Lava Beds National Monument, CA: Black Crater and Wright Battlefield
Overlook the battlefield where the Modoc made their last stand, and a nearby spatter cone displaying unusual frozen rock formations on this 2.6-mile out-and-back.
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Long before Lava Beds was a national monument, it was home to the Modoc peoples. During homesteading in the 1800s by white settlers, the Modoc were relocated to a reservation near Klamath Falls. Unhappy with their new location, a small group led by Kientpoos (Captain Jack) returned to their homeland, which resulted in a confrontation with the U.S. Army. The Modoc held off the army for over five months before they were eventually defeated. Captain Jack as hanged and the remaining tribe were relocated to Oklahoma.
From the roadside trailhead, a level trail proceeds to a fork. To the left, a 1-mile trail crosses a portion of the Devil’s Homestead lava flow, passes a large spatter cone, then winds across the rabbitbrush-covered plateau to a viewpoint slightly above the wide valley. Here was where Captain Jack and his band of Modoc made their last stand, using their knowledge of the surrounding landscape to their advantage in holding off the U.S. Army as long as they could. The trail to the right climbs to, and circles, the rim of Black Crater, a massive spatter cone featuring aa, pahoehoe, and numerous other interesting and unusual lava formations.
-Mapped by Eli Boschetto, BoscoMountainPhoto
Trail Facts
- Distance: 4.2
Waypoints
BLK001
Location: 41.765143, -121.556449
Black Crater and Thomas-Wright Battlefield trailhead.
BLK002
Location: 41.765682, -121.554861
Fork left for 1-mile route to battlefield overlook; fork right for 0.5-mile loop around Black Crater.
BLK003
Location: 41.766063, -121.55457
Sign in at the hiker registration box.
BLK004
Location: 41.767543, -121.551358
Large spatter cone with pahoehoe flows.
BLK005
Location: 41.769195, -121.539455
Thomas-Wright Battlefield overlook.
BLK006
Location: 41.765557, -121.554376
Look for tree molds in lava flows.
BLK007
Location: 41.764813, -121.552709
Circle the rim of Black Crater, then loop around back side to reconnect below.
Battlefield Trail
Location: 41.766462, -121.55429
Spatter Cone
Location: 41.767527, -121.551243
Shasta View
Location: 41.768399, -121.546447
Thomas-Wright Battlefield
Location: 41.769215, -121.539377
Black Crater
Location: 41.765638, -121.554612
Frozen Rock
Location: 41.765198, -121.552305
Crater View
Location: 41.765518, -121.552992
