Planning a trip to Lassen Volcanic National Park
Information
Contact Lassen Volcanic National Park, P.O. Box 100, Mineral, CA 96063 (tel. 530/595-4480; www.nps.gov/lavo). Peak Experiences is a free, handy little newspaper listing activities, hikes, and points of interest. Also useful is Larry Eifert's Lassen Volcanic National Park: Auto Tours, Trips & Trails (Estuary Press, 2007), which gives a tour of the park from a motorist's view point. These and other books, plus maps and videos, are available from the Lassen Association (tel. 530/529-3450; www.lassenassociation.org).
Visitor Centers
There is a visitor center just inside the northwest entrance at the Loomis Museum. The Loomis Museum (daily late June to late Sept) has interpretive exhibits, videos, and leaflets. Ranger-led walks are offered late June to early September.
Just inside the southwest entrance, the terrific new Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center features interpretive exhibits, a bookstore, and a cafe. Named for the Mountain Maidu people's moniker for "Snow Mountain," Kohm Yah-mah-nee is open daily year-round.
The park headquarters, on Calif. 36 in Mineral, southwest of the park, offers information and publications Monday to Friday (except holidays) year-round. There are ranger stations at Summit Lake and in the more isolated reaches of the park at Warner Valley, Juniper Lake, and Butte Lake.
Fees & Permits
Entry to the park for up to a week costs $10 per vehicle or $5 per person on foot, horse, or bicycle. Camping fees range from $10 to $18. Anyone spending the night in the backcountry must obtain a free wilderness permit.
Special Regulations & Warnings
Because of the dangers posed by the park's thermal features (specifically the boiling, acidic water), always remain on trails in active areas and heed warning signs. Fires are allowed in campgrounds only. Warm clothing is needed year-round.
Getting Around
The main park road crosses the park in a half-circle with entrance stations at either end. It is usually open from mid-June through late November. Most visitors enter the park at the Southwest Entrance Station, drive through, and leave through the northwest entrance, or vice versa.
The 30-mile tour through this rugged yet captivating region should take no more than a couple of hours, though it's a good idea to factor in a few more hours to hike up Lassen Peak or explore the Devastated Area and Bumpass Hell. If there's time, make an effort to stop at Sulphur Works near Mineral (about 2 miles from the southwest entrance), an acrid, noisy cauldron of steam vents that let off a mighty pungent odor.
When to Go
The park is in one of the colder areas of California, and temperatures at night can drop below freezing at any time. With snow blanketing the area with an average of 500 inches a year, winter in Lassen can begin in late October, and the main park road can be closed until mid-June. Even in summer, you should be prepared for the possibility of rain and snow. In some years, you might see snowbanks lining the main park road into July. Winter, however, shows a different and beautiful side of Lassen that people are starting to appreciate. Since most of the park is over a mile high and the highest point is 10,457 feet, snow accumulates in incredible quantities. Altitude is also a consideration if you intend to stay in the area -- the high elevation can affect some medical conditions.
Avoiding the Crowds
Crowds? Forget it. Lassen is one of the least visited national parks in the Lower 48. Unless you're here on July 4 or Labor Day weekend, you won't encounter anything that could rightly be called a crowd. Even then, you can escape simply by skipping the popular sites, such as Bumpass Hell, Lassen Peak, and the Sulphur Works, and heading a few miles down any of the backcountry trails.
Getting There
Part of the reason Lassen Volcanic National Park is one of the least visited national parks is its remoteness, which is partly perception. The most foolproof route to get there is to take Calif. 44 east from Redding (on I-5), which leads to the park's northwest entrance. If you're coming from the south along I-5, take Calif. 36 east from Red Bluff, which leads to the park's southwest entrance.
If you're arriving from the east on I-80, take the U.S. 395 turnoff at Reno, Nevada, and head to Susanville. Depending on which end of the park you're shooting for, take either Calif. 44 (to the northwest entrance) or Calif. 36 (to the southwest entrance) from Susanville.
Calif. 89 leads to the main park road, which crosses the park in a 30-mile half-circle, with entrances and visitor contact stations at either end.
Most visitors enter the park at the Southwest Entrance Station, drive through the park, and leave through the north entrance, or vice versa. Three other entrances lead to remote portions of the park. Warner Valley and Juniper Lake are accessible from the south on the road from Chester. The Butte Lake entrance is on a dirt road from Calif. 44 between Old Station and Susanville.
The Nearest Airport -- The closest airport is Redding Municipal Airport, 6751 Woodrum Circle (tel. 530/224-4320; www.ci.redding.ca.us). It's served by United Express, with car rentals from Avis, Budget, and Enterprise. The closest major airports are in Sacramento and Reno.
