“I expected a lot of hot outside work, but never underground. It’s a completely different environment.”
Alma Williams
CCC Siskiyou Center
Thousands of years ago, Medicine Lake Volcano – the largest in the Cascades by volume – erupted in what is now Siskiyou County. As the molten rock cooled, hundreds of lava tubes were left behind for modern day residents to explore beneath the Earth. It’s a unique and delicate history that California Conservation Corps (CCC) Corpsmembers are helping to preserve.
“I expected a lot of hot outside work, but never underground. It’s a completely different environment,” said Siskiyou Corpsmember Alma Williams. “The dark scares me. I’m not going to lie. But it’s not too bad when you have 15 people down here and some lights on. You feel a lot more comfortable than you’d think.”
Descending into the lava tube at Lava Beds National Monument, temperatures drop rapidly and ice can cling to the basalt rock. Across the centuries, members of the Modoc tribe plus local wildlife used this location to escape the heat and access water. Frozen in time, the bones of bighorn sheep are preserved within – giving Skull Cave its spooky name.
“We put this fence up to protect the bones and ice, as well as some of the relics, from the public touching them,” said Corpsmember Malaiki MacGirvin. “When I came in here, I was extremely excited. There aren’t many CCC crews that get to work in caves, we’re some of the few.”
In addition to protecting natural resources, Corpsmembers improved public access within the cave. The goal is to help more visitors safely enter and learn about the unique geologic and cultural heritage.
“When we first arrived, the railing only had a top bar,” said Corpsmember Izaiah Ruiz. “We attached these secondary poles with couplings and T-joints; made sure everything’s secure. It will last a long time – and nobody will be falling through or tripping on the rocks.”
According to the National Park Service, 143,659 people visited Lava Beds National Monument in 2025. With added protections in place, Skull Cave is now ready to welcome even more curious explorers back into its winding caverns. For young adults in the CCC, despite the dark location, the experience was undoubtedly bright.
