Lava Beds National Monument

Lava Beds National Monument

Lava Beds National Monument, region of lava flows and related volcanic formations in far northern California, U.S., located on the Medicine Lake volcano, south of the city of Tulelake. The monument, established in 1925, has an area of 73 square miles (189 square km). Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge adjoins it on the north, and Modoc National Forest surrounds its three other sides.

The monument consists of two portions: the main segment, containing the lava flows and the bulk of the land area, and the smaller, detached Petroglyph Section just to the northeast. Much of the lava covering the area came from Mammoth Crater on the southern border, especially from a major eruption about 30,000 years ago. The basaltic lava formed tubes that facilitated its generally northward flow. Some 450 of these tubes remain as lava tube caves, some of which contain permanent ice deposits; a number feature lava stalactites. More-recent lava flows overlie some of the earlier formations, including the Callahan flow in the southwestern corner of the monument, which dates to about 1,100 years ago and contains a higher proportion of andesite. Other formations include cinder cones that rise an average of 300 feet (90 metres) above the beds and spatter cones, some resembling chimneys and others containing deep chasms.

Besides lava flows, the land is covered by grasslands, sagebrush, juniper, and, in the higher elevations, ponderosa pine. The abundant wildlife includes deer, rodents, bats, and many species of birds, notably raptors such as hawks, owls, and eagles. Many of the caves are accessible to hikers, especially those located along Cave Loop Road just south of the visitors’ centre. Native American petroglyphs up to 4,000 years old are preserved in the monument’s far northeastern section. Also preserved are the main battle sites of the Modoc War (1872–73), the only major conflict in California between Native Americans and white settlers. Captain Jacks Stronghold, where a small group of Modoc fighters held off far superior numbers of U.S. troops for several months, is accessible by hiking trails.