Are you coming to Lava Beds with a school group and not sure where to go and/or what to do? Check out these ideas to have a self-guided educational experience at Lava Beds. Locations are listed as if you are traveling from the Northeast section of the park, towards the visitor center at the South end of the park. Check the park map to determine the best order for your group.
For 3rd grade and above we recommend walking at least the short .5 mile loop. There is a trail guide you can use to learn about the site and the Modoc War. The hike can take about 45 minutes to an hour depending on how long you spend at each stop. There is also a picnic area near the parking lot.
This spatter cone is the source of the rough Devils Homestead a'a flow. There is short hike, less than 30 mintues, to the top where you can look down into the 3 vents. There is also picnic area at this location.
Visitor Center
The visitor center has 12 minute video that talks about the geology and history of the park. There are also exhibits showing each kid of eruption that occurred in the park and examples of the different lava that can be found on the volcano. Students can also eat lunch on the front patio, or nearby picnic area.
After getting screened for white-nose syndrome at the visitor center, you can walk down to Mushpot cave. Mushpot is the only cave with lights and signs and takes less than 30 mintues to explore. Valentine cave is also a good cave for groups to visit and takes about 30-45 mintues to explore.
This can be as short or as long of stop as you want. From here you can look out over the devils homestead lave flow and see several others across the park.
If you hike the short side trail to Black Crater itself, a large spatter cone this will take about 30-45 minutes. Along the trail look for tree molds, made when a living tree was burned away by fresh lava and left the imprint of its bark inside.
This spatter cone is the source of the rough Devils Homestead a'a flow. There is short hike, less than 30 mintues, to the top where you can look down into the 3 vents. There is also picnic area at this location.
A hike up the 0.7 miles trail to the fire lookout takes about 45 minutes one way and has a 500-foot elevation gain. From the top you can a 360 degree view of the whole park.
This can be as short or as long of stop as you want. There is short walk to see crater. More than any other vent Mammoth Crater had the greatest impact on the monument’s landscape, over seventy percent of the surface area of Lava Beds is covered by basalt that originated here.
Visitor Center
The visitor center has 12 minute video that talks about the geology and history of the park. There are also exhibits showing each kid of eruption that occurred in the park and examples of the different lava that can be found on the volcano.
After getting screened for white-nose syndrome at the visitor center, you can walk down to Mushpot cave. Mushpot is the only cave with lights and signs, and takes less than 30 mintues to explore. Valentine cave is also a good cave for groups to visit and takes 30-45 mintues to explore.
There is a wayside at the top of the trail, about a 5 mintue walk, or you can share information about the site on the bus while you travel to the Stronghold or Petroglyph Point.
For 3rd grade and above we recommend walking at least the short .5 mile loop. There is a trail guide you can use to learn about the site and the Modoc War. The hike can take about 45 minutes to an hour depending on how long you spend at each stop. There is also a picnic area near the parking lot.
Canby Cross
There are two exhibits at this stop, and short walk to the cross. This stop can take about 15 minutes or you can talk about it as you travel to your next location.
There are two trails at this location. One that has a guidebook and takes you around the footprint the military camp that was there during the Modoc War. This trails takes less than 30 minutes to explore. The other trail is 0.7 miles and takes you up the bluff where you can look down on all the other Modoc War sites. This one takes about 30-45 mintues to hike up it.
Visitor Center
The visitor center has 12 minute video that talks about the geology and history of the park. There are also exhibits showing traditional tool, baskets, hats and shelters the Modoc used, information about the war, and the Modoc today.
Mushpot Cave is fully lit and has interpretive displays highlighting the geology of Lava Beds a perfect spot for a school group.
NPS Photo
Caving
With over 20 developed caves, groups can easily spend days underground exploring this unique environment. Before coming to the park we recommend reviewing the caving page and sharing the Cave Safely & Cave Softly information with your students and chaperones. Once you arrive at the park, your group will need to come to the visitor center to be screened for white-nose syndrome prior to entering any caves in the park.
The safest way to take a large group caving is to divide into groups of 6-8 students with at least one adult assigned to each group.
If you can't split the group, then it should have less than 30 people for most caves, due to smaller spaces and other navigational challenges.
Groups can walk around the 2-mile loop road from the Visitor Center exploring a different cave. To find out the level of difficulty for each cave and to see which caves are currently open please visit the caving page.
If possible everyone in the groups should
have at least 1 flashlight (flashlights can be borrowed at the visitor center),
a helmet, bike helmets work great and basic bump hats can be purchased at the visitor center; (depending on availabiltiy helmets can be borrowed at the visitor center),
sturdy closed-toed shoes (tennis shoes or hiking boots),
long pants and a light jacket are recommended.
Recommended Least Challenging Caves: Mushpot, Valentine, Sentinel (usually open mid-April to mid-October), Skull (note: inaccessible to buses)
Recommended Moderate Caves: Golden Dome, Sunshine, Indian Well
Recommended Most Challenging Caves: Hopkins Chocolate, Labyrinth (usually open mid-April to mid-October), Hercules Leg and Juniper
Note: The begining of Catacombs can be an excellent cave for school groups, but is also the largest and most complex cave. Maps are strongly recommended. Trip leaders should be especially aware of time, group numbers and keep everyone together at all times.
Big Painted Cave & Symbol Bridge trail is a great trail that highlights both the geology and history of Lava Beds.
NPS/ Ian Kessler
Hiking Trails
With over a dozen hiking trails through Lava Beds, you’re bound to find one that offers an amazing adventure for your students. Tails range from .5 miles to over 8 miles in length, and go through various habitats found within Lava Beds.
If hiking is a part of your itinerary, students should bring water, a snack, and sturdy close-toed shoes. Chaporends should also carry sunscreen and a first aid kit. Weather at Lava Beds can be highly variable, and should be checked in the days before your visit. Hats are recommended for warmer days, while jackets are recommended for cooler days. High winds can be common.
Rattlesnakes are a natural part of the Lava Beds landscape, although the chance of seeing one is slim. Please caution your students that rattlesnakes are a possibility during warmer weather. The best way to avoid a snake encounter is to: 1) make sure a teacher or chaperone is always at the front of the line leading the group and 2) never put hands or feet in a place you cannot see. Most rattlesnake bites are the result of inappropriate human behavior (attempting to pick up a rattlesnake, for instance). The Lava Beds NM rattlesnake-human record is, however, quite good, as we have never had a documented rattlesnake bite at the monument.
Protecting the Resource
The National Park Service exists to preserve places of unique natural history and important cultural history for all generations. To this end, we ask for your assistance. Please do not break off, collect or take home any lava tube features, rocks, plants or flowers found in the park. If you are planning a picnic lunch at the park, please make sure all garbage is collected and deposited in trashcans. If you and your students remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints, you will have contributed greatly to the preservation of Lava Beds National Monument.
