Are you coming to Lava Beds with a school group and want to do your own thing? Check out these ideas to have a self guided educational experiance at Lava Beds.
CavingWith over 20 developed caves, groups can easily spend days underground exploring this unique environment. Before coming to the park we recommend reviewing the caving page and sharing the Cave Safely & Cave Softly information with your students and chaperones. The safest way to take a large group caving is to divide into groups of 6-8 students with at least one adult assigned to each group. Groups should be under 30 for most caves, due to smaller spaces and other navigational challenges. Students can walk around the 2-mile loop road from the Visitor Center with each small group exploring a different cave. To find out the level of difficulty for each cave and to see which caves are currently open please visit the caving page. To expand your caving experience you can request the Geology and/or Cave Life Trunks to be mailed to you in advance. They each have about 2 weeks of lesson plans you can use before coming here. You can also request a ranger guided geology education program, such as Mushpot program or a Valentine Cave tour. To help with your field trip experience, Lava Beds has flashlights and bump hats, and binoculars to loan out to your class for free! It is encouraged that students bring their own lights and helmets if possible, and that classes state what they need to the education coordinator before arriving. Once you arrive at the park, your group will need to come to the visitor center to be screened for white-nose syndrome prior to entering any caves in the park. Hiking TrailsWith over a dozen hiking trails through Lava Beds, you’re bound to find one that offers an amazing adventure for your students. Tails range from .5 miles to over 8 miles in length, and go through various habitats found within Lava Beds. For those interested specifically in the Modoc War the following trails tell that story: Gillems Camp, Captain Jacks Stronghold and the Thomas Wright Battlefield Trail. For those interested in the geology of Lava Beds, Mammoth Crater, Fleener Chimmneys, Black Crater, and Schonchin Butte are great options for learning about the natural processes that formed Lava Beds. Protecting the ResourceThe National Park Service exists to preserve places of unique natural history and important cultural history for all generations. To this end, we ask for your assistance. Please do not break off, collect or take home any lava tube features, rocks, plants or flowers found in the park. If you are planning a picnic lunch at the park, please make sure all garbage is collected and deposited in trashcans. If you and your students remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints, you will have contributed greatly to the preservation of Lava Beds National Monument. |
Last updated: December 13, 2023