Tulelake in Siskiyou County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

A Volcanic Classroom

Photographed by Don Morfe, July 2, 2009

1. A Volcanic Classroom Marker

Inscription. Preserved for its caves and volcanic features since 1925, Lava Beds serves as an outdoor school for professional and amateur geologists alike. While the monument covers only ten percent of the surface area of the massive Medicine Lake shield volcano — the largest in the Cascades Range — it contains excellent examples of the many formations volcanic eruptions can leave behind. Here you can explore dozens of lava tube caves, hike to the top of a cinder cone, peer into a hollow spatter cone, and marvel at wide expanses of jagged lava fields. All these features formed rapidly during eruptive periods as lava exploded into the air or flowed downhill for miles. Though the volcano is a half-million years old, its most recent eruption at Glass Mountain occurred only 900 years ago. This suggests that lava may someday erupt here again, erasing old features and recreating the landscape once more.

Erected by National Park Service.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Environment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1925.

Location. 41° 45.894′ N, 121° 33.39′ W. Marker is in Tulelake, California, in Siskiyou County. It is on Hill Road (County Route 10), on the left when traveling south. Marker is located within the boundaries

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of Lava Beds National Monument. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Tulelake CA 96134, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on California’s Modoc Plateau,

in the Shasta Cascade,

and in the Klamath Mountains.

It is also in the American Mountain West

and specifically in the Pacific Northwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

in the Cascade Range,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The End of the Modoc War (here, next to this marker); Spatter Cones (approx. 0.8 miles away); Ambush at Midday - The Thomas-Wright Battle of April 26, 1873 (approx. 0.9 miles away); Beds of Lava (approx. 1.3 miles away); Civilian Conservation Corps (approx. 2 miles away); Last Meeting of the Peace Commission (approx. 3.7 miles away); Canby Cross (approx. 3.8 miles away); Modoc War Casualties (approx. 4.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tulelake.

Another marker is no longer nearby. River of Rocks - The Devils Homestead Lava Flow (was approx. 2 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Detail of Map Displayed on Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Don Morfe, July 2, 2009

2. Detail of Map Displayed on Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on February 12, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 694 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 12, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. Wide area view of the marker and its surroundings. • Can you help?