Lava Beds National Monument

Keep reading if you’re not claustrophobic.  Lava Beds National Monument in Tulelake, California has over 20 caves to explore all in one area.  The lava tube caves are divided into three difficulties levels based on length, height, and floor of the cave.  These caves were formed from lava flows from a volcano eruption over 10,000 years ago.  To protect the bat colonies that live in this cave, you need to stop by the visitor center and get screened for white-nose syndrome.  You can also borrow a flashlight here if you haven’t brought any.  I recommend coming here prepared with a headlight torch for easy caves and more equipment for the difficult ones.   

Because I have four eyes and can’t see well in the dark, I explored a few of the easy caves.  Those caves were Mushpot Cave, Sentinel Cave, Valentine Cave, and Skull Cave.  Most of the caves are located on Cave Loop Road while others require a little more driving. I also had Merrill Cave on my itinerary but a storm hit while I was there.  After the caves, there’s a tragic spot to see called Captain Jack’s Stronghold, where an Native American tribe called the Modoc and the US Army had a standoff.