Lava Beds National Monument

We spent two days exploring a trail, and we got a wilderness permit so we were able to camp off trail. The fire was pretty devastating and we spent around 4 hours going through dead woods which was very spooky. We started at kings falls and the decline was manageable down to devils kitchen, but the climb back up was pretty challenging with a large pack. We will definitely drop weight next time. Water was available at the camp site, which was enough. We brought 3 liters each. Be cautious of dead standers.

Absolutely incredible place! We were driving from Lassen up to Crater Lake, so took the chance on this park. We planned ahead and brought our own headlamp style flashlights for the caves, which worked perfectly and are necessary as only one of them has lighting. We got our permit and then walked to Mushpot Cave which is accessible by a sidewalk from the visitor center. This was a fun cave to go into but it is developed with stairs, paved walkway, and lighting- perfect for my parents who are pushing 80. We drove our car around the loop stopping at a viewpoint or two and then hiked down into Sentinal Cave, out and back to the same parking area. Excellent cave for a family. We stopped at Skull Cave on our way north which was neat and had an ice floor with icicles, even in August. There is no food available in the park, other than some snacks, so be sure to pack your own lunch.

The information centers main office was closed, but the bathrooms at the main parking lot were open. Mid October some cave access begins to close till April. We were able to enter mushpot cave which is lit up and easy walking. Skull cave and the ice cave were probably my favorite. We visited the caves with easy access and not too far off the main road. Plenty of parking at most trail heads.

I love that you can explore so many caves especially in one area and they don't close them which allowed me to get down there and go through 15 in one day. Pretty cool place and will return someday. I'd like to bring my son and my knee pads. Gift shop closed at 4 not 430 as I was told. Couldn't get any gifts as I got there at 401.

Off the beaten path but pairs nicely with a visit to Shasta, Lassen or Crater Lake. 100% worth the drive through the lava fields and grassland to the visitor center and biggest concentration of lava tubs / caves. Get the background, maps, tips and any equipment from the visitors center. Start with the only lit Cave to understand what you’re seeing then head out and explore the other caves on your own — options range from easily walkable to needing to crawl and working around dead ends and 40 degree temps. Don’t be intimidated, there is something for every ability level here and it’s probably not like anything else you’ve done before!

This is definite stop we are glad we made. The 360 views of the night sky from the indian wells campground are amazing! Restrooms are clean and so many lava tubes to explore. Inside some of the lava tubes are incredible. Will be coming again because we did not see everything!

Was blessed to find a time when we were practically the only people in the park. It was so magical but almost scary being the only ones in those caves it seemed. Several were closed for the bats but I still feel like we needed more time to explore the ones we did get to go in. I will keep coming back until I feel I've seen every nook and cranny!

We have been here twice. Once as a couple and once with our grandson. We absolutely love it! We are planning another trip to take both grandsons. Nice paved, lighted cave for an easier trek. Many other caves left natural to explore as much or as little as you desire. All within a reasonable walking distance.

Very warm in the summer, but still cold in the caves. Can easily spend multiple hours or days exploring all around the park, as there's over 50 caves and historic sites. Beginner, intermediate, and expert caves available for all levels of adventure. We did Mush Pot, Valentine, Lower/Upper Sentinel, and Skull Cave which are all beginner caves with fairly accessible sights. Definitely a lot of walking and fluctuating weather, so pack accordingly. Visitor center has a museum and gift shop. Very neat to see around and explore with the family!

This isn't the easiest site to reach but it's worth it! You can explore over a dozen different caves in this desolate park. You'd never know how many lava tubes are underground here unless you stop and visit. You must have a permit before entering the caves. To get one, go to the visitors center and request one from the desk. You'll also find many souvenirs and a nice restroom there.

Once again we wanted to get another National park stamp for hubby's passbook. We took a look and found Lava Beds National Monument was driving distance from where we were staying In Klamath Falls OR. About an hour's drive. We entered through the North Gate. We showed our lifetime national park pass. The ranger screened us for white-nose syndrome that affects bats by asking us several questions. We passed. We were given a white-nose syndrome permit to hang on our mirror. The second thing you need to do is drive to the visitor's center located 9 miles from the North Gate. Here they'll ask you again about any potential exposure to bats. Also you can ask the rangers about the caves - your comfort level and necessary equipment if you plan to go caving. There's a very easy cave located 500 feet from the visitor center called Mushpot. You enter by climbing some stairs down. The cave is lighted but it doesn't hurt to have an extra light and watch your head. We also went to Skull Cave. I wore my headlamp for this one. There are two steep staircases leading you down to the Ice Floor. Cold air is trapped in the cave creating a year round ice floor. Brrr. We also spotted a skull of a bighorn sheep under the plexiglas. Skull Cave was named for the bones of pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and two human skeletons discovered in the cave. Earlier in the day we went to Petroglyph Point. It was disappointing as the petroglyphs have been graffitied and behind bar wired fencing to protect what's left. The ranger at Tulelake Segregation Center highly recommended we visit as the petroglyphs are the most found in the country. I'd skip this if you're pressed for time. We also hiked up Petroglyph Bluff. Again I'd skipped this if pressed for time. Had we known about Captain Jack, a Modoc warrior, we might have stopped at the stronghold during the Modoc defense of their homeland in 1873 but we learned afterwards about it and we didn't want to double back. Driving through the Lava Beds National Monument it reminded me of the Big Island, Hawaii. We knew to bring our headlamps and we had our bike helmets with us. But we did the least challenging caves so headlamps sufficed. We saw lots of visitors renting flashlights and buying helmets at the visitor center. For the extreme caves folks also bring gloves and knee pads. It was a nice day trip.

What a fantastic place to explore for people of all ages. Lava tube caves for beginners, medium cavers and those who like to crawl through tubes (be sure to bring knee pads, and gloves). A helmet (even a bike helmet) works well in most of the caves. Lots of hikes and history throughout the area as well. The campground was well maintained and clean. The 2020 and 2021 fires devastated most of the trees but there is other beauty to be found.

