone or coming to the Visitor Center in person. All unconfirmed participant slots can be given away to the next inquiring party during open Visitor Center hours the day of the tour. Due to the sensitivity of this cave, children must be at least 12 years of age and accompanied by an adult. The tour requires climbing down a slanted ladder and negotiating sections of a steep and slippery floor. Each member of the party must be able to explore this cave safely. Closed-toed shoes with good traction and long pants are highly recommended. Participants should bring their own light sources for the tour. Headlamps, or a flashlight that can be placed in a pocket while climbing the ladder, are the best choices for lighting. Fern Cave, however, is closed for resource protection reasons and is open to visitors by ranger-guided tour only.

Please be considerate of other campers, especially if you are camping with a large group. Children must be supervised at all times. Campsite capacity is limited to 10 people and two vehicles or three motorcycles per site (where space is available). Vehicles must be parked on pavement. The maximum stay in the campground is 14 consecutive days
in a 30-day period. Fires are permitted in designated fire rings and grates only. To preserve the integrity of the landscape, collection of wood is prohibited except in designated areas; check at the Visitor Center or campground bulletin board. Campfires must not be left unattended. Fires may be prohibited during periods of high fire danger. Pets are permitted in the campground. Generators are prohibited. Hunting camps are prohibited.

Public safety and the protection of property and important natural and cultural resources are the top priorities of the fire management program. Fire personnel monitor weather and fuel conditions to predict how a fire is going to behave. Fire personnel then determine whether it is safe to ignite a prescribed burn or manage a lightning-caused fire for ecosystem health as a wildland fire use project. When safety and resource benefits are in question, all natural fires are suppressed and prescribed fire projects postponed.
All human-caused fires in the Monument are suppressed. Please do not leave your campfire unattended or smoke while walking on trails; even accidental human-caused fires can carry significant fines. During a fire, you may encounter smoke and temporary trail closures. We urge you to obey all warning signs for your safety and the safety of fire
personnel.

No person may camp in a non-developed or wilderness area with a group size of more than twelve, including horses and pack animals. Due to the dry nature of Lava Beds, especially in summer, open fires are not allowed at any time in the backcountry. Gas stoves are permitted. Other restrictions may apply during extreme fire conditions—please check with a ranger. Camping in or within 50 yards of caves or in the vicinity of chimneys is not permitted. Camping within 0.25 miles of roads, trailheads, and
parking areas is also prohibited. Check at the visitor center for current weather information. Carry first aid supplies and let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return. Off-trail hiking is not recommended, as lava terrain is very rough. Please remember to leave no trace. If you pack it in, pack it out. Leave what you find. All historic and prehistoric objects, plants, animals, and rocks are protected. Please store your food securely and do not share your lunch with any wild animals.

You might be surprised by the variety of wildlife that overcomes dry summers, cold winters, and scarce water. It’s not surprising that there are only two species of amphibians in the park. Then again, it’s shocking there are any at all, with the warm dry summer and lack of permanent surface water with rough terrain. Yet there is enough shelter and moisture in some lava tube caves or under the rocky talus of lava flows to protect them, and they can breed in the pools of water that collect there after infrequent rains. They are most often seen hopping across roads after these summer storms.

Bufo boreas is also known as the Western Toad. They are widespread throughout the American west. The subspecies Bufo boreas that are found at the Lava Beds is commonly known as the Boreal Toad, named for the cooler mountain climates it lives in. They are incredibly tolerant of a wide range of temperatures, often active as soon as mountain snows begin to melt. Like other toads, their thick, warty skin allows adults to live away from water for long periods of time. However, they must return to standing water to lay up to an incredible 16,000 eggs in long strands anchored to aquatic vegetation. Their dark tadpoles metamorphose into young toads only a half-inch long, but they can grow to 5 inches over the next few years.

Then there is the Pacific Tree Frog. They are technically a member of the tree frog family. They are the smallest amphibian in California only growing up to 2 inches long. They can be found in many habitats and in very few trees. They are found close to the west coast from up to 11,000 feet into the mountains to the coastal wetlands. Like the Boreal Toad, it lives at the Lava Beds in the cooler, moist microclimates at cave entrances and under the jumble of large rocks in lava flows. These frogs have the incredible ability to change their skin color and tone in about ten minutes in accordance to their surroundings. This is slower than chameleon and anole lizards can change colors, but still serves the same purpose to hide from predators. They sport a variety of colors, including brown, tan, almost white, bright green, or salmon-pink. Brown is the most common which matches their earthy surroundings.

