2012 West Coast Scooter Trip

CA - Lava Beds National Monument

We spent two nights at Lava Beds as we got in late the first day. It was about 37 degrees at sun up the first morning. We had a very interesting but tiring day. We hiked several miles to at least 4 caves/lava tubes and toured several other caves near the parking lots. We hiked up to the Forest Service Fire Watch Tower (3/4th mile – 500 feet) on Schonchin Butte. From the Butte, we had a spectacular view of the park and the snow capped peaks of Mt. Shasta to the West and Mt. McClaughlin to the North. We could also see some snow capped mountains farther to the north in the Cascade Range. We saw little lava tubes that were barely big enough for us to crouch through to ones that were over 50 feet in diameter. Two were far enough under ground that there was ice in them. Got so see some pictographs at the entrance to one of the lava tubes/caves. We saw many huge depressions where large lava tubs had caved in. We walked around the rim of a couple small craters. This was our kind of park. They gave you a flash light and you could wander wherever you wanted. Click on any of the thumbnail pictures to see an expanded view. Use your browsers "Back Button" to return to the thumbnails or cursor down to the bottom of the page to use the Slideshow Controls below.