Lava Beds National Monument is an overlooked gem for park visitors in general and RVers specifically/Rene Agredano

What comes to mind when you think about California’s best national parks for RVers? Yosemite? Sequoia? The Redwoods?

If you’re like most people, RVing to Lava Beds National Monument is not on the radar. Ranked as the 214th most visited location out of 423 National Park System sites, few people are willing to make the trek. But their loss is your gain if you go. Only the most intrepid travelers get to enjoy one of the most solitary camping experiences in the park system.

Lava Beds is a rare gem in a state with nine "national parks" —more than any other in the country -- along with other units of the park system. Aside from the otherworldly landscape and important events that transpired in this corner of California, it stands out as one of the few national park RV destinations that you can visit on a whim.

I only learned this recently, when some friends made the trek in their new RV. Their stories about the rugged terrain, abundant wildlife, and uncrowded RV camping instantly sold me on visiting the far-flung destination. After spending a week there recently, I now understand what makes this place so special. I almost hesitate to share it with the world, but since you’re an enlightened National Parks Traveler reader (and hopefully supporter), I’ll let you in on the joys of Lava Beds’ RV camping.

RVing To Lava Beds Is Worth The Effort

For most RVing families, vacations at California’s higher profile parks take precedence. My own RVing parents overlooked it while I was growing up and today, as a full-time RVer, I know why. This remote location is way, way, off the beaten path. Getting there is just not an option for most people with limited vacation time. The hot summer temperatures don't do it any favors either. But if you’ve got extra time and the comforts of an RV, you’ll be rewarded with one of the best California park experiences out there.

Lava Beds National Monument sits squarely in sagebrush-carpeted high desert terrain, just south of Klamath Falls, Oregon. Located halfway between Crater Lake National Park to the north, and Lassen Volcanic Natiuonal Park to the south, the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway connects all three parks for an epic camping trip if you’re up to it. Local tourism advocates sell an excellent guidebook for road trippers who want to experience all or part of the byway. It’s filled with itinerary suggestions, including dozens of notable RV stops along the way. Get yourself a copy and carry it along with The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks and you’ll be well-prepared for an in-depth getaway to Lava Beds and beyond.

Lava Beds can handle a range of RVers, from pop-up campers to trailers/Rene Agredano

Make no mistake, Lava Beds is isolated and rugged.

Bring all of your supplies and food, and don't forget to arrive with a full tank of fuel. The nearest services to Lava Beds are in Klamath Falls, located over an hour away from the monument and neighboring campgrounds. This is another reason why so many people opt out of visiting. Less intrepid RVers just don't want to deal with that level of preparedness, and visitation numbers reflect it.

According to park staff, even on the monument's busiest days only about 500 people ever come into the visitor center on a given day. An average day at the park sees only about 350 on a given day. Most drive in to check out one or two Lava Beds caves, then leave. Their absence is your gain. Lava Beds has no timed entry requirements, park shuttles, or long lines. Visiting is like stepping back in time before RVing was cool and Recreation.gov devoured campsite bookings. It’s a great choice for a far-flung holiday reminiscent of the old days.

The monument is open year-round, but try to plan your Lava Beds RV camping experience during late spring or early fall. Don’t make the same mistake I did by visiting in August. That is unless you're aching to experience the hell-on-Earth heat of hot lava flows that formed this otherworldly rocky landscape. Regional summer temperatures routinely hover in the high 90s.

Traveler Tip: Do you enjoy planning your RV trips months ahead of departure day? If so, there's no reason why you can't experience RV camping at all three national parks of the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway. You’ll need to engage in serious planning logistics since reservations are almost mandatory for Crater and Lassen. At least you won’t need to create a fail-safe itinerary for the Lava Beds portion of your trip. It’s the only park destination on the Byway where reservations aren’t accepted.

RV Camping At Lava Beds National Monument

Those RVers lucky enough to fit into a campsite at the Indian Well Campground stay in the heart of the park’s main attractions, which include rock art, trails, and caves. The 43-site campground rarely reaches capacity outside of long holiday weekends. On any given day, there’s a decent selection of ten to 12 first-come, first-served spots ideal for small RVs up to 30 feet long (including truck and trailer if you’ve got one).

Built in 1938 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the campsites don’t have utility hookups, but guests can enjoy the luxuries of flush toilets, hand-pump water spigots, and asphalt parking pads that make set-up easy and fast. Show up almost any time and you'll probably find a site to suit your rig—if it's on the small side. But if you don't find one spot that works, consider renting two adjoining campsites. Park staff confirmed that as long as your unit and tow vehicle fit inside the parking lines, and you pay for both spots, this practice is allowed.