If you are into exploring the underground this is the place to be! Self guided tours of lava tubes bring your helmet, knee pads, gloves and at least 2 lights per person for backup. You're on your own under there. Some extremely long caves with very narrow passageways make the kneepads and gloves critical. And very sharp low ceilings make the helmet a requirement. There is a range of caves however and plenty to choose from that require no bending or crawling so you can choose your own adventure. Lots of history and a primitive camp site for $10 a night. No food or stores for miles however so bring your snacks and water and plan to rough it for a day. It's pretty remote so you really a full day to explore. Hotels nearby in Klamath Falls are nice and a good base of operations if you plan on a multi day exploration. Check their calendar and you might get a free day to visit otherwise it's $30 for a pass and either way free or not you have to check in at the visitor center before you do anything to get screened for this fungus that is killing bats and a cave pass to put in your car. If you've been in any other caves in the last 15 years (crazy fungus right) you have to have disinfected all your gear following very specific protocol. Everything from shoes to flashlights have to be treated. Google it crazy stuff. If your time is limited I'd skip Captain Jacks Stronghold and the Petroglyphs which have been ruined by graffiti and trash sadly. My favorite caves are the Golden Dome (head North from the entrance to avoid crawling on the South route) and the Valentine cave. Catacombs is awesome but harder work. Oh bring a compass very useful and maybe buy a cave guide I haven't done it yet but it might be useful if you're new to this stuff and helpful in the catacombs so you know what you're getting into. Talk to the rangers there and let them know your level and experience they can point you to the right stuff too. Most of the caves are right by the visitor center in the Cave Loop except Valentine which is farther South and some other caves North of the center. I'd skip Merrill ice cave too it's just like a little entrance and view of dirt because most of the ice has melted. Skull cave is alright but the name is cooler than the cave.

What's up: On our way down from Oregon, we spent a night camping at Lava Beds. We also planned to spend some time exploring their caves the next morning so staying the night was a no brainer for us. Parking: Parking was plentiful at the visitor's center. At the campground, each site has enough room to park two cars. Environment: The campground was clean and there were plenty of sites available. Pick your spot, grab one of those campsite envelopes to fill out, put money in the envelope and return it to the box up front. Be sure to remove the receipt portion and attach it to the post of your campsite. The campsite has a picnic table as well as a fire ring/cooking grill. Flush toilets, sinks, and water taps in the campsites are available. If you're planning to go cave exploring, be sure to check out the visitor's center for information. You can also grab your free cave permit to hang in your car. Don't forget to decontaminate your shoes and gear with the Bio-cleaning station that's located right outside the visitor's center. You can get your National Park Passport cancellation stamp inside there as well. The caves are well labeled and depending on which cave you go to, some may have low ceilings where you may bump your head if you're not careful. Bring bright flashlights, because once you're down there, it will be dark! We totally turned off all our lights in one of the caves just to feel how dark things were...it was scary dark (I would not want to be alone without a light hahaha). What was ordered: - Entrance fee is $25 per vehicle. Paid at the Visitor's Center. We had the America the Beautiful National Park pass which covers the fee. - Campground fee: $10 per night, per site. Paid at the self service pay station at the entrance to Indian Well Campground. Yay/Nay/Meh: Yay. Our stay at the campground was enjoyable. It was also fun exploring the caves. We totally got turned around in one of the caves and kept wandering back and forth until we were finally able to find our way out. Fun stuff! Credit cards accepted at the visitor's center, but the campground fee is cash only.

STEPH JUDGEMENT: An amazing national monument that deserves more love! We were on our way from Klamath Falls to Redding and were looking for points of interest when I ran across this on my Google search. I'd found out about some caves in the Lake Shasta region but they're all apparently private operations, and then this place came up. We prefer to support national parks and monuments so it sounded perfect, and all the enthusiastic Yelp reviews really sold it! We got to the visitor center right before it opened, and picked up our cave passes and some tips from a ranger. Luckily we had our camping head lamps so we didn't need to borrow a flash light, but they do have those for rent, as well as helmets. As others have mentioned, your enjoyment of the caves will be maximized if you're prepared with: headlamps (having your hands free is very helpful), hat or helmet (you WILL bump your head at some point), long pants and sleeves, closed laced shoes with good tread (some areas have damp floors and rough terrain), and gloves (the walls can get very rough). They have caves for all abilities and adventuresomeness (is that a word?)--start at the Mushpot right by the visitor center to get a primer about the caves, and then you can go off to explore on your own. The info sheet we picked up at the visitor center has a map and descriptions of all the caves in the area. Some of the caves were closed since it was pupping season for bats, but most were open and we went into about 5-6 of them. They are so cool (some of them literally)! The painted caves involved about a mile of flat overland hiking, which was a nice break from all the subterranean action, and we got to see some of the fire-devastated areas from previous year's wildfires. If you're at all into caves, I highly recommend this monument!

Caving? Spelunking? Whatever you want to call it, I'm into it! And if you're into it too, Lava Beds National Monument is the place for you! The Monument wasn't busy at all. Every time we explored a different cave we were the only ones in it. It was great to have these places to ourselves and take our time. I had the best time exploring a couple caves for the few hours I had here. As I am not an experienced caver I did a few of the easy ones, one moderate one and went a few hundred yards into a difficult one. There are also lots of hiking trails if you don't find that caving is your thing. I would definitely recommend doing the Mushpot Cave if you're a beginner! It's an easy cave right behind the visitor center. It's paved, lighted and offers some great views inside! We then did two other easy caves, skull and merrill. Skull cave has lots of stairs, but worth it! Lastly we ventured into Lava Brook, a difficult cave, for about a hundred yards before turning back. I would've loved to have gone further because the experience was amazing, but my sister and I didn't have the correct equipment and it's better to be safe than sorry. These caves are incredible. One thing I would say is if you want to explore some of the more difficult caves and even some of the easy ones bring the correct gear. It's very easy to hit your head on the cave walls and possibly even take a tumble. I also want to mention that there is no food here or in the surrounding area so it's best to bring some along. We made the mistake of not having any food on us and then had to drive an hour away to find something to eat. However, they do have one vending machine with drinks (water, gatorade, etc.) Overall, I cannot wait to come back and explore more of these caves!

We went into some of the caves and did the Captain Jack Hike. I would definitely recommend checking out the caves if you're short on time. The pictures don't do it justice. It was amazing under the caves, albeit a little spooky. I would recommend getting a helmet and borrowing a flashlight if you don't have any. Everything is pretty manageable so it's definitely suitable for a family activity. The park rangers were also all incredibly nice and helpful. I would definitely revisit and recommend stopping by at least once.

The lava bed's are an amazing experience! Highly recommend for families and those that just love adventure. Watch out for rattlesnakes we saw one on the trail on our way back to the car!

Another lesser traveled to national monument . The lava caves were challenging and you definitely Need to go early and borrow their flashlights . Not recommended if you can't walk in the dark or crawl around. Wish we had arrived earlier and had more time there. Read all the signs ... so informative .

I went to lava beds as a part of a school trip it was the best experience ever the place was just super nice and cool to look at.

A beautiful place to visit, both below and above the ground. Getting to Lava Beds requires a bit of time. I'd recommend getting the annual national parks pass as it's valid for all national parks and monuments, and a trip to Lava Beds alone is $25 or 35. Pack: A backpack and headlamp if you have one. And snacks, of course! Wear: good hiking shoes. Jagged volcanic rock will eat your runners up, and it's very sharp and dangerous to fall on. Long pants inside the tubes to protect your legs from sharp rock. Tip: Make sure you have a full tank of gas before you leave whatever town you're coming from. First stop: visitor center. You can rent flashlights if you like. Rangers will give you at least 2 per person, thus why the backpack is good to bring. Visitor center closes at 5PM. Knock out a couple of the tubes on the lava tube loop, which is actually open 24/7 despite what their sign says. I went alone and got a little spooked after Golden Dome as it was disorienting, but the rest of the tubes on that loop should be a little more straightforward. I didn't do too many lava tubes by myself as I wore shorts, running shoes, and was exploring solo with a slight case of paranoia. Did a beautiful surface hike called The Big Nasty, which is up by Mammoth Crater. A great surface hike for a beautiful day. Lava Beds is big and beautiful. Pace yourselves, and enjoy this amazing place that is certainly worth a visit.

This is a fun little place that can make a for a surprising full day excursion, if you have the time. There are SO many caves to explore in the area... You can pick 1 or 2 and spend a few hours here or try to squeeze them all into a whole day of adventure. If I had to pick a couple to recommend to first-time visitors, I'd say the Hopkins Chocolate Cave and maybe Skull Cave. There are fairly clean, well-maintained facilities here at the "Welcome Center," certainly some of the better facilities we've seen at a National Monument in the middle of nowhere. There's also plenty of wildlife around the area. We saw many lizards and some deer. When we visited, it was right after a fire devastated much of the surrounding area. We drove through miles and miles of scorched Earth. Some of the deer we saw even had scars from burns. It was a little sad to see, but there was also something beautiful about it, especially at sunset. There were even some positive feelings about the burned deer, a sort of admiration for them surviving. Anyway, this was supposed to be a brief little pit stop for us on a long road trip... Ended up being a VERY fun place we can't wait to get back to someday.

Stopped here today on my way to Oregon. I just recently learned about this place and I am SO glad I made it! The entrance fee is $15 per car but I bought the NPS annual pass for $80. The visitor center is really educational (and with clean restrooms!), and I got maps and info and headed off to about 4 caves total. The caves vary in complexity so that's great for a variety of people! I loved exploring in the caves ...definitely glad I brought my headlamp, flashlights, and that I wore warm clothes. It's pretty chilly in most of the caves. My favorite was probably Gold Dome. So Pretty inside! Skull Cave was awesome, too. Definitely check this place out! It's well worth it!

This is one of the coolest arks I've ever visited, and o had no idea, I just thought it sounded cool when I looked around the map. It's a set of probably 10-20 lava tube caves scatted over a 15-minute drive with two main areas and a few caves scattered elsewhere. You have to check in at the visitor center before caving to get a free permit and clean your shoes and gear if you've been in other caves to avoid getting the bats sick. They also give you a nice pamphlet with a map of the sites and descriptions of the attractions. That guide and the rangers tell you which caves and walks are closed due in some way to last year's fires--either damage from last year or hazard for the future, I couldn't tell. I'd say two thirds of stuff is open, and it's plenty for at least a day or two. I was able to get though most of the caves, many of them in one end and put the other, without any specialized gear. A helmet might be smart to avoid knocking your noggin. A headlamp is definitely nice, but I guess a handheld flashlight would do. I had to get down under three get or so at times, but I never had to get down and slide or crawl. Even over a holiday weekend the monument wasn't too crowded at all. A national parks pass covers this monument, too.

Since we had our Senior National Parks Pass, we got in for free. Unlike most caves and caverns we have visited, most of the lava tubes and caves are not lit.These awesome Caves are best enjoyed when you are prepared! You will be given a large flashlight and map, and asked if you also wish to purchase a helmet. We didn't purchase the helmets, but if we had to do it over again WE WOULD, since my husband hit his head while exploring one of the "easier" caves. We travel off-season, so found that several of the caves were closed-off because bears were hibernating in them. The map shows you where each cave is, but not the route inside each cave, or tube. That you have to discover for yourself. Some have many routes. That is part of the excitement and exploration of the experience. Warning: watch your step and head, every step of the way. Also,don't touch the cave walls, as you can contaminate the environment for the critters who live in them. We climbed over rocks through some of the caves, as a few of the trails are not well-defined. Some of the caves had long, steep stairs, and there were a couple of narrow openings. Move slowly and carefully, to appreciate the experience (and stay safe). We marveled at the beautiful textures made by the lava - these caves were quite different than other caverns we have visited. Definitely an experience of a lifetime!

