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' HERALD AND NEWS, KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON
SUNDAY, JULY 13, 1958
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Varied' Amid Dnterestiinig
LABYRINTH CAVE is a good example of the underground
wonders to be found at the Lava Beds National Monument.
This picture, snapped by Herald and News photographer
Don Kettler, shows the cave with the light of a gas lan
tern glowing in the background.
Forty one miles south of Klam
ath Falls lies the 72-square-mile
area of the Lava Beds National
Monument, site pf. the famous bat
ties of the Modoc War of 1872-73.
But there is more" to the site
than mere batHe scenes no mat
ter how exciting historically they
might be. Within the monument
are to be found spectacular lava
flowers, fumeroles, ice caves with
floors composed of solidly frozen
rivers, huge caverns with -domed
roofs and, jn season, myriads of
wildflowers, In addition to all this
there are over 40 'species of wild
life within the monument. Lvine
10 me norm ana adjacent is the
Tulelake National Wildlife Refuse
where in spring and fall hundreds
of thousands of ducks and geese
are to be seen.
Huge bands of deer roam the
Devil's Homestead area in winter
when they come out of the high
hills in search of pasturing
ground.
The trip is one well worth the
lime to make whether you are an
"old-timer" in the country or a
newcomer to the desert scene.
While no eating or hotel facilities
are available at the monument at
present there is nearby Tulelake
where these needs can, be taken
care of. At- the monument there
is a campground at Indian Well
and a picnic ground located at
Fleener Chimney.
Ihe area was set aside bv Dresi-
dential proclamation in 1925 and
was transferred to the National
Park Service in 1933. Since that
time the roads have been constant
ly improved and extended in order
that more of the natural beauties
of the place could be easily visited
by tourists.
Most famous occurrence in the
area,' of course, was the Modoc
War of 1872 which saw a handtul
of Indians holding at bay a huge
force of United States troops in a
last ditch fight. Taking advantage
of the rough terrain, the natural
trenches in the lava, the hidden
springs and their knowledge of the
country Captain Jack and his
brave band of only 71 fighting
men held on until the final defeat
at Dry Lake on Mav 10. 1873. The
old rifle pits" are -still standing,
a few of them, and occasional rel
ics of the war years turn up.
buried under their dusty covering
of rocks and weeds.
The scene of Cantain Jack's
Cave, reputedly filled with Ihe
arsenal and personal goods of the
warriors, is still busily sought by
the small fry as they scramble
about in the lava flows.
Of more immediate interest are
such items as Dragon's Head and
Post oince caves, one of which
is located in a chasm over one
hundred feet deep. There is Val
entine Cave and its var'ing-lava
flows. Skull Cave, so-called from
the fact that scores of skulls of
bighorn sheep and pronghorn an
telope killed by Indians in days
gone by were found on the floor,
has three levels, Ihe roof soaring
5 feet at the dome and the
lower level made un of solid ice
which never mells.
There are. too. the Dictncranlis
of Symbol Bridge, ancient art in
scribed on Ihe walls and preserved
to this day. .
It is an easv Inn from Klamath
with a choice of two routes. For
nhose who are new to the area
perhaps Ihe most scenic route is
to head south on US 97, cross over
Ihe state line road and swing into
the monument around Pelroglyph
Point. A more direct route is to
go through Merrill and turn off,
right, just beyond that town.
The pictures accomoanvine this
article give at least some idea of
the various attractions to be seen.
RIMROCK COUNTRY on the way to the main entrance I after turning off the state lint road end on the wav to the
V the Lava Beds is exemplified in this picture taken just I park. yore
YOUNG RUSTLERS
ALBERT LEA. Minn. un-Callle
rustling is largely passe in this
dairy and hog-' raiding section of
Minnesota. But, two teen-age boys
admitted theft and sale of o
hogs to a packinghouse for nearly
11,100.