I've been to where lava flows were before but never have I walked/climbed through where lava tubes actually are before. This was definitely an experience if you haven't done it! $15.00-25.00 to bring your horse, bicycle, motorcycle cycle, car or RV into the park. Doesn't matter how warm outside as the caves are cool to freezing with ice depending on which cave and how far down it goes. Headlamps/flashlights are needed but headlamps easiest so you can use both your hands. The fantastic Park Rangers will not only give you expert advice on what caves are best suited for you but the history about this amazing park. Skull Cave before you get to the visitors center was my first cave. After descending the short rock staircase then a rock floor then to a metal landing and down the metal staircase lower and lower into the cold dark earth. At the bottom is a Skull, bones and ice. The hand rails were freezing. Wish I would have brought my gloves. The visitors center can help with what caves are where and offer helmets, flashlights and other needs via borrow, rent or buy. Closed shoes, knee pads, etc for tight caves recommended. The others I tried weren't near that cold but still really incredible in different ways. To see all the melting of rock and burn scars through these tubes is spectacular. Our earth is alive and so amazing. There are some bathrooms at some of the sites but not all so take advantage. Also, make sure to wear clothing you've never worn in other caves. Transfer of biologicals is real and could very negatively effect the bats in here. An awe experience and I highly recommend it. Some spaces also might be a bit small in case you're claustrophobic. Many are not tight but pitch black. Better than any Halloween haunted house with the creep jumping out at you. A park experience not to miss! read more

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Most Californians don't even know this place exists, and that's a genuine shame. Lava Beds sits near the Oregon border and holds over 800 lava tube caves -- some small enough to belly-crawl through, others you can walk through upright. Above ground, the Schonchin Butte Trail (1.8 mi) climbs to a fire lookout with massive panoramic views of the high desert. There's also Native American rock art at Petroglyph Point! Spring wildflowers fill the basalt fields, and the dark skies here at night are about as good as it gets in the state. read more

One of the most underrated national parks in the country. You owe it to yourself to visit Lava Beds National Monument at least once in your life! There are many lava tubes that are for all difficulties and they are all mostly along the road loop around the park or a short trail walk away. Some are easy to walk through upright all the way to those you have to crawl through requiring gear. Certain tubes can be closed seasonally to protect the bats that both migrate and hibernate there, so be sure to check with the park before you go if there is a specific one you would like to visit. The campgrounds are first come first serve except for the large group sites that can be reserved online, and the restrooms are decently kept with water refill stations outside. Overall a great experience, would highly recommend! read more

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Cool place, great roads and paths, lots to see. Lava rocks, caves, hiking, petroglyphs and quiet, beautiful and quiet. $25 feet to access. Port a potty like restrooms among the way. Signage and details about various sites. I enjoyed my visit. I'm read more

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I LOVE this place, and I my kids do as well. This is such a fun thing to do in the summer time as long as you are fit enough to crawl around for hours and hours. We always pack lunches and FOR SURE wear a hydration pack. Some of the coolest caves here are the ones off the beaten path that usually require some hiking to get to, and the people in the visitors office have always pointed me toward new areas to check out. So if you have already hit all the main loop caves, make sure to ask them for their advice on new areas to explore. read more

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A must visit for adventurous persons!!!! It's not just a cave. This place you can witness a lots of caves created by lava flows. It's very unique and amazing to check out. After the welcome sign, there a small toilet. Then around 10 mins drive to the visit center where you pay for the entrance fee and get cave map. Fee is waved for American Beauty Pass holder. Also there is a small gift shop you can rent flashlight / knee pad and helmets. Staff very friendly and helpful. You can ask them to advice which cave should go and not Not so big parking. But i think this place never be so crowded you will be fine to find parking. Although the caves are beautiful and cool but In my opinion a tour guided will be better and you must spend sometimes online for some information also get prepared well. Full bright wide beam angle flash light or a lot a lot of light! Your phone light will be useless Because it's completely dark when you go down there. There are 3 levels of caves for your choices! All you have to go by your own so make sure come with friends (3-4ppl) recommended for the first time experience. All caves are named listed on map with all information for each cave. From center parking you can just make a walk or do stop drive to reach each cave. As mentioned above, group of 3-4 ppl or tour guided needed because all caves have no doors, fully opened space and locate in the middle of big area with trees, mountains, sky. Who knows which animals are hiding in caves. So be careful is priority. Also watch out for rattles snakes from brushes! I am scared of dark but honestly i am really love the lava beds. Where i can challenge myself and enjoy the beauty of nature. Lava beds is about 2 hrs from Lassen National Park. So if you have time. Stop by here, if you are afraid you can just do the mustpot one! It's very easy and light setup inside. Good enough for you to know how lava cave looks like. Just for fresh experience. Not be bad. I really hope they can invest more in tour guided or group adventure for the safety. That time ppl will know more about this place. read more

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Had an extra day while out in the area, and so glad we decided to make a trip to Lava Beds! This park is "out there" - not much else in the area, but definitely worth it to make the drive out here to check it out. We came in mid-September, and it was not at all crowded. The rangers and staff were very kind and informative about which easy/moderate caves would be the most appropriate for us (we had a small kid with us). You can check out a lantern which was really helpful. We visited Mushpot, Indian Well, Sunshine, and part of Sentinel caves. Each one is unique and has something particular about it that makes it stand out! It was great (and wild) to experience total darkness and total silence in the caves. Highly recommend. read more

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. read more

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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! read more

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Bring a headlamp then turn it off part way through the hike and experience total darkness.

i was there 20 years ago and still it is one place I would love to return there. So much to see and observe.

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. read more

Lava Beds National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Tulelake, California

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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. read more

Lava Beds National Monument - Ovis cave entrance with crazy ice growing up. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Tulelake, California

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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! read more

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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. read more

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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! read more

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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. read more

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. read more

Lava Beds National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Tulelake, California

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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 . read more

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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! read more

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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. read more

Lava Beds National Monument - Me jumping in Hopkins Chocolate Cave - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Tulelake, California

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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! read more

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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! read more

Lava Beds National Monument - "Climbing up the rocks in one of the lava caves." - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Tulelake, California

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. read more

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. read more

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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. read more

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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! read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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. read more

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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. read more

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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!!!! read more

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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). read more

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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. read more

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! read more

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. read more

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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. read more

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. read more

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! read more

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... read more