Lava Beds National Monument Tours

Overview: Lava Beds National Monument is a place where you can smell the sage and juniper, hear the birds, crawl beneath the surface of the earth, hike through miles of ancient lava flows, and learn about the cultural heritage of the Modocs. Situated on a small 47,000 acre portion of the Medicine Lake shield volcano, Lava Beds National Monument was formed from a series of eruptions over the course of the past 500,000 years. This activity has created an incredibly rugged landscape punctuated by both developed and undeveloped caves, cinder cones such as Schonchin Butte that provide expansive views of the Tule Lake Basin and Modoc National Forest, and jagged lava flows like Devil's Homestead.

Many of the caves and features at Lava Beds National Monument show evidence of the human influence on the landscape. Native American cave paintings, called pictographs or petroglyphs, were created by the Modocs and can be seen at Big Painted Cave and Symbol Bridge, while hundreds of rock carvings can be found at Petroglyph Point. The geologic and cultural histories collide in a unique way at Captain Jack's Stronghold, a natural lava fortress where Captain Jack and a group of 53 Modoc warriors and their families held out against the United States military for five months during the Modoc War of 1872 to 1873.

Whether looking through exhibits at the visitor center, hiking the trails, or exploring the caves, experience the diverse opportunities at Lava Beds National Monument on your own, or through guided tours.