National Monument

Lava Beds National Monument

West

About Lava Beds

Lava Beds National Monument is a land of turmoil, both geological and historical. Over the last half-million years, volcanic eruptions on the Medicine Lake shield volcano have created a rugged landscape dotted with diverse volcanic features. More than 800 caves, Native American rock art sites, historic battlefields and campsites, and a high desert wilderness experience await you!

From the National Park Service.

Region: West
State: California
Designation: National Monument
Entrance fee: $25, private vehicle

Trail data for this park is still being added.
Places for this park are still being added.

Know before you go

Fees, hours, weather and getting to Lava Beds.

Entrance fees

$25 Private Vehicle Park Entrance is $25 per vehicle and is good for 7 days.
$20 Motorcycle
$15 Per Person

Passes

$55 Annual Entrance - Park

Hours

Open 24 hours a day, every day.

The park is open 24 hours a day, year-round. The visitor center is typically only closed on Christmas Day but will sometimes temporarily close in the winter due to weather or maintenance. Temporary closures are usually posted as an alert and/or on our social media. For visitor center hours please the Visitor Center section below.

Weather and when to go

Park elevations range from 4,000 to 5,700 feet. Cold weather is possible any time of year, and snow has been recorded in all months. Winter daytime highs average 40°F; lows average 20°F. Morning fog is frequent from autumn through spring. Summer daytime highs average 75° to 80°F; lows average 50°F. Occasional thunderstorms occur in summer.

Getting there

Lava Beds is a truly remote park, in a corner of California most people never visit. Most roads into this area wind through mountains, and along rivers, and travel may take longer than expected. Services are few and far between and winter driving conditions can be encountered anytime between fall and spring.

Directions from the National Park Service

Contact the park

Address: 1 Indian Well HQ, Tulelake, CA 96134
Phone: (530) 667-8113
Email: LABE_Information@nps.gov
Official site: nps.gov/labe

From the National Park Service, checked weekly. Fees, hours and road conditions change: confirm with the park before you go.

Trip planner

A day-by-day plan for Lava Beds

Tell us your dates and what you are into. We group the stops by where they are, so each day is one part of the park, not a zigzag.

Plan your park trip Free. No account needed.

Campgrounds in Lava Beds

Run by the park service. Reservable sites book on Recreation.gov; first-come sites do not.

Indian Well Campground

1 reservable site · 43 first-come sites

Indian Well Campground is located 1/2 mile (0.8 km) from the Visitor Center. There are 43 sites available on a first-come, first serve basis. Included in the s…
Group Campsite

1 reservable site

The Group Campsite is in the B-Loop of the Indian Well Campground. The group site is only for groups with a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 40 campers. The grou…

Reserve on Recreation.gov