National Park ServiceU.S. Department of the Interior
Lava Beds National Monument The entrance to Blue Grotto, one of dozens of caves for you to explore.
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Volcanic eruptions on the Medicine Lake shield volcano have created an incredibly rugged landscape punctuated by cinder cones, lava flows, spatter cones, lava tube caves and pit craters. During the Modoc War of 1872-1873, the Modoc Indians used these tortuous lava flows to their advantage. Under the leadership of Captain Jack, the Modocs took refuge in "Captain Jack's Stronghold," a natural lava fortress. From this base a group of 53 fighting men and their families held off US Army forces numbering up to ten times their strength for five months. Visitors can tour both the geologic and historic wonders of this unusual landscape.

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Designations

Modoc Lava Beds Archeological District
National Monument - November 21, 1925

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