Cima Dome & Volcanic Field National Natural Landmark, Volcanic field and national natural landmark in San Bernardino County, California.
Cima Dome and Volcanic Field National Natural Landmark is a protected geological site in the Mojave Desert, San Bernardino County, California, made up of a broad, gently rounded granite dome and one of the most intact volcanic fields in North America. The site contains dozens of cinder cones and lava flows that rise visibly above the flat desert floor.
The volcanic field built up through many eruptions spread over hundreds of thousands of years, layering black lava across the desert surface. The granite dome at the center is far older and was exposed gradually as softer surrounding rock wore away.
Rock carvings left by people who traveled through this area thousands of years ago can still be seen on the lava surfaces. These markings are one of the few visible signs of human presence in an otherwise remote stretch of desert.
The roads leading into the area are unpaved and rough, so a high-clearance vehicle is strongly recommended. Visitors should carry more water than they think they need, especially outside the cooler months of spring and fall.
The Cima Dome is not a volcanic formation at all, which surprises many visitors who come expecting a single peak shaped by lava. It is a granite dome so gently rounded that people often walk across it without realizing they have crossed its summit.
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