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History of Lassen Volcanic National Park: From Eruptions to Preservation

Long before Lassen Volcanic National Park was established in 1916, Indigenous peoples traveled its rugged volcanic landscape, emigrants crossed its difficult wagon trails, and scientists explored its unique geology. The dramatic eruptions of Lassen Peak between 1914 and 1917 ultimately helped transform this remote corner of Northern California into one of America’s most fascinating national parks.

For centuries, human history and volcanic forces shaped the rugged landscape that is now Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California. Long before it carried any federal designation, this was a place of seasonal routes, hunting grounds, trade paths, and later, frontier ambition.

This article is part of a five-part guide to Lassen Volcanic National Park, covering its history, geology, hiking routes, seasonal access, and RV travel planning.

Before becoming a national park, the area was protected in a more fragmented way, originally existing as two separate national monuments. It wasn’t until a dramatic series of eruptions from Lassen Peak between 1914 and 1917 that the landscape’s volatility and national significance came sharply into focus. Those eruptions didn’t just reshape the terrain—they helped reshape public perception, turning a geologically active region into a nationally protected park in 1916 with expansion and consolidation following shortly after.

Lassen Volcanic National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

The first people of Lassen Country

Seasonal movement through a harsh volcanic landscape

The high-elevation terrain now protected within the park can be harsh and unforgiving, especially during long winter months. Because of these conditions, evidence of Native American habitation within the immediate volcanic high country is limited with most activity concentrated in the surrounding foothills of Lassen Peak. These lands were used by the Yana, Yahi, Atsugewi, and Mountain Maidu peoples.

Rather than establishing permanent settlements in the higher elevations, these groups moved seasonally across the landscape, living in structures such as pit houses, bark lodges, and shade shelters. Their lifeways were closely tied to the rhythms of the land—subsistence hunting of deer, fishing in nearby waterways, and gathering acorns, berries, roots, and greens. Food sources were often shared and traded between neighboring groups, creating a network of exchange across the broader region.

When fur trappers working for both American and British interests began moving through northeastern California in the 1820s—then still part of the Republic of Mexico—sporadic accounts of sightings of Lassen Peak began to appear in their records. However, neither trappers nor early explorers showed much interest in settling this dense, high-elevation landscape of forests and volcanic terrain.

Wagon trails into Lassen Country

The difficult routes that carried emigrants west

It wasn’t until 1844 when emigrant Pierson B. Reading secured a Mexican land grant to establish what would become the city of Redding, California, that more sustained non-Indigenous settlement began to take shape in the broader region surrounding Lassen country.

Once pioneers and prospectors were drawn west by the promise of gold, grazing land, and the fertile farmland reported across California, wagon trails stretched from east to west, carrying emigrants on long and often perilous journeys toward a new land and a new life.

Between 1848 and 1851, two major routes—the Lassen Trail, established by Danish blacksmith, farmer, and entrepreneur Peter Lassen, and the Nobles Emigrant Trail (also known as the Fort Kearney, South Pass and Honey Lake Wagon Road), developed by Minnesota artisan William Nobles—carried thousands of emigrants toward California’s promise of land and opportunity. Both routes skirted, and in places threaded through, the broader region that now forms Lassen Volcanic National Park, placing early travelers in close proximity to its rugged volcanic terrain.

The Lassen Trail ultimately proved too arduous and was soon abandoned in favor of the Nobles Emigrant Trail which offered a more practical route through the region. Portions of this historic corridor align with travel routes that later influenced modern trails including sections near the northern and northeastern reaches of what is now Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Today, hikers can still trace echoes of this history on the landscape. A climb to the summit of Cinder Cone near Butte Lake, for example, offers sweeping views across terrain once crossed by early emigrants moving through this rugged volcanic country.

Scientific exploration comes to Lassen Country

When geologists began studying Lassen’s volcanic world

It wasn’t until the establishment of the California Geological Survey in 1860 that the unique geology of Lassen country began to draw sustained scientific interest. In 1863, a survey team was dispatched to explore the region, becoming some of the first recorded non-Indigenous scientists to study its volcanic landscape in detail. During their expedition, they climbed both Lassen Peak and Cinder Cone, returning with detailed accounts of the area’s striking volcanic formations, diverse geology, and the surprisingly rich variety of plant and animal life thriving within the harsh terrain.

