Lava Beds National Monument is one of Northern California’s weirdest landscapes. The park itself is definitely an underrated gem containing some of the most amazing natural wonders, including hundreds of underground caves. Over 20 of these fantastic caves are open to the public to explore. In fact, park rangers encourage visitors to check out the caves. One of the caves is aptly called The Skull Cave and is probably the park’s most fascinating caves. Not only is the Skull Cave considered one of the best caves for beginner explorers, but it’s simply massive. And yes, you might just find out why they call it The Skull Cave.
Lava Beds National Monument, located near Tulelake, is considered the largest concentration of underground lava tubes in the country. The park itself is home to a plethora of wonders including petroglyphs and historic battlefieds of the Modoc War.
The beautiful high desert wilderness is something that everybody should experience at some point. The views are wonderful and you simply couldn't ask for a better place to hike around and explore.
However, the park's main attractions are the vast and awe-inspiring underground caves. Many of them are open to the public, but the Skull Cave is perhaps the most incredible. The cave is located about two miles north of the Visitor Center.
The Skull Cave is massive, making it a popular cave for visitors to poke around in. The cave's opening is sure to leave you without words. However, it's not just the size that's impressive. The cave also has an incredible cultural history.
The cave was named by E.L Hopkins around the turn of the 19th century. He called it The Skull Cave for the massive amounts of animal bones he found within the cave, including two human skeletons. Both humans and animals used the cave as shelter for centuries since it was one of the few year-round water sources.
There are only two caves in the park which contain an ice floor all year round and The Skull Cave is one of them. Although the ice floor itself is gated off from the public, the cave still gets down to a chilly temperature the farther you venture.
The lava tube is actually fairly short which makes it one of the simpler caves to traverse. It's crazy to think about the cave's historical significance. Today it is a fun adventure, but years ago the cave was a means of survival for many.