I went to Lava Beds this past July. Caves are still amazing. It was absolutely devastating to see the damage last years fire had done. The campground was impacted. Campsites still there but a good amount of trees had burned so no shade. Some of the caves were closed because of some sort of fire damage...they didn't say what but maybe trees down. I don't remember the area being this windy in the past but my tent was staked down and still uprooted and moved a bit even though I had my sleeping bag, clothes, and some things inside. Other people's tents blew into other campsites. Another camper who apparently stays in this campground yearly told me that was normal July weather--this was the first time I experienced it. The strong wind lasted till at least midnight each night. The caves are still fantastic. I was HUGELY disappointed when I went outside of the park to see the Japanese internment camp. Bottom line, it was not well marked and I never found it. They apparently were in the process of moving the visitor center of it but no one told the park employees so after wasting a lot of gas I returned to the park and did some hikes and caving. The chocolate cave is still my favorite...I may have the name wrong but it's something similar. BIG DISAPPOINTMENT was the Gillem Bluff Trail. DON'T bother. It's a one way in/out very dry, uphill trail that gets your shoes and socks full of that wheat grass and the view is pretty much what you see when you're driving around....nothing more spectacular than that. The only good thing about it is at the very end, you look to your right and see Mt. Shasta covered in snow. Seeing Shasta was nice, but not worth it. The ranger program was great. The moon was a bit more than half full and it was an astronomy program so it was a bit challenging to see everything up above but it was still very good. The ranger was the godfather of information and his excitement was contagious.

Captain Jack's Stronghold - great short hike of half mile and a longer two mile (total) hike to explore the lava tube crevasses that the Modocs used to hold off the US cavalry. The trail guide is essential to understanding the landscape you're walking through. As you walk the trail, which goes past quite a few collapsed lava tubes, you get a real sense of the drama played out here as well as the geology. Restroom and large parking lot at the stronghold. The monument has lots of lava caves in the park, easy ones and more challenging, crawly ones. Some, including the easy Skull Cave, have ice at the bottom. The caves are the more popular attraction here so be prepared for people and noisy kids if you go during peak season. Also be prepared to answer questions about your recent cave experience - like all parks with bats, they're trying to control white-nose syndrome. Help out by being truthful. The visitor center is at the south end of the park, but I think most people come in from the north through the park access kiosk. The south entrance road is not as good as the northern ones.

Way off the beaten path but such an awesome place. Bring multiple flashlights per person and be ready for the temperatures at the bottom of some of the caves to be at or below freezing. Would recommend visiting without hesitation!

Yes! Lava beds that are amazing to just drive through and lava caves aplenty for all your spelunking needs. This was well-worth taking a detour even though we were already short on time. We have two little kids and were just passing through, but we asked at the visitor center which caves they recommended in our situation. This was very helpful! The caves range from easy to difficult, with some requiring a hard hat and crawling, and others just requiring a good light. Visitors can check out or purchase flashlights if needed. The cave we went through was thrilling! It got very cold, but it was fresh on our warm limbs. We had to descend about four stories of steep stairs. It was pitch-black, but we had little lanterns and a headlamp from camping. We went through twice, and that half hour was a major highlight on a six-day vacation. I look forward to going again and spending more time in other caves. The landscape we drove through was like nothing I've ever seen--filled with sharp lava, crevices, and caves.

The review on this hike in my hiking book said an easy hike but I'd say it was a moderate level and that's just on top not going into the caves. Beautiful, quiet scenery. Rough terrain. It's disrupted lava beds, loose rocks throughout the hike. We hiked for 3 hours and it was great. We followed the loops on the trail. Be careful and look for the pile of rocks because that is the marker for the trail, there is no carved out path. This made the hike interesting. I only took 1 bottle of water on the actual hike and I was fine, drank a Gatorade when I got to the car. Elevation is almost 8000ft.

Beautiful park. We went into several of the over 800 caves today. We liked Hopkins Chocolate the best. You can't stand in some spots in the cave. Every time we're in the area we will come back and go to some of the other caves. Wouldn't bring kids. A lot of the caves have unlevel floors, bouldering, and some you have to crawl in.

Once a week in the first few months of the year, Lava Beds National Park provides a free 3-hour guided tour through one of the most spectacular ice caves I've ever seen. Although it was my first experience through a cave, I was told that this cave is one of the best. I felt privileged to be given the opportunity to tour through this natural cave. They only allow 6 people every week to reduce melting of the ice formations from body heat. The tour starts at 1pm at the visitor center where they give you a little background of the cave and screen you for white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that affects bats. They also provide you with helmets, headlamps and knee pads if you don't have any of your own. The fee for park entry is $15 per car, which I believe is such a small price to pay for the experience. We had awesome tour guides, Erin and Jeanette, who seemed to know a great deal about the history and geology of the cave. They were able to expertly guide us in and out without any issues. Happy to report that no one was injured despite some of the unstable rocks we had to walk over. I think the most impressive ice formation was one called "the waterfall". I posted pictures of it in this review. The 3 hours went by really quickly and I learned so much about this ice cave during our visit. I would highly recommend visiting it if you get the chance, especially if you live up in Northern California. Just make sure to make a reservation in advanced by calling ahead. All the info can be found through this site: http://www.nps.gov/labe/planyourvisit/crystalicecavetours.htm YAY for ice caves!