Pacific Tree Frogs eat just about anything smaller than themselves, primarily insects and other small invertebrates. They breed in surprisingly small pools of rainwater, and are the most commonly encountered amphibian in the park. Pacific coast tree frogs are the only frogs at Lava Beds, but are common throughout the Monument and prefer cool, moist caves entrances. They are usually seen after occasional summer rainstorms.

The Klamath and Tulelake Basins are world famous bird watching destinations. The Lava Beds should be part of any bird lovers travel plans. The Monument provides a variety of habitats for both migratory and year-round resident species. Because the Monument spans three very different habitats and is adjacent to the wetlands of Tulelake Wildlife Refuge, a good variety of birds can be found here. These three areas provide habitat to some birds that specialize in living in them, and some birds that are “generalists,” able to live in some or all of these habitats. A selected few are listed below according to where they are most often found.

These are the birds you will find in the Pine Forest. The White-headed Woodpecker with unique markings makes it unmistakable. This bird is also unique in that it forages for insects and grubs like other woodpeckers, but also eats the seeds of conifer trees, especially during the winter months. It nests in cavities made in dead but standing trees, often called “snags”. It relies on natural wildfires to create these snags, and has become rare because of fire suppression and habitat reduction from logging.

The Dark-eyed Junco birds are common and easily identified in flight by their prominent white outer tail feathers. They are often visitors to suburban backyards, and frequent birdfeeders for seeds. Small flocks mix with chickadees, titmice, and other small birds. The Yellow-rumped Warbler is a common bird in small flocks among junipers and pines in open woodlands, these very active birds seem to be in constant motion. They often chase and catch flying insects in acrobatic dogfights. The Sharp-shinned Hawk is typical of other hawks in the “accipiter” family; this bird is best identified by its short, broad, rounded wings, straight squared tail, and red eyes. Females are considerably larger than males. The Sharp-shinned Hawk is very agile, and thus able to hunt small birds while flying swiftly through a dense forest. The Pygmy Nuthatch is the lively, insectivore/seed eater that can frequently be seen in mixed flocks with Red-breasted Nuthatches, Juniper Titmice, Dark-eyed Juncos and other permanent residents of Lava Beds. Nuthatches climb down tree trunks headfirst in search of insects. On cold winter nights it huddles together with other nuthatches in a protected roost site, and allows its core body temperature to drop to near hypothermic levels. Their song is a distinctive “meep meep” heard from high in the trees.

Due to predation and habitat destruction, Purple Martins in the Eastern United States have evolved to exclusively select manmade martin houses in which to nest. In the western U.S. however, this largest species of swallows continues to prefer natural nesting cavities, such as holes drilled into dead standing trees by woodpeckers. Here at Lava Beds, Purple Martins choose to roost and breed in rock crevices near cave entrances. Mornings and evenings these birds, which are designated as a “sensitive species” in the state of California, can be observed flying near the mouths of caves in search of insects. The Lazuli Bunting is a sight to behold with bright blue plumage, white wing patches and orange breast. After returning from their winter in the tropics, males sing loudly from the tops of trees to establish territories and attract a mate. Don’t confuse it with the similarly colored Western Bluebird, which is larger and has a narrower beak. The Western Bluebird males are bright blue with patches of chestnut on the breast, flanks and back. Females are overall much more drab with a distinctive white eye ring. This bluebird prefers to hunt insects in open woodlands or at the edges of fields, perching on fence posts and then swooping down to snag prey.

The Canyon Wren is a small bird, is very active, and is often seen hunting for insects on rocky outcrops and cliffs. Rock, Bewicks and Marsh Wrens are also common in the park, but Canyon Wrens have a distinct and beautiful song; a long, melodic line of descending notes that echo in canyons throughout the west. The Scrub Jay is a loud songbird and like most Corvids (jays, magpies and ravens), is very intelligent. It will remember where it has cached food and if observed, will relocate stashes. You might be able to recognize the Western Scrub Jay in flight by its long tail, blue coloration on the upper side of the body and its undulating flight pattern. When perched, its grey back and white eyebrow and throat are diagnostic. The Townsend’s solitaire can easily be viewed near the visitor center and the Cave Loop drive. These slender gray birds are highly territorial during the winter months in which they aggressively defend patches of juniper trees and their valuable berries. Though they are usually insect eaters, these birds eat almost nothing else during the winter.