Suggested Itinerary For Larger RVs

Got a modern RV that just won’t fit inside the monument’s campground? Not a problem. Camping options exist near the north and south entrances. But you’ll see more of Lava Beds highlights if you break your trip up into two parts and stay at two different locations. For example, stay a few days on the north side of Lava Beds, where you’ll enjoy full-hookup comfort year-round at the Tulelake Butte Valley Fairgrounds. Reasonably priced with plenty of space, it's not fancy, but you'll get a nice grassy parking area with full hookups. This in-town location is only 57 miles from Klamath Falls. Camping there means you’ll have plenty of time to dive into northern highlights including:

• The rock art of Petroglyph Point
• Early morning hikes through Captain Jack’s Stronghold
• Standing in World War II history at The Tule Lake Segregation Center
• Birding at the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge

A highlight to visiting Lava Beds is going underground in one of the monument's lava tubes/Rene Agredano

For a small fee, don’t miss the fairgrounds’ local history museum and visitor center. It’s packed with regional history about the original Modoc inhabitants of the region, and the role that Butte Valley played in World Wars I and II. You’ll get to see a Tule Lake Segregation Center guard tower replica and actual prisoner barracks from the property. The formation of Lava Beds National Monument, regional agriculture, and homestead history is also covered.

Later, move your rig 27 miles south to either of the two full-service Tionesta RV parks, located just outside the monument’s southern entrance. Whether you stay at Eagles Nest or Hawk’s Nest RV parks, you’ll be far from any towns, but only about 15 minutes from the visitor center and other must-see sights such as:

• Cave Loop Road
• Mammoth Crater
• Fleener Chimneys
• Medicine Lake Highlands
• Many, many hiking trails

All three RV campgrounds outside of Lava Beds are generally open to last-minute visitors, but reservations are recommended during August. You don’t want to arrive when the Butte Valley Fair is underway, since the campground is closed to guests. And you especially want to avoid arriving during the early August influx of Burning Man attendees. Historically they tend to fill the Tionesta parks while en route to the festival. Local highway improvement and public utility jobs can be another glitch during summer since many workers stay in Tionesta. In short, if you camp outside the monument, it’s a good idea to call for a reservation.

How To Make The Most Of Your Lava Beds Experience

I wasn't expecting too much out of Lava Beds, other than what my friends had already described. What a mistake! I naively assumed that the ethereal moonscape terrain, sage-scented breezes, and occasional wildlife sightings would satisfy my curiosity. Was I wrong. The Lava Beds region is one of the most visual and emotional experiences I’ve ever encountered in our national park travels.

There is much history of the Modoc culture at Lava Beds/Rene Agredano

The two must-see activities in the park include:

First, go underground into the lava tube caves

Even if you’re not into dark, confined spaces, make it a point to gather your courage and explore a Lave Beds cave or two. After all, your park entry fee doubles as a caving permit for any of the 24 caves open to the public. Upon purchase, visitor center staff provide excellent caving fact sheets and instructions for everyone from newbies to expert spelunkers. You’ll learn how cooling lava formed these fascinating caves, and why it’s important to dress appropriately and carry a real flashlight along on your subterranean adventure. Staff can also sell you a low-cost helmet to help you avoid the park’s most common visitor injury: a head wound caused by bumping into cave ceilings. Most importantly, you’ll learn how to avoid spreading the dreaded white nose syndrome into Lava Beds caves.

Next, Go Above Ground for a Hike at Captain Jack’s Stronghold

Choose a cool morning to hike through the rocky terrain and read excellent interpretive displays about what took place here during the Modoc Indian War. No visit is complete without a stop at Captain Jacks Stronghold, named for the Modoc chief who led two significant battles against U.S. Army forces on that land between 1872 and 1873. Although they were outnumbered by as much as 10 to 1, the Modoc warriors, women, and children, evaded Army fighters in the lava rock fortress longer than anyone predicted. Today you can walk in their footsteps to contemplate their courage and resilience in the face of impossible odds. It’s an emotional visit that fills you with admiration, awe, and heartache for the peaceful Modoc people who desperately fought for their land and lost it to U.S. forces in 1873. Decades after the tribe’s forced disbandment and relocation to Oklahoma, the Modoc obtained federal reinstatement as a tribe in 1978. A handful of members now live in Oregon, California, and Oklahoma.

Just a few miles away and less than 71 years after the Modoc wars, our government subjected another innocent group of people to similar treatment. The Tule Lake Segregation Center National Monument near the eastern border of Lava Beds stands as a tragic reminder of our nation’s World War II imprisonment of Japanese Americans. The monument’s new visitor center is working on installing more detailed interpretive displays, but you can still immerse yourself in this sad chapter of history by going inside the small building that houses important artifacts of the era, like the War Relocation Authority’s instructions to “all persons of Japanese ancestry.” Visitors can take tours of the jail and other historic buildings by calling the center at least two weeks ahead of time.

It’s Much More Than An RV Adventure

As a kid growing up in Southern California, I never felt a connection to the furthest reaches of our state. If I was taught about the Modoc people in school I don’t remember it. And while I knew about the abhorrent treatment of Japanese Americans during the war, these critical chapters in history never permeated my sense of identity as a person of color, or an American—until now. RVing to Lava Beds was the ultimate two-for-one deal for me, and it can do the same for you too. Whatever your ancestry or experience, exploring the rugged landscape and standing at the ruins of the segregation center serves as a tangible reminder that we have much work to be done to avoid repeating the mistakes of our great nation. When it comes to the ultimate national park RV experience, it doesn't get any better than that.