Ah the natural wonder of remnants of lava flow. These are the most beautiful caves that California has to offer!!! Now you might be nervous if you have never been cave exploring yet so here's a few things to keep in mind! Now first thing first Visit the visitor center because you will need the info and maps about the various caves the lava beds have to offer. Now study the map. They will teach you what areas are beginners, intermediate and advanced. Beginners is just walking around in the cave while intermediate is more crawling and advanced believe it or not, it is like 3 or 4 feet holes you have to squeeze through!!!! That is definitely not fun if you are just sight seeing!! OR you're a 6"6 like me, no sir you won't get me stuck down there! If you forgot anything, you can purchase from here even though it is overpriced but that's the convenience of not having to travel over 100 miles to your nearest Walmart! Stock up on a good headlamp because you will need to see in the dark! Phone are flashlights are okay but not what you need. You will go into some parts where it is pitch dark! You can find decent ones on amazon for 10 but I highly recommend getting the ones that's bright and more professional which would be 30 bucks or so. They are seriously worth every penny! Now for clothing! Make sure you wear something warm! And I am walking about YEAR ROUND! You might think I'm crazy and insane for even telling you to wear something warm throughout the year but listen to this fun fact! The caves since they are so much underground are usually 40 to 50 degrees colder than outside!!!!!! So If you are looking at 100 F, the the caves will be about 50 degrees or less! Dress in warm, comfortable clothing which you can easily move in! The winter, the caves will even be colder!!!! Make sure when you enter each cave, study each path to see where you need to go because you can easily get lost here. Also since the caves are so cold that even the bacteria cannot survive, make sure you do not litter o leave anything in here even organic food because it will not decompose. And don't be that one guy that takes a dump in here because i saw a turd cave monster hidden in here and that's just not cool. Try not to use the AC too much because you run the risk of your car getting overheated during the summer months. When it gets cold outside, the caves start freezing over and you need to be careful to not slip and fall so be careful where you are walking! Enjoy your time there and remember many caves are to be explored and don't leave doo doo monster in them!!!!

LAVA BEDS NATIONAL MONUMENT is located in between Mount Shasta and Crater Lake, if one follows the pathway of Interstate Highway 97. Lava Beds is about 50 miles to the northeast of Mt. Shasta and, about 70 miles further to the north, one arrives at Crater Lake National Park. The main features of Lava Beds are the "lava tubes" which, according to information from the park, are also called, "caves." Although Lava Beds will be fascinating to those interested in geology, tourists interested in gee-whiz scenery such as that found at Yosemite National Park or at Arches National Park, might l not warm up to the dry and desolate vistas at Lava Beds National Monument. But if your trip includes a visit to Mt. Shasta or Crater Lake, then I would recommend that Lava Beds be included in your travel agenda. Honeymooners who have spent their week of bliss on the Big Island of Hawaii (such as me), may be familiar with lava tubes, such as those called, Nahuku ("Thurston") lava tube, Kaumana Caves, Kazumura Caves, Kula Kai Caverns, and HueHue lava tube. My point here, is that a familiarity with the lava tubes on the Big Island will likely enhance your enthusiasm for the lava tubes at Lava Beds National Monument. At the Visitor Center at Lava Beds, one finds a short road leading in the southerly direction, which then branches into a loop road, where the loop road passes the entrances to several nearby lava tubes. These lava tubes include, Thunderbolt, Golden Dome, South Labyrinth, Blue Grotto, Catacombs, Juniper, and Upper Sentinel. Travelers who plan to stop at Lava Beds need to remember to bring a flashlight or two, and to ensure that the batteries are new. We did not consider the need for flashlights, but the lights provided by other hikers were good enough for us to find our way through the darkness. MY PHOTOGRAPHS. (1) Inside one of the lava tubes; (2) Sign by Visitor Center at Lava Beds National Monument; (3) Pile of obsidian chunks at a lava field to the south of Lava Beds National Monument, where this lava field is called, "Glass Mountain." GLASS MOUNTAIN. I have attached here a map (described below) for finding Glass Mtn. (Please click on the map to expand it). Huge lava fields that contain piles of obsidian chunks can be found to the south of Lava Beds. One of these lava fields is located at "Glass Mountain." Please see the attached photograph of me posing by the edge of this field of obsidian chunks. I am wearing my "DOING GOOD" T-shirt, which was sold by San Francisco Mime Troupe at one of their plays at park in Berkeley, CA. The best map for finding Glass Mountain is on page 146 of California Geology (Sept./Oct. 1992) Medicine Lake Volcano and Lava Beds National Monument, Calif. Dept of Conservation, Division of Mines and Geology (32 pages total). Although this document is 32 pages long, the page number at the bottom of the page is, "146." Google maps is hopelessly confusing for finding the correct gravel road that leads from Route 97 to the edge of Glass Mountain. Coming from Mt. Shasta, drive east on Route 89, turn north at Route 49 and then there will be a V-shaped fork in the road, and you should take the right fork which is Route 49 (the left fork is Route 15). Continue north. If you reach Medicine Lake, you've gone a mile too far. And so, one mile before reaching Medicine Lake, you need to turn east on Route 97. After ten miles on Route 97, you'll see a small sign on the right shoulder that reads, "Glass Mountain." The gravel road will be across the street (across Route 97) from this sign. You should consult page 146 (as mentioned above) and print it out to keep as your roadmap. Then, if you want to see Lava Beds National Monument, go to Route 97, drive west, then turn north and pass Medicine Lake, then continue north until you pass Mammoth Crater, and the Monument entrance will be a short bit north of Mammoth Crater. To conclude, visitors at Lava Beds who are interested in viewing the unusual piles of obsidian chunks should consider visiting one of the nearby obsidian lava fields. Please note that you are not allowed to take obsidian from these lava fields. I did buy a chunk of obsidian from a mineral store on the main street of the Town of Mount Shasta (I kept my receipt with me, in case I was stopped during my vacation trip). I still got the receipt: "Mount Shasta's Middle Earth The Crystal Room 109 West Castle St., Mount Shasta, CA." My receipt is dated, Aug. 21, 2009. I paid $23.60 for the small chunk of obsidian. Free internet info from USGS: (1) Lava Beds National Monument, California, USGS Bulletin 1673 (116 pages); (2) Geologic Field-Trip Guide to Medicine Lake Volcanoes, Northern California, Including Lava Beds National Monument. Report 2017-5022-K1 (68 pages); (3) California Geology (Sept./Oct. 1992) Medicine Lake Volcano and Lava Beds National Monument, Calif. Dept of Conservation, Division of Mines and Geology (32 pages total).