Bats are some of most interesting mammals in the Lava Beds where there is at least 15 different species. Here the bats find just the right conditions to roost, raise their pups, and hibernate, but not all in the same cave. They actually use many different caves for all these purposes. Rangers constantly monitor which caves are in use, and close them if needed to protect newborn bats and their nervous mothers from disturbance. While some bats around the world eat fruit or drink nectar from flowers all the bats here are insect eaters. Bats are a big help to farmers because they eat many insects that can damage crops. Besides caves, some bats may roost in the cracks of rocky cliffs, in the loose bark or hollows of trees, and in some man-made structures.

Here are listed a few of the 15 species you might see while visiting the Lava Beds. The Townsend’s Big-Eared Bat is rare and considered threatened with declining populations in most areas; this species is still doing well at the Lava Beds. Because of this, the park works hard to protect them and keeps track of their population. They regularly use several caves in the Cave Loop area to raise their young. These caves have to be closed to all visitors because the mother bats, very timid by nature, can be so scared by just one person walking past that she flies away and abandons her young, called a “pup.” Since these bats gather together in maternal colonies of several dozen female bats and their flightless pups, one careless person can cause the death of that entire generation of bats. The Mexican Free-Tailed Bat is named for the way their tail is longer than the membrane of skin between their feet, these bats migrate all the way to the jungles of Central America and the Amazon for the winter. They return to the Lava Beds by the tens of thousands and live in remote caves in the park. They consume ton upon ton of insects over the marshes and fields of the Tulelake Basin and are a great benefit to local agriculture. The Hoary Bat is a bat that you will not find in a cave; these furry bats live in forests and roost in trees. They are found all over North America all the way into the cool forests of Canada, and are the only species of bat in Hawaii. They live generally solitary lives and are very hard to find.

From kangaroo rats to mountain lions, there are a variety of mammals found within the monument. Squirrels, mule deer, and kangaroo rats are the most commonly encountered mammal in the Monument. However, there are many other species often found during the course of a visit. They have all adapted to living in this dry environment, and many take advantage of the shelter provided by the numerous lava tube caves.

The California Ground Squirrel is the most often seen mammal in the warmer seasons; these squirrels are easily identified by the dark gray patch between their shoulders. They often perch on small trees, shrubs, or rock outcrops and survey the area for predators or territorial rivals. The American pika is a fascinating little relative of rabbits; it is not closely related to rodents like squirrels, mice and rats. In fact, it is often called a “rock rabbit,” even though they lack tails and have small, rounded ears. Pikas usually live in cold alpine areas. They survive in the lava beds because they keep cool in the caves and cave collapse areas, where they live among the rocky talus as they would on high mountain slopes. Their population in the Great Basin has been studied as an example of how climate change can impact species dependant on cooler temperatures. Then there are the Woodrats, often called “packrats,” commonly found in caves and in old juniper stands. In both places, their large nests of twigs and branches are conspicuous. Look for them in the trees near the last sharp turn at the top of the Schonchin Butte trail. If you hear a loud hissing while exploring a cave, it’s an angry little Woodrat trying to defend his home. Don’t be alarmed, these little guys make lots of noise, but stay well hidden. Mule Deer are larger than white-tailed deer and are named for the resemblance of their ears to those of mules. Common year-round, in winter they gather into herds along Hill Road at the north end of the park, attracted by the farm fields and water of the Tulelake basin. Seemingly abandoned, fawns are often discovered hiding in tall grass or shrubs to evade predators. If you find one, please leave it alone; its mother is somewhere nearby, also waiting for you to move along.

