Lava Beds National Monument is the most understated park I have ever visited. It should be named Gnarly Lava Tunnels That You Climb In And Have Your Mind Blown National Gnar.

Alice and Phil discovered this place. Why doesn’t everyone already know about it?!?

From the outside it looks like magma barf of danger.

You roll in, pay your $10 per car, and get handed a map and as many flashlights as you have people. Then you explore cave tubes left behind when the volcanoes packed it in and the liquid hot magma drained.

Inside is magic.

Some of the bacteria on the cave walls glows golden gnar. That is Tess’s favourite.

This is my hand on some drippy bits of cold liquid hot magma.

We are explorers.

Intrepid explorers.

But clearly not the first.

Also, Tess is an athlete.