IR Harry
09-09-2007, 12:44 AM
If you have never heard of Medicine Lake National Volcanic Area, you are with the vast majority. In Northern California, east of Tennent, north of Pondosa, west of Tionesta, is a volcanic caldera with a beautiful lake in it rivaling Crater Lake and Newberry Crater.
To get there from I-5, leave CA 89 at Bartle 30 miles east McCloud, and take the paved forest service road (Harris Spring or Medicine Lake road) another 20 miles to Medicine Lake. From the east, leave CA 139 at Perez and follow the paved Forest Service Ionesta-Medicine Lake Road 25 miles. All paved, and the last ten or so miles is a beautiful bike road. Smooth and crooked.
Medicine Lake has several really nice campground, a great picnic area, boat launch, and really well cared for. Traffic is nil - we came in from Ionesta and went out the Red Rock Road (paved and hits US 97 at Macdowel), and saw three cars in over 80 miles. There are no services - no fuel, no DQs, no stores. But natural features abound. Massive obsidion flows, lava tubes, BIG mule deer, fishing, hiking, peace and quiet. Cell phones do work.
Paved roads are at a premium, but the gravel roads do not present much of a challange even to a overweight Goldwing. Glass Mountain, Lava Tubes, Ice Caves, and the Modoc Indian War strongholds are places of interest. The fishing in the lake is decent in the early morning and late evenings. :tent8:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/hspencer942/Ride/MeedicineLake1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/hspencer942/Ride/MedicineLake2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/hspencer942/Ride/MedicineLake3.jpg
Really a nice place to camp if you like sem-primitive camping or spending a little time not is someones back yard. We used a tent trailer, and it worked just really great up there.
To get there from I-5, leave CA 89 at Bartle 30 miles east McCloud, and take the paved forest service road (Harris Spring or Medicine Lake road) another 20 miles to Medicine Lake. From the east, leave CA 139 at Perez and follow the paved Forest Service Ionesta-Medicine Lake Road 25 miles. All paved, and the last ten or so miles is a beautiful bike road. Smooth and crooked.
Medicine Lake has several really nice campground, a great picnic area, boat launch, and really well cared for. Traffic is nil - we came in from Ionesta and went out the Red Rock Road (paved and hits US 97 at Macdowel), and saw three cars in over 80 miles. There are no services - no fuel, no DQs, no stores. But natural features abound. Massive obsidion flows, lava tubes, BIG mule deer, fishing, hiking, peace and quiet. Cell phones do work.
Paved roads are at a premium, but the gravel roads do not present much of a challange even to a overweight Goldwing. Glass Mountain, Lava Tubes, Ice Caves, and the Modoc Indian War strongholds are places of interest. The fishing in the lake is decent in the early morning and late evenings. :tent8:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/hspencer942/Ride/MeedicineLake1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/hspencer942/Ride/MedicineLake2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/hspencer942/Ride/MedicineLake3.jpg
Really a nice place to camp if you like sem-primitive camping or spending a little time not is someones back yard. We used a tent trailer, and it worked just really great up there.