Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
covered, it was littered with bighorn sheep skulls. There are good brochures with details
about each cave available from the visitors center. We found Sunshine Cave and Symbol
Bridge caves (the latter is reached via an easy 0.8-mile hike) to be particularly interesting.
Rangers are stern with their warnings for new cavers, though, so be sure to check in with
the visitors center before exploring to avoid harming the fragile geological and biological
resources in the park.
The tall black cone of
Schonchin Butte
(5253ft) has a magnificent outlook accessed via
a steep 1-mile hiking trail. Once you reach the top, you can visit the fire-lookout staff
between June and September.
Mammoth Crater
is the source of most of the area's lava
flows.
The weathered Modoc
petroglyphs
at the base of a high cliff at the far northeastern end
of the monument, called Petroglyph Point, are thousands of years old, but unfortunately
the short interpretive trail has been closed due to vandalism - the rest is worth checking
out anyway. At the visitors center, be sure to take the leaflet explaining the origin of the
petroglyphs and their probable meaning. Look for the hundreds of nests in holes high up in
the cliff face, which provide shelter for birds that sojourn at the wildlife refuges nearby.
Also at the north end of the monument, be sure to go to the labyrinthine landscape of
Captain Jack's Stronghold
, the Modoc Indians' very effective ancient wartime defense
area. A brochure will guide you through the breathtaking Stronghold Trail.
Indian Well Campground
(tent & RV sites $10)
, near the visitors center at the south end
of the park, has water and flush toilets, but no showers. The campsites are lovely and have
broad views of the surrounding valleys. The nearest place to buy food and camping sup-
plies is on Hwy 139 in the nearby town of Tulelake, but the place is pretty bleak and
rugged - just a couple of bars, a bunch of boarded-up buildings and a pair of gas stations.
Don't count on finding food out of peak times besides the grocery store. For more informa-
tion on accommodation, see Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges (
Click here
)
.
Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges
Of the six stunning national wildlife refuges in this group, Tule Lake and Clear Lake
refuges are wholly within California, Lower Klamath refuge straddles the Califor-
nia-Oregon border, and the Upper Klamath, Klamath Marsh and Bear Valley refuges are
across the border in Oregon. Bear Valley and Clear Lake (not to be confused with the
