Lassen Volcanic National Park

Northern California’s version of Yellowstone lets visitors get close to amazing geological formations.

By Peter Lewis

September 2015

Destinations attractive to inveterate travelers come in many forms. Perhaps it’s a majestic peak, or a beautiful alpine lake, or a seemingly endless expanse of forest. My preference is for places that help to explain how the world as we know it came to be. Lassen Volcanic National Park is such a place.

Geologists tell us that throughout history, volcanic activity has been one of the major natural forces that shaped our world. Volcanoes are still with us and continue to impact the planet.

The United States ranks third, behind Indonesia and Japan, in the number of historically active volcanoes. U.S. volcanoes are clustered in Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific Northwest. The latter are found in the Cascade Range, stretching from northern California through Oregon and Washington.

After Lassen Peak erupted in 1915, officials recognized the need to protect the area. In 1916, Lassen Volcanic National Park was born.

The 160,000-acre park is located about 230 miles north of San Francisco, about 50 miles due east of Redding in northern California. It has primitive campgrounds, all above 5,000 feet in elevation. The park is easy to navigate, as there is but one paved road, which traverses it on a north-south axis. Those who tow a four-wheel-drive vehicle also have much to look forward to, but more on that later.

Lassen is the perfect place to see firsthand the effects of volcanic activity and consider what might happen at some future date when, and if, it erupts again.  Another virtue: Lassen is one of the few places in the world where you can see examples of all four types of volcanoes: cinder cones, composite volcanoes, shield volcanoes, and lava domes. It is also a wonderful place to camp, hike, and partake of non-motorized boating on some very pretty lakes. Anglers who fish for trout will appreciate the park and nearby Hat Creek, the latter is well known as a fine trout fishery.

Lassen Peak was named for Peter Lassen, a Danish blacksmith who settled here in the mid-1800s. He and contemporary William Nobles developed trails and led expeditions throughout the area. Lassen was murdered under mysterious circumstances in 1859.

Many motorhomers will choose to enter the park from the northwest entrance station. Just inside the entrance is Manzanita Lake and its campground, with the largest and most highly developed sites in the park. Manzanita Lake has a dump station, plus 179 well-spaced, no-hookup sites able to handle RVs up to 40 feet. Coin-operated showers and laundry facilities are available. Access to Manzanita Lake is a plus. The campground store sells supplies, gifts, and food.

Near the park’s northwest entrance is the must-see Loomis Museum, which is filled with historical information and some spectacular photographs of the 1914 to 1917 series of eruptions, particularly the one in May 1915 that shaped much of what you see today.

Manzanita Lake is quite beautiful and is a fine place to linger, launch a canoe or kayak, or fish (anglers will need a California fishing license). Hikers will find access to the historic Nobles Emigrant Trail. In the days of Western exploration, it was a major thoroughfare for those heading west, and today it’s popular among hikers. It intersects the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). The PCT, 18 miles of which run through the park, stretches from Canada to Mexico. It also played an important supporting role in the 2014 Reese Witherspoon movie titled Wild. Mere mortals will generally hike it portions at a time, and when you tell your friends that you hiked the famed Pacific Crest Trail, you can leave the details to their imaginations.

The paved road through the park is 30 miles long and, if you are only driving through, it will take an hour or so. If you start in the northwest part of the park, you can look forward to exploring a relatively new visitors center near the end of your tour, at the southwest entrance. The Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center  has exhibits, a café, a gift shop, a dining area, and a summer patio.

After Manzanita Lake Campground, the paved road leads to Crags, a campground that is closed for renovation and will reopen in 2016 as a youth adventure camp. Next is Lost Creek campground, a group site. Following that are Summit Lake North and Summit Lake South campgrounds. The north campground has 46 sites for RVs up to 35 feet long, and flush toilets. (The south campground cannot accommodate motorhomes.)

Eventually you will be close to the park’s major attraction: Lassen Peak. Although impressive today, it is but a remnant of the ancient Brokeoff Volcano, estimated at more than eight miles wide at the base and at least 11,000 feet high in its day. Over time, hydrothermal activity and weathering weakened the volcano until it eventually broke apart approximately 27,000 years ago, leaving Lassen Peak, which is one of the largest lava dome volcanoes in the world. Lassen rises to a height of 10,463 feet.

