Lava Beds National Monument is a land of both geological and historical turmoil. Over the last half-million years, volcanic eruptions on the Medicine Lake shield volcano have created a rugged landscape dotted with volcanic features. More than 700 caves, Native American rock art, historic battlefields and campsites and a high desert wilderness experience await you.
Instructions
1. See two types of rock art, or rock imagery; carved petroglyphs and painted pictographs. All of the monument’s rock art and painting is located in the traditional territory of the Modoc people and their ancestors. It is possible that some of these images at Lava Beds were made more than 6,000 years ago. Some of the geometric patterns found in the rock imagery here appear on household items up to 5,000 years old from nearby Nightfire Island. This site is one of the most extensive representations of American Indian rock art in California. Excellent examples of pictographs can be seen at Symbol Bridge and Big Painted Cave on boulders along the trail and walls around the entrances.
2. See painted markings left in lava tube caves by early explorers and even a few Japanese characters carved into the boulders at Petroglyph Point by interned Japanese-Americans during World War II.
3. See the caves. Explore dozens of developed caves of varying difficulties on your own at Lava Beds. You can also find tours in summer. Don’t go alone. Exploring as a group makes caving safer. Use bump hats, sold at the Visitors Center to protect your head. Cave temperatures are about 55 degrees F all year round, so dress appropriately. Always protect the bats.If you see bats, shine your flashlight beam away from them and leave the area. Mushpot Cave (770 feet) is recommended as an introductory cave. Indian Well Cave (300 feet) has easy access on a wooden walkway, a high ceiling and unusual ice formations in winter.
4. Spelunk in the upstream section of the Catacombs tube system. Smooth floors and ceiling heights exceeding 7 feet are found throughout this cave. As you enter Golden Dome Cave (2,229 feet), beware of "headache rock" when entering and exiting the cave via the ladder. The downstream portion of this cave requires some stooping. The back section where the "Golden Dome" is located is a figure-8. Take note of your location so you don't go around in circles.
5. If you are an experienced cave explorer, try one of the most challenging caves. These caves require duck-walking orcrawling. Helmets,kneepads, and gloves are a must in these areas. Labyrinth Cave (1,239 feet) and Lava Brook Cave (859 feet) are near the Visitor Center and are connected by a segment requiring crawling and twisting. Ceiling heights vary but tend to be low throughout. Hopkins Chocolate Cave (1,405 feet) is named for the rich brown color of lava coating the ceiling and walls. Stooping is required in a couple of places, and there is one passage with a ceiling height of three feet that requires duck-walking.
Tags: Cave feet, Lava Beds, Beds National, Beds National Monument, Golden Dome, Lava Beds National, National Monument
