Fleener Chimneys, Tulelake, CA

Fleeners Chimneys

The “chimneys” built up as hot gases propelled globs of lava high into the air like lumpy oatmeal boiling over a pot. This lava quickly formed dramatic, hollow spatter cones as it fell back to the ground. Later, less explosive lava flowed out, creating the massive Devils Homestead flow.

The magma that formed these cones came up through a long fissure in the ground that runs along Gillem Bluff. Cracks in the earth’s crust allow lava to erupt and form a multitude of different volcanic features.

A short side road takes you to the fascinating Fleener Chimneys. This spatter cone is the source of the rough Devils Homestead a'a flow. It was created as erupting globs of molten lava piled up on each other like sticky oatmeal, leaving a 50 ft (15 m) deep chimney behind in the center. Picnic tables at this site are shaded by junipers. The tables were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps more than sixty years ago! The massive logs were obtained at Oregon Caves National Monument, and the rocks gathered locally. An accessible restroom is also available here.