The Modoc War
Lava Beds is most famous as the campsites and battlefields of the Modoc War, 1872-1873. White settlers in both Oregon and California were arguing that the Klamath's and Modoc's should be placed on a reservation and the rest of their traditional homelands be made available for settlement. Battles ensued - a small band of the Modoc tribe was besieged by US Army force outnumbering them by as much as ten to one.

For more information, visit the Lava Beds National Monument website.

Modoc Indian Homeland:
Prior to being designated a national park, it was home to Paleolithic peoples for thousands of years. Their culture and spiritual influence is still very evident in pictographs and petroglyphs.

National Monument Designation:
President Calvin Coolidge designated Lava Beds a national monument in 1925. Civilian Conservation Corps crews built most of the infrastructure (roads, trails, services) you see today which allowed people to begin visiting the park. Today, about 100,000 visitors come to the Lava Beds.