National monument

Lava Beds National Monument

Lava Beds National Monument is a national monument run by the National Park Service in Siskiyou County, California. Entrance is $25 per vehicle, good for 7 days. It is open 24 hours a day, year-round. It has 1 developed campground, from $20 a night.

Check current closures and fire restrictions for Lava Beds National Monument on the managing agency's own page.

Lava Beds National Monument
Photo: U.S. National Park Service, Public domain

Lava Beds National Monument map

Lava Beds National Monument boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.

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Fire restrictions

No fire restriction recorded for this unit as of Sept. 30, 2026. Restrictions change with the season, so check the current orders below before you go.

Common questions

Entrance costs $25 per vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, and $15 per person on foot or bicycle, each valid 7 days. An annual pass for Lava Beds National Monument costs $55. Interagency (America the Beautiful) passes are accepted. The park takes no cash: pay by card or buy a pass online. No reservation is needed to enter.
Yes. Lava Beds National Monument is open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Yes. Lava Beds National Monument has 1 developed campground. Sites cost $20 a night. Campsites are first come, first served. Indian Well standard sites are first-come, first-served; group site (min 15 people) reservable on Recreation.gov from about April 1 (as of September 29, 2026). Stays are limited to 14 days per campground. Across the whole park, the limit is 30 days in any 365-day period. Each site holds up to 8 people and 2 vehicles. No hookups. 1 campground stays open year-round. Outside campgrounds, vehicle camping is allowed only at designated sites.

Fees, passes, and hours

Entrance costs $25 per vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, and $15 per person on foot or bicycle, each valid 7 days. An annual pass for Lava Beds National Monument costs $55. Interagency (America the Beautiful) passes are accepted. The park takes no cash: pay by card or buy a pass online. No reservation is needed to enter.

Lava Beds National Monument is open 24 hours a day, year-round.

Sources: nps.gov/labe/planyourvisit/fees, checked 2026-09-29; nps.gov/labe/planyourvisit/hours, checked 2026-09-28.

Camping in Lava Beds National Monument

Lava Beds National Monument has 1 developed campground. Sites cost $20 a night. Campsites are first come, first served. Indian Well standard sites are first-come, first-served; group site (min 15 people) reservable on Recreation.gov from about April 1 (as of September 29, 2026). Stays are limited to 14 days per campground. Across the whole park, the limit is 30 days in any 365-day period. Each site holds up to 8 people and 2 vehicles. No hookups. 1 campground stays open year-round. Outside campgrounds, vehicle camping is allowed only at designated sites.

Source: nps.gov/labe/planyourvisit/campgrounds, checked 2026-09-29.

Trails

  • Heppe Cave Trail(0.4 mi one way, easy)Ends at a large lava-tube collapse and Heppe Ice Cave.
  • Captain Jacks Stronghold Trail (Outer)(1.5 mi loop, moderate)Self-guided interpretive trail through Modoc wartime defenses; rough terrain. Inner loop is 0.5 mi.
  • Schonchin Butte Trail(0.7 mi one way, moderate)Climbs about 500 ft to a historic fire lookout on a cinder cone.
  • Symbol Bridge Trail(0.8 mi one way, easy)Leads to pictographs at Symbol Bridge Cave; side trip to Big Painted Cave.
  • Big Nasty Trail(2 mi loop, moderate)Loop along Mammoth Crater rim with views of Lava Beds and Modoc National Forest.
  • Whitney Butte Trail(3.3 mi one way, moderate)Wilderness trail from Merrill Cave parking toward Mount Shasta views.
  • Three Sisters Trail(8.7 mi one way, strenuous)Follows collapsed lava-tube trenches; can link Missing Link and Bunchgrass for a ~10 mi loop.
  • Lyons Trail(9.4 mi one way, strenuous)North-south former road through wilderness between Hospital Rock and Skull Cave.

Source: nps.gov/labe/planyourvisit/hiking, checked 2026-09-29.

What to see

  • CaveMushpot CaveShort walk from the visitor center; paved path and lighting; recommended first cave. Free caving permit required.
  • CaveValentine CaveSmooth primary volcanic features; often recommended if you only have time for one cave.
  • CaveSkull CaveLarge breakdown cave with CCC trail and stairs to a year-round ice floor.
  • Historic siteCaptain Jacks StrongholdModoc War defensive landscape with self-guided inner and outer interpretive loops.
  • PetroglyphsPetroglyph PointShort trail to basin and Medicine Lake volcano views; stay back from cliff nesting sites.

Source: nps.gov/labe/planyourvisit/caving, checked 2026-09-29.

Public lands next to Lava Beds National Monument

Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.