Smith Rock State Park years ago, a large caldera was formed when overlying rock collapsed into an underground lava chamber. This created a huge amount of rock and ash debris that filled the caldera. That material solidified into rock, becoming Smith Rock tuff. Rhyolite flows intruded along faults in the Smith Rock Tuff. A half million years ago, basalt lava flows from nearby volcanoes covered the older tuff. More recently, the Crooked River cut its way through the layers of rock to create today's geographic features. Smith Rock itself is a -high ridge (above sea level) with a sheer cliff-face overlooking a bend in
Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park legend that accounts for the lava as well as geological causes. The park has waterfalls, pools, cinder cones, tree moulds, lava tubes, spatter cones, a lava-dammed lake, caves and other features created by lava flows. The park aims to protect moose, goats, marmots, bears and many other species of wildlife. The park covers 178.93 square kilometres in area. It is believed to be the site of Canada's most recent volcanic eruption and lava flow, a geological disaster that killed an estimated 2,000 people. The source of the eruption was the Tseax Cone. Large lava flows dammed the Nass River and