1 Indian Well
Headquarters
Tulelake, CA 96134
(530) 667-8104

Man's activities in this rugged landscape have been nearly as violent as the natural forces that created it. For a million years the volcano has spewed forth lava, gases, and cinders, creating what seems to be an inhospitable landscape. Yet the youngest cinder cones -- 1,000 years old -- are covered by vegetation that provides food and shelter for wildlife. For centuries this area was home to the Modoc Indians, who hunted in the valleys and mountains, fished in the rivers and lakes, and used the tules (reeds) that grew around the lake to make their homes, boats, and other items. Their way of life was changed forever by the arrival of settlers in the 1850s. After repeated confrontations and much bloodshed. the Bureau of Indian Affairs negotiated with all the Klamath bands in October 1864. The settlers were relieved, but the negotiations were disastrous for the Modocs. They were asked to give up their homeland and to live on a reservation with bands who were their traditional enemies. Finally, the Modocs agreed to try living on the reservation, but within a few months they began to leave. They returned to their old homes saying that they wanted a reservation for themselves on their ancestral land. Even more Modocs left the reservation in 1867.


By late 1872, the U.S. Army was ordered to return the Modocs, by force if necessary, to the reservation. On the morning of November 29, 1872, an Army patrol went out to bring in the Indians, but fighting broke out. Initially victorious, the Modocs, under the leadership of Captain Jack, drove off the troops and sought safety in the lava beds, where for almost five months 52 warriors held off a growing army, eventually 20 times larger. An effort to end the war by negotiation ended in even more bloodshed. By late May almost all the Modocs had been captured, and on June 1, 1873, Captain Jack surrendered. On October 3, 1873, he and three other Modoc leaders were hanged. The remaining members of Jacks band were sent to a reservation in Oklahoma.

A Natural Wealth

At first glance the land looks barren, covered by scrawny grasses and clumps of sagebrush. Closer examination reveals much more. In north end of the monument, which is at the lowest elevation, grasslands dominate and few trees are to be seen. Further south, and higher, the vegetation gradually changes as more and more junipers intrude on the grasslands. In the extreme southern reaches, the grasslands disappear altogether, and the junipers give way to a pine forest.

All of this land is volcanic in origin and making soil that can support plant life takes a long time. Once established, the vegetation provides shelter, food, and refuge for small animals who in turn are a source of food for predatory animals and birds of prey. In the northern grasslands, squirrels, kangaroo rats, yellow- bellied marmots, jackrabbits, California quail, meadowlarks, and the rare sage grouse can be found. during the winter, mule deer come from the other side of the volcano to feed in the monument, where snowfall is less and does not last as long.

An unusually large concentration of raptor birds dwells in the monument and throughout Klamath Basin. Several factors make this environment favorable. The area is home to many rodents -- rats, mice, squirrels -- for the birds to feed upon. The cliffs overlooking the Tule Lake also provide the kinds of nesting areas that these birds require, for the cliffs are nearly inaccessible to nearly all predators and strategically positioned so the birds can scan the countryside and take quick notice of any and all activity.

Chief among the raptors is the bald eagle that winters here in numbers greater than any place outside Alaska. Twenty-four species of hawks, falcons, owls and other birds of Prey can be seen on the monument. Since rodents are their chief form of food, the birds are an important check on what easily could be an infestation with the attendant problems of disease and the devastation of crops in the surrounding countryside.

The semiannual migration of birds along the Pacific Flyway is a truly spectacular occurrence in this area. Waterfowl nest on the lakes of the Klamath Basin, and in late spring the waters are covered with thousands of ducklings, goslings, and the offspring of other waterfowl. Despite the magnificence of the spring time numbers, however, the fall gathering is even more remarkable, for approximately 1 million ducks and half a million geese stop here to rest and feed on their way south, some birds coming from as far as Siberia.

There are times when the sky is literally darkened by the arrival of a very large flock of birds, an increasingly rare event in North America. The road from the northeast entrance of the monument is parallel to the common boundary of the Tule Lake Unit of the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge. From vantage points along the road you can watch more than 20 species of ducks, plus many varieties of geese, grebes, pelicans, herons, cormorants, gulls, coots, terns, avocets, and other water birds.

