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Jerry Pillarelli | profile | all galleries >> Travel and Nature; Sites by State >> US Travel; by Trip, by State >> California >> Lava Beds National Monument – California >> Lava Beds National Monument – California tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Lava Beds National Monument – California

Images of Lava Beds National Monument – Northern California, taken in April 2017.

Lava Beds National Monument was a park that I was looking forward to visiting because I knew there were plenty of interesting sites to visit here. I knew about the trails as well as the lava caves, although I did not realize so many of them were accessible. Formed by molten lava, today these caves include interesting lava formations; some are wet living caves with mineral deposits, while others have petroglyphs indicating early man used them for shelter and protection. More about caves in an accompanying gallery…

One of the treks I took in the park was to the top of Schonchin Butte, a cinder cone of the Medicine Lake Volcano. It rises 700 feet above the surrounding area and offers splendid views of the entire park as well as a spectacular view of Mount Shasta to the west.

Petroglyph Point displays over 100 yards of petroglyphs attesting to man’s occupation of the area as does Captain Jacks Stronghold where an “Alamo” type standoff between the Modoc Indians and US troops took place. The Modoc Indians, 60 of whom resisted being returned to their reservation, held off 1000 US Troops for six months at this lava fortress on the edge of Lake Tule. It was not far from there that General E.R.S. Canby was killed; particularly interesting as he was the only general to be killed in an Indian War. This seemed strange to me as I thought George Custer was a general at the time of his death at the Little Bighorn but upon further review he had been placed in charge of the 7th Cavalry as a Lieutenant Coronel after being mustered out of the US Volunteers after the Civil War.
The Devils Homestead Lava Flow with Schonchin Butte in the distance in Lava Beds National Monument
The Devils Homestead Lava Flow with Schonchin Butte in the distance in Lava Beds National Monument 		Schonchin Butte beyond the Devils Homestead Lava Flow in Lava Beds National Monument
Schonchin Butte beyond the Devils Homestead Lava Flow in Lava Beds National Monument		 Carpet or Spreading Phlox grow over lava rocks in Lava Beds National Monument
Carpet or Spreading Phlox grow over lava rocks in Lava Beds National Monument		 Juniper trunk looming over the Devils Homestead Lava Flow in Lava Beds National Monument
Juniper trunk looming over the Devils Homestead Lava Flow in Lava Beds National Monument		 Juniper Tree backlit by the setting sun in Lava Beds National Monument
Juniper Tree backlit by the setting sun in Lava Beds National Monument
Schonchin Butte, a cinder cone of the Medicine Lake Volcano, in Lava Beds National Monument
Schonchin Butte, a cinder cone of the Medicine Lake Volcano, in Lava Beds National Monument		 A Juniper Tree along the trail to the top of Schonchin Butte in Lava Beds National Monument
A Juniper Tree along the trail to the top of Schonchin Butte in Lava Beds National Monument		 Mount Shasta from the top of Schonchin Butte in Lava Beds National Monument
Mount Shasta from the top of Schonchin Butte in Lava Beds National Monument		 The fire lookout on top of Schonchin Butte in Lava Beds National Monument
The fire lookout on top of Schonchin Butte in Lava Beds National Monument		 A volcanic crater from the trail on Schonchin Butte in Lava Beds National Monument
A volcanic crater from the trail on Schonchin Butte in Lava Beds National Monument
Black Crater, a splatter cone, in Lava Beds National Monument
Black Crater, a splatter cone, in Lava Beds National Monument		 Red lava in Black Crater in Lava Beds National Monument
Red lava in Black Crater in Lava Beds National Monument		 A natural lava arch in Black Crater in Lava Beds National Monument
A natural lava arch in Black Crater in Lava Beds National Monument		 A small lava cave in Black Crater in Lava Beds National Monument
A small lava cave in Black Crater in Lava Beds National Monument		 Lava flow in Black Crater with Gillems Bluff fault scarp in the distance in Lava Beds National Monument
Lava flow in Black Crater with Gillems Bluff fault scarp in the distance in Lava Beds National Monument
