Lava Beds National Monument, California - June 11th, 2024

Lava Beds National Monument was not a destination for us, but just a stop along the way. However, after seeing what the monument has to offer, we wish we would have allowed more time there.

Tuesday was a long travel day, not for the number of hours driven, but for the long stops along the way. We were going from Manzanita Lake Campground in Lassen Volcanic National Park in California to Aspen Point Campground on Lake of the Woods in Oregon.

Before we left Manzanita Lake, we dumped our tanks, but waited to fill our fresh water until we arrived at Lake of the Woods. Just a few miles up the road, we stopped for our third visit to Old Station Fill Up for gas. We were thankful that they were open and had gas, because our tank was pretty empty. The next time we fill up should be cheaper gas in Oregon.

The drive from there alternated between winding through forests and across wide open valleys with small towns, farms and cattle ranches. Mount Shasta would make an appearance every now and then. It was stunning and impressive, even from a distance. When we were heading east, we would catch views of Lassen Peak back to the south. Just before the Oregon border, we continued our volcanic theme and visited Lava Beds National Monument.

Lava Beds has a high concentration of lava tubes and caves. It also has a long history, being the homeland of the Modoc people. The majority of the battlefields of the Modoc War from 1872 and 1873 are located there. We could have spent several days there exploring the caves, the landscape, and the history. But we just spent a couple of hours.

Our first stop was the visitor center. You needed a free permit to enter any of the caves. The park just wants to make sure you are not wearing any clothing or shoes that were worn in other caves, so the white nose syndrome disease is not spread to these caves. They also wanted to make sure each person had two sources of light, such as a headlamp and a flashlight. Most of the caves are not lit, so if your batteries die, it would be a struggle to find your way back out in the dark.

After eating our lunch, we went inside to watch the park movie. It was the most comfortable place to watch a park movie we have ever encountered. A comfy couch faced a large monitor. You pushed a button to start the movie. Like always, the movie was very educational.

We picked out two easy caves and one short hike. The Valentine Cave was our first cave. It is about a quarter of a mile long. The floor is uneven, so we had to watch our step. Then, about half way through, the walls of the cave were glistening. We’re not sure what type of material or rock was causing all the glitter, but it was spectacular.

The second cave was Skull Cave. This cave was much different from Valentine. The diameter of the cave was much larger. There was a series of steep steps leading you much deeper. At the bottom was an area of ice. The ice was fenced off, so you couldn’t step onto the ice, so you just looked at it through the fence. Another person there told us that 15 years ago, you could slide across the ice.

The third feature we visited was the Black Crater. It was about a quarter of a mile trail to a large spatter cone. Colorful wildflowers contrasted nicely against the black lava rock. Then we hit the road again.

Lava Beds National Monument would be a great destination for a family. There is a campground there. Children would love exploring all of the caves. Parents might enjoy the history of the area. Next time we visit, we’ll spend more time there.

Check out our related video: Lava Beds National Monument, California

(Ann)