National Monument · California

Lava Beds National Monument

Lava Beds National Monument is located in northeastern California, in Siskiyou and Modoc counties. Its address puts it 17 mi south of Tulelake. Running it is the National Park Service. Last counted in 2025, visitors numbered 144K.

Photo: U.S. National Park Service, Public domain

Visitors in 2025

144K

National Park Service

Busiest month

July

5.6× January

Where

17 mi south of Tulelake

1 place to stay in Tulelake

Established

1925

National Park Service

In brief

A national monument, 17 mi south of Tulelake

Visits hit a record in 2025

The National Park Service counted 143,659 visitors in 2025, the most in 10 years of counts. Visitors ↓

Plan where you’ll sleep

The nearest town with many places to stay is Altamont, 35 miles north. Where to stay ↓

Best month: Jun

June is the mild month, with a high of 77°. When to go ↓

Established in 1925

Lava Beds National Monument dates from 1925 and is run by National Park Service. About ↓

Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.

When to go

How the year runs

Each month at Lava Beds has its visitors and its weather below.

Jan42° / 22°4.1K

Feb47° / 23°6.6K

Mar53° / 27°5.9K

Apr59° / 30°7.8K

May68° / 37°13K

Jun77° / 42°20K

Jul87° / 48°23K

Aug86° / 46°23K

Sep79° / 40°11K

Oct66° / 32°8.9K

Nov50° / 25°6.4K

Dec41° / 21°4.8K

Bars: average monthly visitors, 2022–2025. Line: the typical afternoon high. Green months are mild and quieter than average. Visitors: National Park Service visitor use statistics, recreation visits. Weather: NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Tulelake. Tulelake’s full climate →

About

Lava Beds National Monument

Lava Beds National Monument is located in northeastern California, in Siskiyou and Modoc counties. The monument lies on the northeastern flank of Medicine Lake Volcano, which is the largest volcano by area in the Cascade Range.

The region in and around Lava Beds National Monument lies at the junction of the Sierra-Klamath, Cascade, and Great Basin physiographic provinces. The monument was established as a national monument on November 21, 1925, and includes more than 46,000 acres (190 km2).

Type: National Monument
Established: 1925
Area: 73 square miles
Run by: National Park Service
Listed: National Register of Historic Places (1991)
Wikipedia readers: 12K a year
Official site: nps.gov/labe

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Facts: Wikidata.

Plan your visit

Getting in

Address1 Indian Well HQ, Tulelake, CA 96134(530) 667-8113

HoursAll dayThe 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 Cente…

Entrance fees

Private Vehicle$25
Motorcycle$20
Per Person$15

Getting thereLava 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.

National Park Service. Check the park’s site for closures and alerts.

Where to stay

Towns to stay in near Lava Beds National Monument

You can sleep inside the park (1 place). The closest lodging is in Altamont (13) and Merrill (3).

Visitor centerPark landHighways12Places to stay in town

1Tule Lake

Inside the park

Stay in the park

1 place · 1 RV park

Indian Well Campground RV park

55 min drive

Altamont

13 places to stay · 8 hotels · 2 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground · 1 RV park

The closest town with somewhere to stay.

19,927 people

35 mi north of Lava Beds Visitor Center · 26 mi to the park

35 min drive

Merrill

3 places to stay · 1 hotel · 1 motel · 1 campground

865 people

22 mi north of Lava Beds Visitor Center · 13 mi to the park

40 min drive

Dorris

4 places to stay · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 RV park

803 people

27 mi northwest of Lava Beds Visitor Center · 20 mi to the park

Compare 5 towns

Town	From the visitor center	Drive	Places to stay	People	Typical home
Altamont	35 mi north	55 min	13 8 hotels · 2 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground · 1 RV park	19,927	$249K
Merrill	22 mi north	35 min	3 1 hotel · 1 motel · 1 campground	865	$205K
Dorris	27 mi northwest	40 min	4 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 RV park	803	$155K
Tulelake	17 mi north	25 min	1 1 motel	833	$170K
Tennant 66% vacation homes	23 mi southwest	35 min	1 1 lodge or cabins	71	$66K

Getting there

Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center

MFRRogue Valley International-Medford83 mi

RDDRedding Municipal93 mi

CECJack Mc Namara Field141 mi

RNOReno Tahoe · major hub178 mi

Places to stay: Overture Maps (hotels, motels, inns, lodges, campgrounds, RV parks; not vacation rentals) · roads: Overture Maps / OpenStreetMap contributors · park boundary: National Park Service · town figures: U.S. Census ACS · airports: OurAirports. Distances are from Lava Beds Visitor Center; drive times are estimates.

Make a day of it

Pair Lava Beds with these

More places people know lie within 67 miles.

Big draw41 mi MountainMount Shasta

114 mi National MonumentTule Lake National Monument5K visitors a year

49 mi WaterfallBurney Falls

51 mi WaterfallMossbrae Falls

61 mi MuseumTrain Mountain Railroad

67 mi Ski areaMount Ashland39 runs · 1,160 ft vertical 45 mi Ski areaMt. Shasta Ski Park36 runs · 2,081 ft vertical

50 mi City parkMount Shasta City Park

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Mount Shasta: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tule Lake National Monument: Russell Lee, Public domain · Burney Falls: Dvortygirl, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mossbrae Falls: Pinecar at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Train Mountain Railroad: Tom703, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Ashland: Alex Lockhart, Public domain · Mount Shasta City Park: Daniel Mayer (talk · contribs), CC BY-SA 3.0

Visitors

Most visitors yet: 143,659 (2025)

See how visits changed from 2016 to 2025.

Every full year the Park Service has counted. 2020 (gold) was the pandemic year. Green is the record. National Park Service visitor use statistics, recreation visits by calendar year.

Common questions

Quick answers on Lava Beds

What town is Lava Beds National Monument near?

Tulelake, CA, about 17 miles north.

When is the best time to visit Lava Beds National Monument?

June, with a high of 77°. July is the busiest month (about 23,354 visitors).

How many people visit Lava Beds National Monument each year?

143,659 in 2025, according to the National Park Service.

What is the closest airport to Lava Beds National Monument?

Rogue Valley International-Medford (MFR), about 83 miles away. The nearest big hub is Reno Tahoe (RNO), about 178 miles.

Where should I stay near Lava Beds National Monument?

Inside the park: Indian Well Campground. Nearby: Altamont (35 mi, 13 places to stay), Merrill (22 mi, 3 places to stay) and Dorris (27 mi, 4 places to stay).

From locals

Word from Tulelake

People in Tulelake have not posted tips yet; their Town Square is open.

When do you go to beat the crowds at Lava Beds? Where do you eat after a visit to Lava Beds? Is Lava Beds worth it with small kids? What do visitors to Lava Beds usually miss?

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.