1 . How do I get to Lava Beds?

See our Directions page.

2. Where can I eat / camp / stay in a motel?

Snacks, ice and soda are available at the Visitor Center bookstore. There is a campground at the park with tent and RV sites, water, bathrooms, and an amphitheater for ranger programs. It is located near the park Visitor Center and the popular caves on Cave Loop. The overnight fee is $14 per site.

Places to stay outside the park are listed on our Lodging page.

3. Can I bring a pet? What equipment should I bring? What is the weather like?

Your best start is our Things To Know Before You Come page.

4. Do I need to take guided tours of the caves?

No. Most of the caves are open to anyone to explore, with a few exceptions. Some caves can be closed to protect delicate animals or natural formations like roosting bats or ice. Two caves, Crystal Ice Cave and Fern Cave do require guides and tour reservations during their tour seasons.

5. Where did the lava come from and how did the caves form?

Lava Beds is located on the slopes of the massive Medicine Lake shield volcano, part of the Cascades volcanic belt that includes Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, and dozens of other volcanoes of the Pacific Northwest. Eruptions as recent as 1000 years ago spilled massive lava flows over this area. During the course of these eruptions, some of the lava flows cooled on their outsides, but stayed molten in their middles. This molten lava then flowed away, leaving only the cooled outer edges, which now remain as a lava tube cave. More information can be found in our Nature & Science section.

6. Where do the Modocs now live?

Not all of the Modocs were involved in the Modoc war; many remained in what is now the Klamath Tribes in Oregon. Those that were part of Captain Jack's group were captured by the U.S. Army, and sent by train down to Oklahoma where their ancestors now live as the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma.