Lava Beds National Monument
Tulelake (Modoc/Siskiyou County) · near Tulelake / Klamath Falls, OR (40 mi) · Shasta Cascade
Caving
At a glance
- Depth
- 50
- Season
- Year-round · Some caves seasonally gated for bat protection · Visitor center hours vary
- Cost
- $35/vehicle (NPS fee) or America the Beautiful Pass · Cave permits FREE at visitor center
- Difficulty
- Blue (beginner) through Black (most challenging) · 3-level color system
Permits and booking
- Permit
- Free cave permit required from visitor center — helps prevent White-Nose Syndrome bat disease spread. Shoe decontamination required at visitor center if you've caved elsewhere. No permit required beyond the monument entry fee.
Worth knowing
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
- Gear
- Flashlight or headlamp (bring 2 per person) · Extra batteries · Warm clothes (caves stay near 55°F) · Sturdy closed-toe shoes with grip · Helmet ($8.30 at visitor center) · Knee pads optional for tighter caves
Caving detail
- Nickname
- THE FIND — 800+ Caves. Almost Nobody Goes.
- Cave type
- lava-tube
- Tour length
- Half-day minimum · Full day recommended · Multiple days for serious cavers
- Formations
- Lava formations · Permanent ice floor (Merrill) · Bioluminescent bacteria (Valentine) · Bat colonies · Petroglyph art
- Featured caves
- Mushpot Cave · Valentine Cave · Merrill Ice Cave · Golden Dome Cave · Skull Cave · Catacomb Cave
- Intl tip
- The Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway connects Lava Beds to Crater Lake in Oregon (north) and Lassen Volcanic National Park (south) in a 500-mile National Scenic Byway. Planning a multi-day trip along the Byway — Lassen, Lava Beds, Crater Lake — covers three of the Pacific Northwest's most extraordinary volcanic landscapes in sequence. The nearest services are in Tulelake (limited) — stock up in Klamath Falls, OR or Alturas, CA before arriving.
The guide
Lava Beds is the best national monument in California that most Californians have never visited. It is so far in the northeast …
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Lava Beds National Monument — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 41.713, -121.51