Home to all four volcano types in the world, Lassen Volcanic National Park is a wilderness wonderland of volcanoes, boiling mud pots, fumaroles, forests, waterfalls and pristine lakes.
At Lassen Volcanic National Park, visitors can immerse themselves in a volcanic wonderland filled with fumaroles, lakes, boiling mud puts, mountains and meadows.
One of the most underrated national parks in America, this is a place where you can see all of the world’s four types of volcanoes: cinder cone, shield, composite and plug dome.
The park’s namesake and centerpiece, Lassen Peak is one of the biggest plug dome volcanoes on Earth. It erupted as recently as 1914-1921, with its largest recent explosion taking place in May of 1915.
Lassen Volcanic National Park is a superb place to learn about the destructive potential and regenerative results of volcanic events. Devastation is usually followed by restoration, which is visible all throughout the park, from wildflower-filled meadows and bubbling creeks to pristine forests.
Located at the crossroads of three major biological zones in the American West—the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the south, the Great Basin Desert to the east and the Cascade Range to the north—Lassen Volcanic is also boasts an exceptional biodiversity. It is home to fauna and flora of all three bio-zones, a remarkable feature.
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Highlights of Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen Volcanic is chock-full of amazing attractions. The park is best known for its volcanic features, such as cinder cones, hissing fumaroles and sulphuric springs.
Additionally, visitors can enjoy peaceful boating on pristine lakes, backpacking in wilderness areas, wildlife viewing in meadows and more. As a remote park in Northern California, there’s also world-class stargazing.
These are my personal favorite Lassen Volcanic National Park attractions (all of which are along the Lassen Volcanic Highway):
- Manzanita Lake
- Devastated Area
- Summit Lake
- Kings Creek Meadow and Falls
- Lassen Peak
- Bumpass Hell
- Sulphur Works
- Brokeoff Mountain Trail
- Stargazing
Accommodation Near Lassen Volcanic National Park
In addition to several campgrounds, places to stay at Lassen Volcanic are limited to the Manzanita Lake cabins and the remote Drakesbad Guest Ranch.
There is no easily accessible lodging within the national park—camping is the park’s primary type of accommodation—yet some nearby towns do have select accommodation options, including motels, hotels and RV parks
Booking.com
Useful Info
Location: Northern California
Nearest Towns: Shingletown, Old Station and Chester; nearest major town is Redding, 1 hour west
Area: 166 square miles (106,372 acres)
Annual Visitors (2022): 446,291
Features: All four volcano types in the world, boiling mud pots, fumaroles, waterfalls, lakes
Top Attractions: Lassen Peak, Manzanita Lake, Kings Creek Falls, Bumpass Hell, Sulphur Works, Summit Lake, Devastated Area, Cinder Cone, Painted Dunes
Popular Activities: Hiking, boating, stargazing, horseback riding, backpacking, cycling, snowshoeing
Suggested Stay: 3 days
Campground(s):
- Manzanita Lake Campground (179 sites)
- Summit Lake North Campground (46 sites)
- Summit Lake South Campground (49 sites)
- Southwest Walk-in Campground (21 sites)
- Butte Lake Campground (101 sites)
- Juniper Lake Campground (18 sites)
- Warner Valley Campground (17 sites)
More Information: National Park Service
Nearby National Parks:
- Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
- Redwood National Park, California
- Yosemite National Park, California
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