History and Background of Lava Beds National Monument
Lava Beds National Monument lies on the northeastern flank of the Medicine Lake Volcano – the largest volcano by area in the Cascade Range. Ninety percent of the lava in the national monument is basaltic, some dating back to lava flows that occurred 2 million years ago.
The national monument was established on November 21, 1925 thanks to the efforts of J.D. Howard, a miller from Klamath Falls, Oregon who began exploring the lava tubes in 1917. He successfully lobbied the U.S Forest Service to preserve the tubes, which led to establishment of the national monument by President Calvin Coolidge.
Lava Beds with a One-Year Old
Our one-year old daughter accompanied us to Lava Beds, so she added plenty of fun to our visit, but also limited some of our exploration. She really enjoyed the unique plants that populate the national monument. She didn’t really enjoy the caves, so we only visited two. Her favorite part of Lava Beds was the hike around Captain Jack’s Stronghold in her Osprey Poco Plus.
Exploring the Lava Tubes
There are 27 marked and named lava tubes to explore in the monument, many of which are near the visitors center. Park visitors receive a caving permit upon entry into the monument and instructions from the rangers. Be sure to bring a powerful flashlight for exploring the lave tubes. Also wear clothing that has not been in any other caves in order to prevent the spread of White Nose Syndrome in bats. Tubes are rated by difficulty level, and the rangers are very helpful in assessing which tubes are right for each visitor.
We began by exploring Mushpot Cave – one of the easiest caves to navigate, and the only cave illuminated with electricity. After descending the stairs to the mouth of Mushpot, a paved walkway enters the caves and passes various cave features that are explained by signs. One area of Mushpot requires some squatting to duck under a low spot in the ceiling, but otherwise this cave is very easy to navigate.
We also explored Sentinel Cave – a unique cave with an upper and lower entrance. It is also on the park’s “least challenging” list, but with debris scattered along the cave floor, it is more difficult that Mushpot.
Captain Jack’s Stronghold
The Modoc people lived along the shore of Tule Lake, Lost River, Clear Lake, and Butte Valley in Northern California and Southern Oregon. In 1864, the Modoc along with the Klamath Tribe, and the Yahooskin band signed a treaty with the United States that created the Klamath Reservation in Oregon territory. The Modoc were relocated to the newly created reservation, but eventually tensions with the Klamath tribe resulted in the Modoc demanding their own reservation in their traditional lands. When the U.S. refused a group of 52 Modoc warriors and about 150 others, led by Kintpuash, left the reservation. They were pursued into what is now Lava Beds National Monument by the U.S. Army during the winter of 1872-1873. Kintpuash became known as Captain Jack, and the warriors established a stronghold among the rough basaltic lava at the northern end of what is today the national monument. The Army eventually succeeded in rounding up the Modoc warriors, but at a substantial cost. In fact, the cost of the war was greater than the cost of the land the Modoc requested for their proposed reservation.
From the parking lot, the trail climbs a small hill where it branches off into two trails – the long way and the short way. Both trails wind through a maze of basaltic lava walls and pass caves and pits that the Modoc used for shelter during the difficult winter. There is no shade along the trail, so wear sunscreen and bring plenty of water. We really enjoyed exploring this unique landscape as we considered how the Modoc War played out here over 150 years ago.
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