Lavic Lake volcanic field, Volcanic field with cinder cones in Mojave Desert, California.
Lavic Lake volcanic field covers 100 km2 of basaltic pahoehoe lava plain in the Mojave Desert, with four Holocene cinder cones: three near Lavic Dry Lake and a fourth southwest in the Rodman Mountains. Pisgah Crater, the most accessible cone, rises 100 m above the field to 776 m and has been altered by mining for road aggregate.
Pisgah Crater within this field experienced eruptions spanning thousands of years, with the oldest phase occurring roughly 25,000 years ago. These eruptions created the lava formations and cones that shape the landscape today.
The field's cones sit directly beside historic Route 66 and modern Interstate 40, between Barstow and Ludlow, 10 miles (16 km) west of Ludlow. Pisgah Crater, the most accessible cone, rises 100 m (330 ft) above the field to a peak of 2,545 ft (776 m). Its cone has been altered by mining that supplies road aggregate.
The best way to reach this area is from Interstate 40, which runs between Barstow and Ludlow. Visitors should bring plenty of water since the terrain is extremely dry and exposed to desert heat.
Pisgah Crater's cone has been altered by mining that supplies road aggregate, so its profile is not entirely natural. The field's four Holocene cones sit between Barstow and Ludlow, three near Lavic Dry Lake and a fourth southwest in the Rodman Mountains.
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