Lava Beds is a national monument located near the border between California and Oregon. In the area, there are many caves made from lava. It was really interesting. Caving was really interesting. Some caves were high enough to walk normally, but some were only knee high, so we crawled a lot. Also the lava formed really sharp formations, so a helmet and knee pads were necessary. Some caves were really cold, and there was ice in the deep areas. It was the first time that I was really glad to see sunlight after crawling for 4 hours in the dark. The land is very plain and wide open, so I was able to see the horizon.

Lava Beds National Monument was my last frontier. I've explored or have driven through almost all other areas in California but I used Lava Beds as my touchstone for the northeast section of the State. I wasn't disappointed. As the mountains level off into a plateau, the area in and around Lava Beds reveals a home to an amazing variety and quantity of bird life. I'm no birder with binoculars dangling from my neck but I couldn't help but get drawn into this world. It's like a decadent bird resort. One reason I came to Lava Beds was to photograph the fern cave -- whose images appear all over the web -- but I was told that the Modoc view the fern cave as a sacred place and they are disappointed by the photographs. I respected that and moved on. Pictographs and petroglyphs are another wonderful layer of interest here and no one should visit Lava Beds without seeing Petroglyph Point. There are thousands of petroglyphs -- hundreds easily visible to the visitor who walks along the fenced area at the base of the cliff. I must interrupt this description of the petroglyph experience to talk about birds again. Above the petroglyphs, in the face of the cliff, are hundreds or thousands of holes and nooks and cracks in the rock that provide free hotel space for thousands of birds. They don't like visitors, so pull out your lawn chair and sit still to watch the flurry of activity on display. Overhead, I saw thousands of sparrows, a few owls and hawks, small black birds with red markings and some with bright yellow heads. Sparrow nests wedged into the stone appeared like abstract sculpture. It was all quite incredible. The next morning I drove along Tule Lake and watched even more birds frolic in the marshes. I passed a professional photographer whose gigantic zoom lens -- bigger and probably more expensive than his tiny rental car -- was focused on a large bird circling above the shimmer of the lake. Yeah, I didn't talk about the caves or the lava beds so other reviewers will have to cover that experience. I was moved by the wildlife and the long vistas on this plateau so there's not much else I can say.

Will be returning every year. The camp hosts are very nice and helpful. We stayed 4 nights and got to experience some of the most amazing caves and sacred Native American grounds. This place is such a spiritual area, I couldn't help but get the sense of respect for this area and sadness also for recognizing that it was the settlers that drove a peaceful group of people out and to extinction out of pure greed. We used our bike helmets in the cave, however helmets and flashlights are on loan at the visitors center.

WASPS! Wasps everywhere. Be very careful. Great park otherwise, of course. There is a severe infestation right now so if you're phobic like me...

So beautiful- worth the drive and the time to get down into the caves. Would definitely want to go back when we have more than just a couple of hours.

This is a great park. Really energetic and informative rangers. Cool caves to explore. Nice junior ranger program. Not the easiest place to get to but worth the effort.

This place is so amazing. I caught myself on more than one occasion thinking: "this can't be real". It's so phenomenal, that it's unreal. Bring a jacket and a bright flashlight. The visitors center has a great info packet of all the caves (tells you which are easier, moderate or difficult), highly recommend picking it up. I shied away from the moderate caves at first bc I'm a bit claustrophobic, but I highly recommend checking out the moderate caves and at least going in a little bc some aren't as difficult initially. This place is as special as the Grand Canyon in my opinion.

This is an absolutely spectacular park. We camped here for two nights, and spent one full day exploring the caves and sites. Do not short yourself if you visit, you need at least 6 hours to get a really good experience and see enough caves to understand the extensive cave system and variety of places in the park. Also, camping is amazing - there are no lights anywhere near here, so the night sky is the best I've seen in my entire life. We went through 8 of the 21 caves that were listed on the brochure we got from the visitor center (you must do this before going into caves to be screened for white nose syndrome), and we even got to see the famous Fern Cave. I highly recommend booking the Fern Tour, you must do this in advance. They allow less than 100 people each summer visit this sacred place, and only do one tour on Saturday at 2pm, and only 6 people can go on the tour. It is a sacred, special place that deserves preservation and respect. If you can't get on the tour, don't worry - the other caves are fantastic, beautiful and each has it's own characteristics. Other than Fern Cave, my favorites were Skull Cave, Golden Dome Cave, and Sunshine caves. If you do decide to camp, bring firewood with you. There are no stores that sell it nearby. Make sure you also have all your supplies and food, as there is nothing nearby to eat, or stores to sell you food. Buy headlamps in advance - you really do need them, and they sell hats in the store that you can wear with the headlamp to protect you from bumping your head. Also, having our hands free (versus carrying a flashlight) was helpful as you explore and scramble over rocks and bumpy cave floors.

Amazing!! Everyone needs to go here.wowza stuff that nature n lava created Bring strong bright flashlights n hard hat u can rent them at station/museum Very very steep ladders in some caves Afraid of heights? Maybe look at pics or go diff cave or trail

Really nice place to hang out. Be careful with the fleas. They apparently carry bubonic plague. Crazy. Take care of your pets and dont leave them in the hot car and if its cold make sure they have warm blankets. Cougars are curious of dogs so be extra careful.

