The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: July twenty-fourth, spelunking in a lava tube.

In California's northeast corner, you'll find a little known network of nature's handiwork. Created 10,000 years ago, giant underground tubes were formed when the exterior of gushing lava floods cooled and hardened while their warmer cores continued flowing like water through a hose. The result? The immense subterranean lattice of tunnels called Lava Beds National Monument.

Many of the huge tubes contain geological peculiarities and offer a glimpse of what Zane Grey in his book Forlorn River called "The bowels of the earth." Some two dozen of these lava tunnels near the visitor's center have been developed for easy public access. More experienced spelunkers love exploring other, more difficult tubes. If you plan to venture into any of the park's over 200 caves, bring a heavy-duty flashlight, hard hat, and hiking boots. A visit to Lava Beds National Monument is certainly a bargain. The park's entrance fee, just $5 per vehicle, is good for a whole week.

There are above-ground diversions as well. The Schonchin Butte, which juts from the flat frozen rivers of lava, offers a grand view for hikers. And history buffs will appreciate that Lava Beds was the site of California's only major Indian war.

But for most visitors, the absolute dark silence of these lava tubes is the real attraction. As one visitor noted, "When you're down there, it's just you and God."

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