Their reports sparked wider curiosity, prompting subsequent expeditions to venture into the region and further investigate its unusual and dynamic landscape.

Logging, grazing, and early land use in Lassen Country

Industry and settlement slowly reshape the high country

Interest eventually grew in logging Lassen country but the steep terrain and high cost of transporting timber from mountainside to market made the effort far less economical than the more accessible coastal logging operations. In the 1870s, V-shaped flumes were introduced, offering a more efficient method of moving cut logs down from the high country to rail connections serving cities such as San Francisco, Chico, Red Bluff, and Redding.

Fortunately for the landscape that would later become Lassen Volcanic National Park, continued inaccessibility—combined with relatively poor-quality timber—helped spare much of the region from large-scale deforestation, leaving its forests largely intact.

Around the 1860s, cattle grazing in Warner Valley and the meadows on the north and west sides of Lassen Peak proved both viable and profitable, continuing well into the early 20th century and up until the establishment of the national park in 1916. During this same period, landowners in the region also began constructing rustic retreats for visitors seeking relief from the Sacramento Valley’s intense summer heat.

Bumpass Hell and the rise of geothermal tourism

Steam, mudpots, and curiosity draw early visitors

As interest in the area’s unusual geothermal features grew, these landowners and guides began leading informal tours of sites such as Bumpass Hell—named after Kendall Vanhook Bumpass who reportedly suffered a severe injury after accidentally breaking through a thin crust and plunging his leg into a boiling mudpot while guiding an expedition.

Many of these hydrothermal areas still feel remarkably otherworldly today, something explored further in See Steaming Volcanoes at This Eerie National Park.

As noted by the National Park Service, “The physical and spiritual redemption offered by mineral springs, mountain vistas, and mountain trails defined the area’s principal economic value. Recreational use and development, and conservation measures, continued apace.” This perspective helped shape how the Lassen region was used and valued in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as tourism, recreation, and early conservation efforts gradually gained momentum alongside grazing, guiding, and small-scale development.

The push for preservation in Lassen Country

Protecting volcanic landscapes from commercial development

In 1905, the U.S. Forest Service was established and Louis A. Barrett, supervisor of the Lassen National Forest, conducted surveys across the region. In line with prevailing federal priorities at the time, Barrett supported the development interests of railroads, power companies, and sawmills. However, he also recognized the value of preserving select portions of the Lassen landscape including Cinder Cone and Lassen Peak, for their scientific and scenic significance.

To secure federal protection, Barrett framed these areas as having limited commercial value, describing them as “natural curiosities” whose sparse and barren character offered little interest to industry. Instead, he emphasized their appeal to “tourist, camper, scientist, and pleasure seeker,” a characterization that ultimately helped justify early conservation measures for these unique volcanic features.

As a result, on May 6, 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt established Cinder Cone National Monument and Lassen Peak National Monument, protecting these areas from commercial development by private interests—except in cases of prior valid claims—and preserving them for future generations. These national monuments were placed under the management of the U.S. Forest Service.

The eruptions that changed Lassen forever

When Lassen Peak captured national attention

Petitions calling for the creation of a larger national park—one that would encompass a broader swath of the region surrounding the existing national monuments—circulated for years but failed to gain traction. That changed in 1914 when a series of eruptions at Lassen Peak began to unfold.

As activity intensified, news reporters, tourists, and scientists converged on the area to witness the start of what would become a three-year eruptive period lasting from 1914 to 1917. Among them was photographer Benjamin F. Loomis who documented the eruptions in remarkable detail through his photography. He later established a museum to display his collection, located near Manzanita Lake in what is now part of the national park, a site that continues to serve as a summer visitor center today.

