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State Parks, Historic Sites, and Museums need your help.Places Earth recently encountered closed state parks in Arizona and California is threatening to close all state parks. The story is similar throughout the country. Places Earth urges everyone to support these vital and important public resources any way you can. Please find a worthy local or distant historic site or museum that is in financial danger and donate your treasure, time, and talent. Write to your governor and other elected officials telling them to find a way to keep these parks open. It will be your loss. Public Service Announcement |
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Lava Beds National Monument
All photographs taken by Kenneth A. Larson. All rights reserved. © 2004 - 2010.|
Beginning about two million years ago, volcanic activity has been creating a rough and varied landscape in the area we now call Siskiyou and Modoc Counties in the extreme north end of California. To protect this unique area and several historic sites, 46,560 acre Lava Beds National
Monument was established on November 21, 1925. Evidence of human occupation dates back about 10,000 years to the early Holocene (10,000 years to present) when exceptional rock art was created including Petroglyph Point, one of the largest panels of Native American rock art in the United States. Some of the last battles between United State and the first occupants of North America were fought near here. The Modoc War of 1872-1873 saw the last battle in California and Oregon. After the Battle of Lost River, Captain Jack and his followers, retreated to an area of rugged volcanic rock, now known as Captain Jack's Stronghold. This band defended themselves against a much larger US Army. During this time a failed peace attempt resulted in the death of General Canby and others (see below). Eventually the Modoc were removed and today the Captain Jack Trail leads through the jagged rocks where Captain Jack and his people defended themselves. Today most park visitors are interested in exploring the lava tubes. Lava Beds National Monument encloses the largest concentration of lava tube caves in North America and is associated with the Medicine Lake shield volcano (northeast flank), the largest volcano (total area covered) in the Cascade Range. Volcanic features include lava tube caves, lava flows, cinder cones, spatter cones, Maar volcanoes, and fumaroles. Over 30 lava flows range in age from 2,000,000 years BP to 1,110 years BP (before present). Some of the major Lava Flows include: Callahan Flow, Schonchin Flow, Mammoth Crater Flow, Modoc Crater Flow, and Devils Homestead Flow. A map available at the Visitor Center divides the caves into three categories of difficulty with the easiest being Mushpot Cave just a few steps from the Visitor Center. Mushpot Cave has a smooth floor, lighted trail, and signs. All of the other caves require flashlights (park recommends two lights per person). Most caves are not long and were once tunnels of molten lava with few long branches, so it is hard to get lost as long as the light holds out. Skull Cave captures cold air and has perpetual ice at the end, the rest of the caves average about 60-65 degrees and are often warmer than the outside. The largest concentration of caves is along the loop road which starts at the Visitor Center. Most of the lava in the monument is basaltic in two varieties, pahoehoe and 'A'a. Pahoehoe is smooth and ropy and is most common in Lava Beds. Aa is formed when pahoehoe cools and loses some of its gases and is rough, sharp, and jagged. About 10% of the lava is pumice, a type of rhyolitic lava, ejected from Glass Mountain about 900 years ago. The monument can be hot in summer and cold in winter. Lava Beds National Monument is actually in California, but because the nearest large town is Klamath Falls, Oregon, it is often listed as a Klamath County attraction. The monument is on the border of Siskiyou and Modoc Counties (mostly in Siskiyou) a little south of the Oregon border. Alturas is about an hour east, Klammath Falls about an hour north, Redding is about two hours southwest. |
 The road to Lava Beds National Monument in California. This road runs on the west side of Tule Lake. |
 Along the Captain Jack Trail, Lava Beds National Monument. |
 The southeast entrance to the park. |
 Visitor Center. |
| General E. R. S. Canby was the only general to be killed in an Indian war. The original cross was erected by a soldier in 1882 nine years after Canby's death on April 11, 1873 by a group of Modocs. Months of peace talks over the Modoc War had not yielded results. President Grant's Indian Peace Policy was in opposition to the local settler's desire to have the army eliminate the Modoc threat. The Modoc people were also divided between peace and war. Both General Canby and Captain Jack, the Modoc leader were trying to resolve this impasse By Modoc tradition, soldiers would retreat once their general was killed. Eight Modoc attacked the delegation killing General Canby and Reverend Eleazar Thomas and wounding Indian Agent Alfred Meacham, ending the peace talks. |
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| Canby Cross. | |
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| Canby Cross. | |
 Lava flow. |
 Looking toward the opening to Golden Dome Cave, Lava Beds National Monument. Lighting is provided by two flashlights. I also visited Lave Tubes at Volcano National Park in Hawaii. |
 The ladder is the only way in and out. |
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| The Golden Dome cave looks like gold nuggets on the ceiling. | |
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| The Golden Dome cave ceiling. | |
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| The Golden Dome cave ceiling. | |
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| The Golden Dome cave ceiling. | |
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| The Golden Dome cave ceiling. | |
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| The Golden Dome cave ceiling. | |
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| The Golden Dome cave ceiling. | |
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| The Golden Dome cave ceiling. | |
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| The Golden Dome cave ceiling. | |
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| The Golden Dome cave ceiling. | |
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| Mushpot Cave is the easiest cave to explore. The floor is smooth, the path is lighted, there are interpretive signs, but one low spot near the back. | |
 Mushpot Cave. |
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| Valentine Cave is a medium dificulty cave. It is a few miles off the loop toward the southeast entrance. | |
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| The flow that formed Valentine Cave erupted 10,850 years ago. | |
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| Valentine Cave. | |
 Valentine Cave. |
Most caves are a constant temperature, usually about 50 degrees farinhite. Skull Cave traps cold winter air and there is perpetual ice at the end.
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| Siskiyou County Main Page |
This page last updated: Wednesday, 06-Jan-2010 22:49:54 CST
| Note: This is not the official site for any of the places shown in Places Earth. Places Earth is not responsible for accuracy of the information. Hours of operations, prices, exhibits, and sometimes locations are subject to change without notice. |
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This web site started because of my love for Architecture and interest in History. This web site is for your benefit and I make no profit on it. I don't allow paid advertising. This site is supported primarily from my regular paycheck as a Set Designer and there haven' been many this year. My wife sells Gold Canyon products at www.valleygirlcandles.com and I sell art at www.klimages.com. A non-tax deductable donation to help cover the cost of operating this web site may be made to Kesign Design Consulting through PayPal ... | ||
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This site maintained by Kenneth A. Larson. Copyright © 2004 - 2010, Kenneth A. Larson. All Rights Reserved. Website content including photographic and graphic images may not be redistributed for use on another website. |
| This site is a non-commercial alternative to my commercial design portfolio site. This site's only purpose is for your enjoyment. There is no advertising and I make no profit. If you are in the need of a designer, please check my commercial site www.kesigndesign.com. |
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