Aug. 7, 2026

At the intersection of three national forests, this monument was created in January 2025. It includes Medicine Lake which is the center of the old shield volcano. Parts of it are thick pine forests and other parts are jumbled lava rocks. I was planning on staying at one of the campgrounds on the lake, but they were all full. There was also a lot of logging going on in the campgrounds and surrounding them. Down the road further was a primitive campground that was shady and not a single other person was at. I got the better spot and lots of privacy. I hiked part of the glass flow trail and around little medicine lake, startling a mama doe and her three fawns in the evening and a whole herd of deer in the morning.