National Monument · NPS · CA
Lava Beds National Monument
Photo: NPS Photo / Nathan Charlton, Sunrise at Lava Beds
Alerts and conditions
Information Park Phones are Down
We are currently not able to receive any calls Nov. 4 & 5th. Please email us at labe_information@nps.gov for any questions or information about the park. If you have an emergency, please call 911.
Information White-Nose Syndrome / Cave Permit
Please Do Not bring clothing or caving gear used in caves or mines outside of Lava Beds into our caves. This will help slow the spread of white-nose syndrome, a bat disease that is killing bats outside of the park.
Overview
Lava Beds National Monument is a land of turmoil, both geological and historical. Over the last half-million years, volcanic eruptions on the Medicine Lake shield volcano have created a rugged landscape dotted with diverse volcanic features. More than 800 caves, Native American rock art sites, historic battlefields and campsites, and a high desert wilderness experience await you!
From the National Park Service
History
The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.
What to see and do
Activities
- Auto and ATV
- Scenic Driving
- Astronomy
- Stargazing
- Biking
- Road Biking
- Camping
- Backcountry Camping
- Car or Front Country Camping
- Group Camping
- RV Camping
- Caving
- Food
- Picnicking
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Hiking
- Backcountry Hiking
- Front-Country Hiking
- Junior Ranger Program
- Skiing
- Cross-Country Skiing
- Wildlife Watching
- Birdwatching
- Park Film
- Museum Exhibits
- Shopping
- Bookstore and Park Store
Plan your visit
Hours
Lava Beds National Monument: The park is open 24 hours a day, year-round. The visitor center is typically only closed on Christmas Day but will sometimes temporarily close in the winter due to weather or maintenance. Temporary closures are usually posted as an alert and/or on our social media. For visitor center hours please the Visitor Center section below.
Fees and passes
- Entrance - Private Vehicle — $25.00
- Entrance - Motorcycle — $20.00
- Entrance - Per Person — $15.00
- Annual Entrance - Park — $55.00
The America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees at federal recreation lands across all four agencies.
Getting there
Lava Beds is a truly remote park, in a corner of California most people never visit. Most roads into this area wind through mountains, and along rivers, and travel may take longer than expected. Services are few and far between and winter driving conditions can be encountered anytime between fall and spring.
Visitor centers
- Lava Beds Visitor Center
Campgrounds
- Indian Well Campground (43 sites)
- Group Campsite (1 sites) — reserve
Weather
Park elevations range from 4,000 to 5,700 feet. Cold weather is possible any time of year, and snow has been recorded in all months. Winter daytime highs average 40°F; lows average 20°F. Morning fog is frequent from autumn through spring. Summer daytime highs average 75° to 80°F; lows average 50°F. Occasional thunderstorms occur in summer.
Phone: 5306678113
Whose lands these are
These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.
Photos
Pair it with
- Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge FWS · 8 miles
- Tule Lake National Monument NPS · 12 miles
- Sattitla Highlands National Monument USFS · 14 miles
- Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge FWS · 17 miles
- Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge FWS · 20 miles
- Butte Valley National Grassland USFS · 27 miles