A Hidden World

This area of northern California has a history of volcanism. The legacy of those times -- and it should not be assumed that all volcanic activity is a thing of the past -- is all around. Cinder cones, shield volcanoes, strato-volcanoes, lava tubes, both Pahoehoe (smooth and ropy) and Aa (rough and cinder-like) lava, spatter cones, and chimneys are all a part of this legacy. Perhaps one of the most striking volcanic features in Lava Beds is the phenomenon of lava tube caves.

Lava tubes are not particularly unusual in a volcanic area nor is their formation difficult to explain or understand. Nearly 200 caves have been counted within the monument making this formation an especially prominent feature.

When lava pours from a volcano it is hot, about 1800 degrees F. The outer edges and surface of the flow cool rapidly, however, and begin to slow down and harden. This outside layer acts as insulating material while the rest of the flow beneath it remains hot and fast moving. The flow continues on, somewhat like a river that keeps on flowing even though the surface has frozen over. When the eruption stops and the river of lava drains, a tunnel or tube -- the outer shell -- is left. Lava tubes can lie atop one another, the result of subsequent flows. Many of the tubes here were formed about 30,000 years ago after an eruption at Mammoth Crater on the southern boundary.

Sometimes portions of a tube's roof may collapse as it cools. These openings allow plants, animals, and precipitation to enter and create a world of life within. A few of the tubes are ice caves; rain collects in them and the air temperature remains constantly below freezing. Even when temperatures outside reach 100 degrees F, lava is such a good insulator that the air remains below freezing and ice formations can be found year round.

Many of the caves were first explored and named by J.D. Howard, a local miller. The names he painted on the walls are still visible in most of the caves. In many of the caves, trails have been laid out and ladders installed to make access easy. Many of these caves lie off Cave Loop Road, southwest of the visitor center. Mushpot Cave, an extension of the-visitor-center, is the only cave in which lights have been installed.

Visiting the Monument

Food, lodging, and auto services are available in Tulelake and Klamath Falls. Near the visitor center a 43-unit campground for tents, pickup campers, and small trailers is open all year. There are no hookups. Water is available during the summer. From September 15 to May 15 water is available at the visitor center. The Fleener Chimneys and Captain Jacks Stronghold picnic areas have no water; open fires are prohibited.

The campground at Lava Beds is situated about 1/2 mile from the Visitor Center area. It consists of 43 sites, suitable for tents, pickup campers, or small trailers. Each site bas a picnic table, a fire ring, and a cooking grill. No showers, hookups, dump-station, store, gas, fast-food, or pop machine! Plenty of clean air, crystal-clear cold drinking water, and beautiful open space.

Reservations are not accepted because all sites are rarely filled. The busiest times are holidays and weekends, and those rare occasions when a large group is present. Of course it is best to arrive mid-week, early in the day.

Summer camping fee is $10.00 per night per site (plus a monument entrance fee of $4.00 per private vehicle, good for one week; or $2.00 per person for bicyclists and non-private groups). Water and flush toilets are available in the campground area. The summer season extends from mid-May to mid-September -- the actual dates may vary. During this time, ranger-guided activities are also available, including evening campfire programs.

Winter camping fee is $6.00 per night (the monument entrance fee is still charged). The water in the campground is turned off; a pit toilet is nearby. Water and flush toilets are available 24 hours a day at the Visitor Center restrooms.

Wood fires are permitted in the campground. Firewood is available in designated areas; ask for information at the Visitor Center.

Pets are permitted in the campground, but must be kept on a leash at all times. They are not permitted in caves, in the Visitor Center, or on any trails. This is for the safety of the wildlife, as well as for you and your pet. Check at the Visitor Center on the bulletin boards for other campground regulations.

In the summer rangers conduct walks, cave trips, and campfire programs. Check bulletin boards and the visitor center for schedules. Elevations in the park range from 4,000 to 5,700 feet. Cold weather is possible any time of the year, and snow has been recorded in nearly all months. Winter daytime highs average 40 degrees F; lows average 20 degrees F, and fog is frequent. Summer daytime highs average 75 to 80 degrees F; lows average 50 degrees F. Summer precipitation averages 1.25 inches per month.

Obtain the latest information on monument regulations and safety prior to beginning your exploration of the park.