Medicine Lake Volcano part of newly-designated Sáttítla Highlands National Monument
Aerial view west across the upper part of Medicine Lake Volcano toward Mount Shasta, with the caldera lake labeled in the distance. The volcano has erupted numerous times over its half-million-year history, including 9 times in the last 5,000 years. The youngest among these eruptions created the 950-year-old Glass Mountain flow, a known source of obsidian for indigenous people. The name "Sáttítla" translates to "obsidian place" in the Ajumawi language. The volcano, although currently dormant, is considered active with the ability to erupt again in human lifetimes. As a result, it has been designated by the USGS as a “high