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| Big Lava Bed | |
|---|---|
 The forested slope in the foreground is part of the Big Lava Bed, a 0.9 cu km lava flow erupted from thecinder cone in the background about 8200 years ago. Thelava flow traveled 13 km from the sourcecrater and is the youngest feature of theIndian Heaven volcanic field. | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 4,195 feet (1,279 m) |
| Coordinates | 45°54′N121°45′W / 45.9°N 121.75°W /45.9; -121.75[1] |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Location | Skamania County,Washington, U.S. |
| Parent range | Cascade Range |
| Geology | |
| Rock age(s) | 6250 BC ± 100 years, in the latePleistocene toHolocene |
| Mountain type(s) | Fissure vent,cinder cone andlava field[1][2] |
| Volcanic field | Indian Heaven |
| Last eruption | 8200 years ago[3] |
TheBig Lava Bed, located in theGifford Pinchot National Forest in the southwestern area of theState of Washington, originated from a 500-foot-deepcrater in the northern center of the bed. The Big Lava Bed is the youngest feature of theIndian Heaven volcanic field. The 0.9-cubic kilometer lava flow erupted from the cinder cone about 8200 years ago. Thelava flow traveled 13 km from the source crater.Lodgepole pine,alder, and otherpioneer plants struggle to grow, seen sparsely growing between and amid towering rock piles, caves, and strange lava formations. Access into the interior of thelava bed is difficult, since there are no roads or trails crossing thelava field. Explorers who wish to venture deep within the lava flow are advised to choose their route carefully. Compasses are not always reliable, since localmagnetic influences affect their magnetic performance in the vast expanse of rock.[4]