Ready for some some real time adventure? Makes no difference if your 4 or 70 the lava caves await and welcome you for the adventure of a life time. Welcome to the Lava Beds National Monument, Tulelake, Calif., about a 30 minutes south of Klamath Falls, Oregon on highway 39. 500,000 years ago the earth opened like a zipper spreading molten rock and torrents of fires over the land building up layer upon layer of lava that formed into caves, lava cones, obsidian mountains and sharp jagged flows of lava. The Modoc lived in this forbidding place for thousands of years before being forcibly removed. The Modoc named this place "the land of burnt out fires". This monument has a lot to offer anyone who loves natures outdoors. For the outdoor hiker, this vast wilderness offers spectacular views of Mammoth Crater, Symbol Bridge/Big Painter Cave, Fleener Chimneys, Captain Jacks Stronghold and Petroglyph Point. The lava outcrops support a great diversity of plant life, many high desert flowers, bushes and trees and an impressive variety of lichens and mosses to plants such as desert sweet , the aromatic purple desert sage and yellow blazing star, Wyoming Indian Paintbrush, Scab-land Fleabane, Fragile Ferns (In the caves), Western Blue Flax and Thread-leaf to mention a few. Fauna includes Cooper's hawk, Long-eared Myotis, Long-legged Myotis, Pallid Bat, Silver-haired Bat, Townsend's Big-eared Bat, Western Small-footed Myotis, American badger, Pacific Tree Frog, Northern Sagebrush Lizard, Western Skink, Rocky Mountain Rubber Boa, Desert Night Snake, Western Rattlesnake and Deer. For you spelunkers, you are in for a real treat. There are more than 700 caves/lava tubes located within this monument, but before you dawn any gear, put a toe in your boot, go to the visitors center and get a permit. The permit is free, but you need to answer a couple of question about any recent bat contact. The folks here don't want you spreading any White Nose Syndrome, a fatal condition associated with exposure to a fungus, to there bat colonies. Ok, permit in hand, you have read the cave information handout tucked in your pocket, gear up and head for the caves. Make sure you wear basic protective clothing (hard hat, gloves, knee protection) bring at least 2 bright flashlights and extra batteries, water and remember what your mother told you as a child, "don't go alone", "use the buddy system". Now get out there and enjoy yourself. ADDED 9/7/17 Make sure you explorer the Catacombs. A special cave map is available just for asking at the visitors center and I highly recommend using it if you intend to explore the entire length, as there are multiple levels and many side passages that can be confusing. Look for the lava stalactites, also known as lavacicles and shark-tooth stalactites.

Lava Beds National Monument is located in northeastern California. Because of the remote location it isn't crowed. The day we went they were have the yearly reenactment of the Modoc wars, despite the bus loads of school children learning about this history, the park was very quiet. I found the barren landscape beautiful. I could almost see Captain Jack, a Modoc leader, and the cavalry in the landscape. I did explore one cave, I would have liked to explore more, but I had a mishap a few days before I came here to explore and wasn't able to enjoy as many caves, tubes, and hikes I would have normally have. Oh well, I know I will be back I love the Tulelake Wildlife Refuge, and this park is nearby. There is a modern visitor's center with displays and a small gift shop. There aren't any food concessions, I would advise bringing water and food with you. I think there are campsites nearby. It is a bit of journey to come to this park, but it's worth exploring. If you are spelunker, a birder or a photographer you will love this remote section of California!

WOW! I had never ever heard of this place till we traveled up the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway! I love caves and lava beds so this was right up my alley! I think that you need more than a day for this park! Also, don't forget your knee pads, head lights and some courage! You will need all that! AMAZING!

Lava Beds is an ancient volcanic site with vast fields of pumice from past eruptions and caves left by ancient lava flows. You can drive up to (or kinda near) many of the caves and go spelunking on your own. My son and I went down one cave into the lower level which had an ice floor in the middle of July! Native Americans had a presence here (it was one of their sacred sites) and have left prehistoric wall paintings in some of the caves. Because of the strewn volcanic rocks everywhere you need to be sure-footed and wear boots. Bring food and water so you can hang out longer (it is pretty far from any mod cons!) Check out my photos and get to the park!!!!

Worth a visit! This visit was totally not what we expected... it was too much fun for our kids! While my husband and I tried to keep up with our two daughters we found the self tour bizarrely different and adventurous! We headed straight to the Visitor Center and inquired about which caves would be appropriate for the girls (ages 16 and 12), the ranger suggested many of the least challenging caves beginning with the Mushpot as an introductory cave. The cave is lighted but it is still recommended to bring extra light. The visitor center also provided free flashlights to borrow. We headed for the Mushpot Cave (approx 770 ft)... but after this the girls wanted to check out the caves nearby, which was Labyrinth and Lava Brook Caves. They thoroughly enjoyed these two caves. We experienced having to crawl, duck (because of the low ceiling heights throughout), and really pay attention to our footing. We also explored the Catacombs Cave. This seemed to be a very long cave. Seemed easy at first but found out that we could get easily lost and increased in difficulty as we went deeper inside. Later, we found out that these caves that we just explored were among the most challenging ones! We also explored The Golden Dome and the Sentinel Cave, beginning from the Upper Entrance and exiting at the Lower Entrance. Before the adventures in the caves we stopped at the Black Crater. Did a little hike at the top. Interesting and I didn't realize how much volcanic activity is in the Pacific Northwest. I thought the activity happened only in Hawaii. This was truly surprisingly fun! These caves are amazing! I'm not sure if it's true that people who visit a particular area of the lava caves feeling ill or uneasiness but there is a story about the ghosts of Captain Jack's stronghold... is it possible that the spirits of Captain Jack and the warriors he led still dwell in the former stronghold. Review #0224

Our first stop was the visitor center where we asked the ranger for a map of the area and cave information. All the caves are self-guided and you are free to roam. The info sheet has all the caves listed and categorized into least challenging, moderately challenging and most challenging. Then it has listed the length of the cave, if you can walk upright inside, if the caves has stairs, a path, if you have to crawl, etc. The ranger pointed out Mushpot Cave because it is the closest to the center and also lit with rope lighting on a paved path. It is definitely a good starter cave if you haven't done this before. You should definitely bring flashlights although they can be rented for free from the visitor center. I think they just require you to leave your license. 3 out of 4 people in our group had headlamps, but I wish I had rented a flashlight because I was without the headlamp. It is best to have 1 flashlight per person.

