Park Unit 63 & 64: Valor in the Pacific National Monument (Tulelake) and Lava Beds National Monument

7/25/15. We drove through miles and miles and miles of remote volcanic landscape to get to the Lava Beds National Monument.The best part of the drive to the park were the fabulous views of Mount Shasta. 

Just before heading on the main road to the park, we stopped at the Valor in the Pacific National Monument in Tule Lake. This was a Japanese-American

Internment Camp during WWII and was very similar to the Manzanar site we visited last year. There is not much here, but the Park Ranger was very informative.


We continued on for many more remote miles to the visitor center at Lava Beds National Monument. It is noted for its many caves and lava flows. We started out visiting the most accessible cave, the Mushpot, near the visitor's center. It was really interesting! The "cool factor" of being in a lava tube cave was very high and it was amazing to see the lava formations in stripes where it flowed down the tube. The ceiling of the cave looked like rough stucco from where the lava dripped and splashed. It was so hard to believe it was all real!

The remainder of the afternoon, we stopped and viewed lava flows and other formations. The black rough rock was everywhere and clearly showed the violent volcanic activity of centuries past.

We visited Fleener Chimneys which are spatter cones. These are tube-like chimney vents from which the basalt lava was flung. We climbed up the hill so that we could actually look down the chimneys. 

This park was well cared for with lots of wayside exhibits, picnic areas, etc. Not surprisingly, it was not crowded, since it is in such a remote area. We thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the sun, listening to wind and nothing else, enjoying the remote solitude.