Any visitor that drives Monument roads at night is likely to encounter the Kangaroo Rat hopping around on their hind legs, their long tufted tail flying around behind them. The secret to their success in this environment is their body’s ability to generate water from the seeds and vegetation they eat. They never have to drink liquid water their entire lives. There are two kinds of rabbits found in Lave Beds: true rabbits such as the desert cottontail commonly found in the Monument, and the hares. Black-Tailed Jack rabbits are a kind of hare, easily identified by their larger size, longer legs, and remarkable ears. They use these ears the same way elephants do, to cool themselves in warm weather by circulating blood through them. Their large surface area allows body heat to radiate away. Burrowing predators, Badgers are the largest member of the weasel family. They are not common, but might be seen throughout the park. They have a fierce demeanor, and should not be approached, despite only being the size of a stocky housecat. They eat almost anything they can catch, but primarily hunt burrowing rodents. They are powerful diggers, and quickly excavate deep into the dens of their prey with a tremendous display of flying dirt. Bobcats are the smallest and most common wild cat in the Monument. The largest males grow to around 30 pounds, females to 20. They have a very small tail, and are spotted all over. A mother and her cubs are often seen at night on the park roads, another good reason to obey speed limits and be on the lookout for wildlife when traveling around the park. Mountain Lions, call them what you will: panther, puma, cougar, or mountain lion, these large cats are majestic animals. They average 150 pounds as adults, though some reach an astonishing 250 pounds. Besides their much greater size, they have a very long tail and even coloration, easily distinguishing them from bobcats.

There are several rare but serious infections that can be transmitted by the wild animals that make Lava Beds their homes. If you follow park policy of keeping your distance from wild animals and their homes, you will not only ensure they stay wild, but you will protect yourself from disease and injury. If you find a single bat do not touch the bat or otherwise disturb it. Quietly leave the area. If you encounter several bats, quietly leave the area, and let a ranger know where you saw them. You may have found a new colony of Townsend’s Big-Eared Bats.

The poisonous snake known as the western diamondback rattlesnake, finds valuable habitat in the park. While exploring the lava beds, never place a hand where you can’t see it. If you do encounter a rattler, heed its warning buzz and back away calmly. Mountain lions are stealthy and elusive, this is mountain lion territory. Always accompany small children and avoid traveling alone in the backcountry, especially if you are of small stature. Be especially wary at dawn and dusk, when lions are most active. If you do encounter a lion that seems curious about you, shout, throw rocks, and make yourself look as big and mean as possible. Do not run away, and contact help if the lion is not scared off. See the Wildlife Precautions Page for further information about safety.

Though no known cases of bubonic plague have been recorded at Lava Beds, it is usually transmitted when a human is bitten by a flea that has previously bitten an infected rodent. Hanta virus is transmitted by breathing in aerosolized particles of urine, feces, and saliva left behind by rodents. When caving, try to keep your face away from rodent droppings. Histoplasmosis is also transmitted by breathing in particles of infected bat guano. At Lava Beds, caves with significant guano deposits are closed in summer to protect maternal colonies.

There is a seven day entrance fee which is $10.00 per vehicle. If you are on a motorcycle, bike or walking in the entrance fee is only $5.00. No reservations are needed to visit the self-guided caves found on Cave Loop and elsewhere in the park. Fern Cave and Crystal Ice Cave tour reservations can be made by phone by calling 530-667-8113. Access to both caves is limited and seasonal. Reservations are taken on a “first-come, first-serve” basis.

The camping fee is $10.00 per night for each site occupied; unoccupied sites may not be held for others. You can only camp on site for a maximum of 14 days. Holders of an Access or Senior pass receive a 50 percent discount on their individual site. Monument entrance fees are also due separately at the Visitor Center or the entrance station at Gillems Camp. One group site is available. Fees are $3 per person, with a minimum of $45 and a maximum of $60 per night. The group site accommodates up to 40 campers. Reservations may be made up to three months in advance by calling (530) 667-8113.

Lava Beds Annual Pass fee is $20.00 and is good for one year from date of purchase. The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass is $80.00 and is good for one year from date of purchase. The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass is $10.00 and is good for one year from date of purchase. The Golden Age passes are still valid for life.