Black Crater lava in Lava Beds National Monument
Black Crater lava in Lava Beds National Monument		 Leanira Checkerspot butterfly on the cinders in Lava Beds National Monument
Leanira Checkerspot butterfly on the cinders in Lava Beds National Monument		 Lava vent in Lava Beds National Monument
Lava vent in Lava Beds National Monument		 Squirrel sitting on volcanic rock in Lava Beds National Monument
Squirrel sitting on volcanic rock in Lava Beds National Monument		 Brush growing from volcanic rock in Lava Beds National Monument
Brush growing from volcanic rock in Lava Beds National Monument
Fleener Chimney splatter cone in Lava Beds National Monument
Fleener Chimney splatter cone in Lava Beds National Monument		 Splatter cone at Fleener Chimney with Schonchin Butte in the background in Lava Beds National Monument
Splatter cone at Fleener Chimney with Schonchin Butte in the background in Lava Beds National Monument		 Lava tube near the Fleener Chimneys in Lava Beds National Monument
Lava tube near the Fleener Chimneys in Lava Beds National Monument		 Fleener Chimney lava tube in Lava Beds National Monument
Fleener Chimney lava tube in Lava Beds National Monument		 Lava tube along the Fleener Chimneys trail in Lava Beds National Monument
Lava tube along the Fleener Chimneys trail in Lava Beds National Monument
Petroglyph Point in Lava Beds National Monument
Petroglyph Point in Lava Beds National Monument		 Petroglyphs at Petroglyph Point in Lava Beds National Monument
Petroglyphs at Petroglyph Point in Lava Beds National Monument		 Petroglyph Point Indian carvings in Lava Beds National Monument
Petroglyph Point Indian carvings in Lava Beds National Monument		 Indian Petroglyphs at Petroglyph Point in Lava Beds National Monument
Indian Petroglyphs at Petroglyph Point in Lava Beds National Monument		 Petroglyph at Petroglyph Point in Lava Beds National Monument
Petroglyph at Petroglyph Point in Lava Beds National Monument
Plant buds in Lava Beds National Monument
Plant buds in Lava Beds National Monument		 Petroglyph Point Indian carving in Lava Beds National Monument
Petroglyph Point Indian carving in Lava Beds National Monument		 Multi-colored lichens on a lava rock in Lava Beds National Monument
Multi-colored lichens on a lava rock in Lava Beds National Monument		 Squirrel eats while sitting on a lava formation in Lava Beds National Monument
Squirrel eats while sitting on a lava formation in Lava Beds National Monument		 Flowering plant in Lava Beds National Monument
Flowering plant in Lava Beds National Monument
Modoc Indians wall at Captain Jacks Stronghold, with Mount Shasta in the distance, in Lava Beds National Monument
Modoc Indians wall at Captain Jacks Stronghold, with Mount Shasta in the distance, in Lava Beds National Monument		 Trail through Captain Jacks Stronghold in Lava Beds National Monument
Trail through Captain Jacks Stronghold in Lava Beds National Monument		 Latter day memorial at Captain Jacks Stronghold in Lava Beds National Monument
Latter day memorial at Captain Jacks Stronghold in Lava Beds National Monument		 Lava wall in Captain Jacks Stronghold in Lava Beds National Monument
Lava wall in Captain Jacks Stronghold in Lava Beds National Monument		 Great basin Fence Lizard in Lava Beds National Monument
Great basin Fence Lizard in Lava Beds National Monument
Lava mound in Lava Beds National Monument
Lava mound in Lava Beds National Monument		 Whitney Butte in Lava Beds National Monument
Whitney Butte in Lava Beds National Monument		 Canby Cross, memorial of the only general killed in an Indian War, in Lava Beds National Monument
Canby Cross, memorial of the only general killed in an Indian War, in Lava Beds National Monument		 Northern Sagebrush Lizard re-growing its tail in Lava Beds National Monument
Northern Sagebrush Lizard re-growing its tail in Lava Beds National Monument		 Mammoth Crater in Lava Beds National Monument
Mammoth Crater in Lava Beds National Monument

comment | share
Dale Gentry 14-May-2017 21:38
California has a lot to show you and very differently. Love your photos. Haven't messaged you anything recently. Cindy and I were over in Venice, Italy the last two to three weeks in April and May. Will be out on the road again sometime in June.
harveywall02-May-2017 21:38
very interesting...thank you
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