Lava Beds National Monument
Lava Beds National Monument is a land of turmoil, both geological and historical. Over the last half-million years, volcanic eruptions on the Medicine Lake shield volcano have created a rugged landscape dotted with diverse volcanic features. More than 800 caves, Native American rock art sites, historic battlefields and campsites, and a high desert wilderness experience await you!
Lava Beds is a truly remote park, in a corner of California most people never visit. Most roads into this area wind through mountains, and along rivers, and travel may take longer than expected. Services are few and far between and winter driving conditions can be encountered anytime between fall and spring.
- Auto and ATV
- Scenic Driving
- Astronomy
- Stargazing
- Biking
- Road Biking
- Camping
- Backcountry Camping
- Car or Front Country Camping
- Group Camping
- RV Camping
- Caving
- Food
- Picnicking
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Hiking
- Backcountry Hiking
- Front-Country Hiking
- Junior Ranger Program
- Skiing
- Cross-Country Skiing
- Wildlife Watching
- Birdwatching
- Park Film
- Museum Exhibits
- Shopping
- Bookstore and Park Store
- Great Depression
- Migrations
- Military
- US Army
- Indigenous and Native Warrior
- Battlefields
- Monuments and Memorials
- Native American Heritage
- Wars and Conflicts
- Indian and Frontier Wars
- Westward Expansion
- Homesteading
- Animals
- Birds
- Cats (wild)
- Caves, Caverns and Karst
- Fire
- Forests and Woodlands
- Coniferous Forests
- Geology
- Grasslands
- Natural Sounds
- Night Sky
- Astronomy
- Scenic Views
- Thickets and Shrublands
- Unique Species
- Rare
- Volcanoes
- Wilderness
Sunrise at Lava Beds
Sunrise at Lava Beds
Sunset at Lava Beds
Sunset at Lava Beds
Paintbrush along park trail
Paintbrush along park trail
Schonchin Butte & Skull Cave
Schonchin Butte & Skull Cave
Snowy Sunrise
Snowy sunrise at Hopkins Chocolate Cave