Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The rugged landscape of Lava Beds National Monument is dotted with diverse volcanic features.
8.
Lava Beds National Monument
SwitchontoRte.139south,whichpassesthroughTuleLake,thenleadstothewell-marked
turnoff to Lava Beds National Monument, one of the stops on the Volcanic Legacy Scen-
ic Byway, an All-American Road that continues down Rte. 49. But please note that this
route is only open during the summer months and is not well maintained. After skirting the
southern shores of Tule Lake, the road passes through a region once scorched under sinu-
ousriversoflava,whichcooledintoanarrayofformations,includingbluffsandcaves.On
the area's younger rocks—some a thousand years old—lichens have gained a toehold, the
first step in transforming the stones into soil. Further along in this lengthy process, other
parts of the land now support tufts of grass, sagebrush, and stands of western junipers.
Where plants grow, animals are almost certain to follow. Eagles and hawks—their aer-
ies safely hidden among the cliffs—might be seen soaring above. On land deer and prong-
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