Lava Beds National Monument - Nearby Places
California > Lava Beds National Monument > Nearby Places
Highlights:
Other volcanic sites near Lava Beds National Monument, on national forest land: Medicine Lake Glass Flow, Burnt Lava Flow, Glass Mountain and the Arnica Sink
Away from Lava Beds National Monument, other evidence of past vclcanism is scattered over much of north California and south Oregon - patches of lava, cinder cones and extinct volcanoes are found all along the Cascade range and the wooded lands to the east. In the vicinity of the national monument are several interesting locations in the Shasta, Klamath and Modoc National Forests to the south and west, reached by gravel tracks that branch off the scenic drive, or by a rather longer journey north from CA 89. These roads are usually closed by snow until mid June so the visitor season is quite limited.
One popular site is Medicine Lake. This is a small area of water, formerly a crater, with several boat launches and rather pricey primitive campsites, and which lies close to the Medicine Lake Glass Flow, a high mass of sharp lava blocks. There are no trails but it is easy enough to scramble up the slope and walk across the uneven, rather alien landscape that has deep crevasses, boulder piles and very little vegetation. Free camping is available in the surrounding national forest land.
The route to the lake, the Lava Beds-Medicine Lake Road, continues south for another 7 miles to the more remote Burnt Lava Flow Wilderness Area, a much larger lava deposit surrounded by a ring of cinder cones and containing several ice caves. Similar scenery is found at Glass Mountain, 2 miles east of Medicine Lake along another good quality track, where a hill of glassy lava rises several hundred feet above the surrounding pine woodland. Along the way, the road passes the Arnica Sink, a dry lake bed.
Medicine Lake
One popular site is Medicine Lake. This is a small area of water, formerly a crater, with several boat launches and rather pricey primitive campsites, and which lies close to the Medicine Lake Glass Flow, a high mass of sharp lava blocks. There are no trails but it is easy enough to scramble up the slope and walk across the uneven, rather alien landscape that has deep crevasses, boulder piles and very little vegetation. Free camping is available in the surrounding national forest land.
More Lava
The route to the lake, the Lava Beds-Medicine Lake Road, continues south for another 7 miles to the more remote Burnt Lava Flow Wilderness Area, a much larger lava deposit surrounded by a ring of cinder cones and containing several ice caves. Similar scenery is found at Glass Mountain, 2 miles east of Medicine Lake along another good quality track, where a hill of glassy lava rises several hundred feet above the surrounding pine woodland. Along the way, the road passes the Arnica Sink, a dry lake bed.
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