Campsites are available year-round, as are water and modern restrooms. However, the park may close portions of the campground for seasonal maintenance or energy efficiency in winter when campers are scarce. RVs, 5th wheels and trailers can use the campground, though larger equipment may have difficulty navigating the narrow campground roads and small parking areas. During the summer months a campground host may be able to advise drivers which sites can accommodate them. There are no utility or sewage hook-ups. The campground has 43 sites available on a first-come, first-served basis. There are sites suitable for tents, pickup campers, small trailers, and motor homes up to 30 feet. Each site has a picnic table, fire ring and a cooking grill. Restrooms with water and flush toilets are available year-round. Showers, hookups, dump stations, and amenities such as gas, propane, and firewood sales are not available in the Monument.

Free backcountry camping is also permitted at Lava Beds, and provides an experience of wilderness solitude. Restrictions are in place for camping near developed areas and caves. Fires are prohibited, and no surface water is available. Check at the Visitor Center for more information. The group site accommodates up to 40 campers. Reservations may be made up to three months in advance by calling (530) 667-8113. Fee waivers are not available for the group site. The group site is gated, and one vehicle at a time is permitted in for loading and unloading. All vehicles must be parked in the “A” loop overflow parking area near the comfort station, or at the Visitor Center. Please keep in mind that check-out time for all campers is 12:00 PM. Camping Quiet hours are from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM.

The historic Indian Well campground was constructed in the 1930’s by the Civilian
Conservation Corps. It is located 1/2 mi from the Visitor Center and Cave Loop.
The Indian Well Campground is located at the south end of the park just downhill from the Visitor Center. It features an amphitheater, two restrooms, and ample supplies of drinking water.

Lava Beds is surrounded by thousands of acres of public lands and is located near a great variety of other scenic, historic, and recreation destinations. There’s something to see or do all year, including local museums, fairs and events, canoeing, hunting, skiing, biking, hiking, and more. Stop by and visit the Klamath Basin Visitor Center or the Tulelake Chamber of Commerce. Other national parks that are close by are Crater Lake National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Redwood National Park, Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area, California State Parks, Oregon State Parks, or Oregon Caves National Monument. The Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges is also another attraction that is close to Lava Beds. Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, Modoc National Forest and Klamath National Forest are also nearby to visit.

There is no public transportation in the park. All roads in the park, even the unpaved Medicine Lake Road, accommodate standard passenger vehicles. Snow can temporarily close roads, but the main paved road is plowed whenever necessary and the park is kept open all year. Although the road shoulder is narrow, road bicyclists frequently travel through the beautiful high desert landscape. The Visitor Center, restrooms, and one campsite are handicapped accessible. Unfortunately, by their very nature, caves are inaccessible to anyone unable to navigate steep stairs, rocky trails, and in some cases, very low ceilings.

Klamath Falls International Airport is the closest airport, about an hour away by car. Medford, Oregon is another option, with more flights than Klamath Falls, but is a 2 hour drive away. Flights into Reno, Nevada may be less expensive, but it is almost 4 hours from Reno to the park by car.

If you are traveling by car, from the I-5 corridor, take U.S. 97 north at Weed to a right turn on California Hwy. 161, also known as Stateline Road, as shown by large signs. Travel east on CA 161 through the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge to Hill Road. Turn right on Hill Road at the Westside Market, following Monument signs. Travel south on Hill Road 10 miles until you enter Lava Beds National Monument. If you are coming from the Klamath Falls area, take Oregon Hwy. 39 south approximately 20 miles until it enters the town of Merrill, OR. Approximately one mile south of Merrill, turn right (south) on Malone Road. Travel south on Malone Road approximately 2 miles until you reach Stateline Road 161. Then make a left (east) turn and take the immediate right at Westside Market onto Hill Road. Travel south on Hill Road 10 miles until you enter Lava Beds National Monument. You will pass the visitor center for Tule lake National Wildlife Refuge on your way to the monument. If you will be traveling east on California Hwy. 299 from the Redding or Lassen National Volcanic Park areas, turn north at Bieber on Hackamore / Lookout Road to California Hwy. 139. Travel north on CA 139 until meeting directional signs that will direct you to the monument at a left turn.

NOTE: This south entrance into the park is paved, but in very poor repair. Drive slowly and carefully around the potholes. The Forest Service is hoping to repair it if funding is available.

Lave Beds National Monument
1 Indian Well Headquarters
Tulelake, CA 96134

General Information
(530) 667-8100

Administrative Issues & Staff
(530) 667-8104

Fax: (530) 667-2737

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