Lava Beds is a great site to visit, great hiking and lava tubes to explore. We stayed 2 nights in the campground. There are no hookups or dump station so come prepared. Great views from some of the campsites. We stayed on loop A. Loop B has more campsites and larger group camping, so A is quieter than B

Lava Beds is mostly about lava caves and probably exciting for cave explorers. My girlfriend says I'm good at caving and why we're still together, but my old and lanky body prefers being above ground. In a cave called "moderately challenging", I scraped my back on a cave ceiling which wasn't much fun. Because I was coming from the south, the Internet suggested driving here through the southern entrances along forest service roads. Per the National Park Service, one road is "partially unpaved and closed in winter" and the other road is a "rough road, not recommended for RVs or trailers". Thankfully, I ignored the directions and used the northern route which included driving on the much better sounding "Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway" through the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. My ranked list of activities: - Schonchin Butte Hike (4 out of 5 stars): Located between the north entrance and the Visitor Center, the trailhead is reached by driving a gravel road manageable in my little subcompact. The 1.5-mile roundtrip hike with 475' elevation gain ends at a fire lookout encrusted in jagged and red lava rock like a dragon's lair. The hike includes a loop at the top around a crater nested inside the butte (specifically a cinder cone) and views of the surrounding range, Tule Lake, and holes in the plain created by the lava tubes. - Sunshine Cave (3 stars): Along the Cave Loop Road, this cave has collapsed areas which lets light inside which made this "moderately challenging" more moderate than challenging. The literal highlight of the cave is the shiny bacteria on the walls that resembled fool's gold. The 450-foot-long cave took 20 minutes to traverse. - Mushpot Cave (3 stars): Located at the Visitor Center, this paved and lit cave is rated "least challenging" and took 15 minutes to cover. Intended to educate, the cave is full of explanations. Note that these caves are lava tubes and not caverns with pretty stalactites. - Golden Dome (2 stars): Along the Cave Loop Road, this "moderately challenging" cave was less moderate and more challenging with a rough floor and 2.5-foot-high openings. I asked my girlfriend if she was having any fun. When she said "no", I said, "Then let's leave." (See, I even cave to my girlfriend in a cave.) We never saw the "golden dome". - Lava Beds Visitor Center (2 stars): Starts the Cave Loop Road with a small gift shop, help desk, and basic exhibits. I generally advise checking the National Park or National Monument's website for alerts but not in this case as the closure of multiple caves was not posted. The closures were unlikely "last minute" as the published materials noted the closed caves.

The lava beds have been a go to recreational spot for my and family for years. I'm sure many scars on my head would argue about how great it is but everything else on me agrees 10 out 10. Great caves and a wonderful way to spend a day.

This is probably the most amazing National Park i have been to. There are 15 or more caves to explore. Some are even ice caves. I took my 9 and 10 year olds with, we all loved it.

A shirt I bought from the visitor center says there are over 700 lava tube caves in the area. I had the impression you are free to visit most of them at any time (ask the rangers), although some vehicle road loop and the visitor center close by a certain time. The visitor center sells bump hats and rents flash lights. I really recommend getting a map of the Catacombs Cave from the visitor center and proceeding there. Merrill's Cave had guard rails by its ladder that were so cold, they were like metal that had just come out of a freezer. I'd suggest gloves for more comfort. There are quite a lot of places to explore here, and the tunnels can be enormous. If you plan to visit Fern Cave or Crystal Ice Cave, try to get a reservation as soon as they become available. Fern Cave reservations sold out very quickly and I couldn't get in. *Get a bump hat!* The hats are not so much to prevent debris from falling down on you as they are to prevent you from injuring your head when you bump it against a low ceiling. This happened to everyone in my party. My brother and sister-in-law wore bicycle helmets they brought along.

Visited the park on the 14th day of the federal government shutdown. There for all the offices were closed. However, we were still allowed to visit the park without the accommodations of normal operations. During our quick trip we took a hike to the top of a butte where a fire lookout is located, it's a .7 mile one way trip which does get pretty steep, so give you self plenty of time to reach the top. There are a couple locations along the trail that have benches to rest. We visited a couple of caves around the main visitor center they are very amazing but unfortunately we did not get to see them all. On our way out we visited one more cave called Merrill or the ice cave. This was by far one of my favorite due to the history behind it. The park also provides plenty of kiosks to read about the history of the land that dates from volcanic activity all the to settlement times in the late 1880's. Just a remind make sure to bring warms clothing and flashlights!

I've seen the signs many times while traveling in Northern CA, but this time we made this one of our destinations. And so glad we did. The caves are absolutely amazing! I love that it was uncrowded and that you are free to explore at your leisure. Each cave is unique and different in its own way. We even ventured and checked out some of the black diamond caves, which Catacombs was one of our favorites! We found that some of the black diamonds are rated difficult not because you need to crawl on your belly but because of all the twists and turns that make it VERY easy to get lost. So we just ventured in a short way and then turned around before we got lost. The park recently had a major forest fire. This added a whole different perspective to the landscape above ground and much of the lava was now bare and exposed. We also enjoyed hiking up to Schonchin Fire Lookout, which barely survived the fire! Views for days! A truly remarkable landscape and one we enjoyed exploring. Next time we might make a point to camp out there under the open skies and enjoy the nighttime light show.