Lava Beds National Monument

Lava Beds National Monument
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
A cave entrance with volcanic rock above and shrubs below
A collapsed lava tube forms a cave entrance
Map showing the location of Lava Beds National Monument
Map showing the location of Lava Beds National Monument
Location in California
Map showing the location of Lava Beds National Monument
Map showing the location of Lava Beds National Monument
Location in the United States
LocationSiskiyou and Modoc counties, California, United States
Nearest cityTulelake, California
Coordinates41°42′50″N 121°30′30″W / 41.71389°N 121.50833°W / 41.71389; -121.50833
Area46,692 acres (188.96 km2)[1]
EstablishedNovember 21, 1925 (1925-November-21)
Visitors141,00 (in 2023)[2]
Governing bodyNational Park Service
Websitewww.nps.gov/labe
Lava Beds National Monument Archeological District
NRHP reference No.75002182[3]
Added to NRHP1991

Lava Beds National Monument is located in northeastern California, in Siskiyou and Modoc counties. The monument lies on the northeastern flank of Medicine Lake Volcano, which is the largest volcano by area in the Cascade Range.

The region in and around Lava Beds National Monument lies at the junction of the Sierra-Klamath, Cascade, and Great Basin physiographic provinces. The monument was established as a national monument on November 21, 1925, and includes more than 46,000 acres (190 km2).

Lava Beds National Monument has numerous lava tubes, with 27 having marked entrances and developed trails for public access and exploration. The monument also offers trails through the high Great Basin xeric shrubland desert landscape and the volcanic field. In 1872 and 1873, the area was the site of the Modoc War, involving a band led by Kintpuash (also known as Captain Jack). The area of Captain Jack's Stronghold was named in his honor.

  1. ^ "Listing of acreage – December 31, 2011" (XLSX). Land Resource Division, National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-03-23. (National Park Service Acreage Reports)
  2. ^ "NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report". National Park Service. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference nris was invoked but never defined (see the help page).