Bunchgrass Overlook - Lava Beds National Monument
N 41° 43.233 W 121° 31.492
10T E 622702 N 4619801
This scenic roadside vista is located within the Lava Beds National Monument (park fees may apply in season) and along the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway in Siskiyou County, CA.
Waymark Code: WMFTTQ
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 11/30/2012
Views: 3
This scenic roadside lookout focuses on the juniper brushland in this part of the national monument. There are three informative signs that discusses the flora and fauna as well as the fire danger that exists within this monument. The flora placard says the following:
Living in Extremes
Lava Beds National Monument is a refuge for a variety of species that live together in few other places on earth. Visit in the parching heat of summer or the blustery cold of winter and you may wonder how any animal could survive in this rugged volcanic terrain. But with patience and luck, it is possible to spot a wide variety of animals that do not merely subsist here, but make a comfortable home in this land of extremes. These animals are specially suited to the unique range of habitats here, and they depend on this protected environment for their survival.
The fauna placard says the following:
Land of Many Habitats
You are standing in a juniper brushland, one of three distinct plant communities found at Lava Beds. Along the northern third of the monument in the distance, grasses and sagebrush dominate. As elevation and moisture increase along the monument's southern boundary behind you, a Ponderosa pine forest takes over. lands altered more by human uses surround these habitats, which provide a refuge for a wide range of animals.
The view at this overlook is vast and expansive and you can see Schonchin Butte in the far distance as well as other mountain ranges.