Lava Beds National Monument, CA
Any one else not know this existed? What a cool random stop! Close to the border of Oregon, Lava Beds National Monument is a worthwhile detour. Bring a headlamp and a jacket!
The first stop was at the Devil’s Homestead. This flow erupted from the Fleener Chimneys of the Medicine Lake volcano. Medicine Lake volcano is the largest volcano by surface area and volume in the Cascade Range (despite not being as prominent as Mount Shasta, etc.).
Next stop was checking out the Fleener Chimneys themselves! Most of the vents were built up as gases shot lava high into the air which quickly formed these hollow spatter cones. Most of these chimneys have been closed off for safety reasons and because humans had unfortunately been using them to dump trash. ☹️
Balcony Cave was formed by flows of smooth lava over 10,000 years ago. You can walk through these caves; this one is “moderately” challenging. We plan on coming back and going through them all! Some of the caves can get very narrow and sharp.
Merrill Cave is a very approachable cave. Back in the day, visitors ice skated by lantern light on an ice floor at the bottom of this cave. Unfortunately, over time changing air flow patterns started to cause ice melting.
Skull Cave is one of the largest caves in the national monument. It was named for the bones of pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and two human skeletons discovered inside.
