Over twelve thousand years ago, hot lava flowed toward this spot as the clinker, cooling front of the flow fell off and was run over by the hot molten core, like treads rolling on a tank. The Devils Homestead flow, which erupted from Fleener Chimneys more than a mile south of here, provides an excellent example of rough a'a lava, while more fluid pahoehoe lava leaves behind a smooth, ropy surface. The wide variety of eruptions at Lava Beds and the abundant features left behind make this area an exceptional place to explore volcano geology.