On May 22, 1915, Lassen Peak experienced its most powerful eruption, sending a towering, mushroom-shaped column of ash and gas nearly four miles into the sky. Volcanic ash was carried far beyond the immediate region with deposits reaching as far as Reno, Nevada—more than 100 miles away.

Benjamin F. Loomis photographed both the eruption and its aftermath while eyewitness accounts from across the region further underscored the scale and significance of the event. Together, these records captured one of the most dramatic moments in Lassen’s modern volcanic history.

For a broader look at the volcanic forces and geothermal features that continue shaping the park today, see Geothermal Weirdness, Volcanic Landscapes, and Stunning Beauty at Lassen Volcanic National Park.

From eruptions to advocacy: The push for a national park

Volcanic activity strengthens the preservation movement

During these eruptions, support for the creation of a national park to preserve the region’s volcanic wonders grew increasingly vocal, particularly through the efforts of Congressman John E. Raker. As the National Park Service notes:

“Congressman John E. Raker of California, who was more instrumental than anyone in the establishment of Lassen Volcanic National Park, exemplifies how preservationists and conservationists were often indistinguishable. Raker worked for legislation to create the National Park Service, and in 1912, he introduced his first bill to establish a Peter Lassen National Park.”

Raker reintroduced similar bills in 1913 and 1914, but they gained little traction in Congress—until Lassen Peak began erupting in May 1914. As one campaign supporter wrote in June of that year, “We have suddenly developed a scenic wonder in northern California that is in a class by itself.” At the time, Lassen Peak stood as the only active volcano in the contiguous United States, a distinction that helped intensify national interest in protecting the area.

The creation of Lassen Volcanic National Park

How eruptions and advocacy led to national park status

Combined with its scenic appeal and remarkable variety of volcanic features, the region now exhibited the kind of superlative qualities that Congress had come to associate with national parks. As Robert Sterling Yard would later write, “The national parks are far more than recreational areas. They are the supreme examples. They are the gallery of masterpieces.”

In December 1915, Raker introduced another bill to establish a national park in the region. In light of the recent volcanic activity, the proposed name was changed from Peter Lassen National Park to Lassen Volcanic National Park. After minimal debate, the bill passed both houses of Congress in July 1916 and President Woodrow Wilson signed it into law on August 9, 1916.

The new park combined the lands of the existing Cinder Cone and Lassen Peak national monuments into a single protected landscape, officially establishing Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Visitors today can experience this diverse volcanic region through scenic drives, campgrounds, lakes, and trail systems highlighted in The Complete Guide to Lassen Volcanic National Park.

The early struggles to preserve Lassen Volcanic National Park

Defending the park’s future in its earliest years

Creation of Lassen Volcanic National Park was not the end of the story. In the years that followed, the park itself came close to being dismantled when the United States entered World War I in 1917. Local stockmen strongly advocated for opening the park to unrestricted grazing, arguing that increased livestock production would better support the war effort by supplying more meat for soldiers.

Public sentiment initially leaned in their favor but Stephen T. Mather, director of the newly established National Park Service, intervened by sending representatives to the region. They argued that tourism and recreation would ultimately generate greater long-term economic benefit than grazing within park boundaries.

By the 1920s, congressional funding for park development strengthened the case for preservation, and by 1925, the issue of overgrazing within Lassen Volcanic National Park had largely faded.

Today, Lassen Volcanic National Park preserves not only an extraordinary volcanic landscape, but also layers of human history stretching from Indigenous homelands and emigrant trails to scientific exploration, tourism, and conservation.

More Lassen Volcanic National Park guides

Additional articles to help plan, explore, and better understand Lassen country

More Lassen Volcanic National Park guides are available below for planning your visit and exploring the park in greater depth.

A landscape shaped by fire and time

Where geology and history continue to intersect

Lassen Volcanic National Park is more than a collection of steaming vents, volcanic peaks, and scenic mountain roads. It is a landscape layered with human movement and natural upheaval—where Native American tribes traveled seasonally across the high country, emigrants crossed difficult wagon routes in search of opportunity, and scientists later arrived to study one of the most unusual volcanic regions in the United States.

