"Views from the Lava Beds" by NPS photo , public domain
Lava BedsThings to See and Do on Your Own |
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Lava Beds
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Lava Beds National Monument
Things to See and Do on Your Own
Something for
Everyone
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.
The sites in this bulletin are arranged by their distance from the Visitor Center, and represent
only a few highlights of what Lava Beds has to offer. If you are particularly interested in
one aspect of Lava Beds such as Modoc War sites, geologic features, rock art, caves, or
wilderness hiking, please ask for additional brochures. Trail guides are available at Gillems
Camp, Captain Jacks Stronghold, and Petroglyph Point. You’ll also find interpretive signs at
these and many other sites throughout the Monument, and inside Mushpot Cave.
Caves
Hundreds of lava tube caves beckon exploration at Lava
Beds. They vary greatly in difficulty, length, and
complexity. Over two dozen caves have developed
entrances and trails, and are shown on the Monument’s
map. Most are open throughout the year to explore on
your own.
If you plan to explore caves, please stop by the
Visitor Center to get a caving brochure and talk
with a ranger to ensure you are prepared. Free
guided cave tours are also offered daily in summer.
Hidden Valley and
Mammoth Crater
A short trail 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 more 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
This easy 0.8 mi (1.3 km) trail 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. Please stay on the trail and do not
touch the pictographs, since oils from your skin
will cause further deterioration. Visit this site
with respect, as it still holds cultural significance
for some Native Americans.
Schonchin Butte
A hike up the steep 0.7 mi (1.1 km) trail to the historic
Schonchin Butte Fire Lookout 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
Lookout program for kids.
Fleener Chimneys
A short side road takes you to the fascinating Fleener
Chimneys. This spatter cone is the source of the rough
Devils Homestead aa flow. It was created as erupting
globs of molten lava piled up on each other like sticky
oatmeal, leaving a 50 ft (15 m) 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
This 1.1 mi (1.8 km) trail 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.
Gillems Camp and
Sheepy Ridge
From April through June 1873, Army soldiers were
stationed here 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 alike cherished 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.
Captain Jacks
Stronghold
As you walk the 1.5 mi (2.4 km) 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.
Wildlife
Overlooks
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 the Tulelake National Wildlife
Refuge’s Wildlife Tour Route along the edge of
modern-day Tule Lake for a more in-depth birding
experience.
Petroglyph Point
This 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. There is more
Native American rock
art here than anywhere else in California, and
Modoc stories are 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.
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