In mid-May of 1915, Lassen Peak began to rumble. By May 22, when it exploded and sent out a huge plume of dust and smoke, area residents had had enough warnings, and no one was killed. Fine ash from the blast fell at least 200 miles away.

The “Devastated Area” stretches from Lassen Peak down its flanks and into the surrounding countryside. A century has passed since the volcano last erupted, so it’s an education in the force of mud and lava and accompanying avalanches, and the ever-so-slow recovery of vegetation.

Today Lassen Peak is static. Very little appears to justify its classification as an active volcano. For that, one must drive farther south to areas such as Bumpass Hell and Sulphur Works, where hydrothermal activity percolates to the surface in the form of mud pots and steaming vents called fumaroles. They remind us that Mother Nature is not done.

Apart from its value as a geology laboratory, Lassen Volcanic National Park is a fine place to wander and camp if you value peace and quiet. Surrounded by Lassen National Forest and the Caribou Wilderness, the park region is relatively sparsely populated and is not inundated with visitors.

Special mention needs to be made of the Butte Lake Campground and the surrounding area. Butte Lake is situated in the park’s far northeastern corner. One must leave the park proper via the northwest entrance and head east along State Route 44 for about 20 miles to the entry road on the right. This six-mile access road is gravel, dusty, and like a washboard in parts.

Many visitors make this trip to hike the Cinder Cone Nature Trail; its trailhead is at the campground. The trail leads to another of those four volcano types, this one of the cinder cone variety, and this one you must climb. The trail is relatively short. After 1.2 miles you will arrive at the base of the volcano. From there, a trail up the volcano takes you to the top, where the views include the surrounding area (including another volcano — Mount Shasta) and a look down into the caldera, the bowl in the center. The hike up the volcano is only some 750 feet in length, but you ascend at a 30-degree angle, and the footing is loose, like hiking in sand. Regardless of your physical condition, you will know you’ve been on a hike. But the views are spectacular and justify the effort. So take your time and bring along water.

The detour to Butte Lake will pay dividends for anglers. State Route 44 tracks Hat Creek, a well-regarded trout estuary, and there are a series of very nice National Forest Service campgrounds along the way. For example, you like primitive camping alongside a trout stream, Hat Creek Campground and Cave Creek Campground may appeal to you. Both have drinking water and flush toilets. And fish!

Vehicle length and other considerations will lead some RVers to camp outside the park and forest service areas. Multiple options exist to accommodate virtually any type of RV, so don’t despair. The accompanying sidebar describes several of the options.

Early on I noted that those towing a four-wheel-drive vehicle will be excited about some interesting options. The area is home to the Lassen National Forest Backcountry Byway. Street-legal vehicles are allowed on 187 miles of mostly dirt and gravel roads that lead to volcanoes, ghost towns, abandoned mines, and backcountry hiking trails too numerous to mention. It’s a great opportunity to use your Jeep or a similar vehicle.

P.O. Box 100

Mineral, CA 96063

(530) 595-4480

Campground reservations: (877) 444-6777; www.recreation.gov

2250 Riverside Drive

Susanville, CA 96130

(530) 257-2151

Online campground reservations: www.recreation.gov 

California Dept. of Fish & Wildlife

(888) 773-8450

(530) 225-2300

1487 State Route 89

Chester, CA 96020

(530) 258-2904

100 Lake Ave.

Red Bluff, CA 96080

(866) 770-7001

(530) 527-5300

P.O. Box 110

Old Station, CA 96071

(530) 335-7121

14161 Holiday Road

Redding, CA 96003

(800) 404-6040

(530) 275-4600

7749 KOA Road

Shingletown, CA 96088

Reservations: (800) 562-3403

(530) 474-3133

15565 Black Angus Lane

Hat Creek, CA 96040

(877) 335-0203

(530) 335-7418

80 Chestnut Ave.

Red Bluff, CA 96080

(530) 529-2929