After a bit of pavement, the Landcruiser and the 4Runner got to enjoy their natural habitat--dirt!
A sign reminded us to stay on existing routes. No problem--we're happy to do so. There are places to pioneer new lines and create hardcore trails, but this isn't one of them. Not to mention both our vehicles are built for adventure and exploring instead of rock crawling.
The Volcanic Tablelands were created by a massive volcanic eruption that took place over 760,000 years ago. That eruption laid down 150 cubic miles (yes, miles) of volcanic ash.
The responsible volcano is gone, but we have the Long Valley Caldera as a vestige of the once-powerful mountain. Geothermal activity is still present around here, and earthquakes are not uncommon.
Humans have been in and around the Volcanic Tablelands for centuries. There are three main areas for viewing petroglyphs on Fish Slough Road, and we planned to make stops at each of them.