What ultimately preserved Lassen was not a single event but the convergence of many forces. The eruptions of the early 20th century captured national attention but they built upon decades of growing appreciation for the area’s rugged beauty, geothermal wonders, and scientific significance. Together, those qualities transformed Lassen from a remote volcanic frontier into a nationally protected landscape.

Today, visitors driving the park highway, hiking to Cinder Cone, standing beside the boiling mudpots of Bumpass Hell, or camping beneath dark mountain skies experience the same dramatic terrain that once challenged trappers, inspired explorers, and astonished early tourists. Lassen remains a place where geology is not simply part of the scenery—it is the story itself.

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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in June 2026. Information reflects what was accurate at the time of writing. For topics that may change quickly, please verify current details before planning. To ensure honesty and avoid bias, this website features no ads, no sponsored content, and no affiliate links—just straightforward information for fellow travelers.

45 Years after Mount St. Helens Blast: Predicting Volcanic Eruptions + Climbing an Active Volcano

The deadliest volcano in the continental US is one of the easiest to climb in the Cascades

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Mount St. Helens is the most likely volcano in the the Pacific Ring of Fire to erupt again soon. It’s also considered the deadliest volcano in the continental US as its massive eruption in 1980 was indeed the most deadly and most economically destructive volcanic event in the United States.

It is likely that the types, frequencies, and magnitudes of past activity will be repeated in the future. However, neither a large debris avalanche nor a major lateral blast like those of May 18, 1980 is likely now that a deep crater has formed.

Mount St. Helens *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

All major hiking enthusiasts have a list of peaks they dream of climbing. One such peak in the US is Mount St. Helens which is an excellent option for those wanting to add a bit of adrenaline to their road trip. Why? It’s not only a mountain but an active volcano, too.

Forty-five years ago today, Mount St. Helens erupted, triggering a magnitude 5 earthquake and spewing ash, mud, and debris across southwest Washington.

The explosion killed 57 people and changed the mountain’s landscape forever.

The eruption wasn’t a total surprise—months before, a series of small earthquakes and steam-venting alerted scientists that a major blast was on the way.

Decades later, advancing technology is making volcanic monitoring easier and more accurate. But there’s still a long way to go before exact volcano predictions can be made weeks or months in advance. It’s an important issue to consider in a state that is home to volcanoes considered to be some of the nation’s most dangerous.

That said, some climbers say it’s a relatively easy climb for a mountain since it requires no technical knowledge but good fitness, health, and previous experience are a must.

More on Mount St. Helens

How likely is Mount St. Helens to erupt in the near future?

The USGS claims we are likely to see another eruption in our lifetime

Recently, experts discovered that some volcanoes in the Cascade Range aren’t actually dormant as once presumed. Mount St. Helens is very much awake and alive and most US citizens around at the time still remember the deadly eruption that took place on May 18, 1980 in which 57 people lost their lives.

This massive explosion devastated 230 sq mi of land and started an active period for the volcano which continued to erupt for the following six years.

Like Kīlauea’s Summit which violently erupted in February 2025, Mount St. Helens is quite unpredictable and often alternates periods of activity with periods of inactivity. After being dormant for several years, it erupted again in 2004 with minor flare-ups until 2008.

According to experts, the volcano is now preparing to erupt again but we do not know when this will happen. This could be in a few years or decades from now. According to the USGS,

Mount St. Helens is the volcano in the Cascades most likely to erupt again in our lifetimes. It is likely that the types, frequencies, and magnitudes of past activity will be repeated in the future.

On the positive side, the USGS specifies that a deep crater has formed so neither a lateral blast nor a massive debris avalanche like those of 1980 will likely happen again. Moreover, despite the dangers, Mount St. Helens continues to be popular among climbing enthusiasts with some even describing it as fairly doable so long as you’re in good fitness.

Debris from Mount St. Helens eruption at Forest Learning Center *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Mount St. Helens’ peak has an elevation of 8,363 feet and is popular among climbers

It’s about 52 miles northeast of Portland and is relatively young compared to other nearby peaks

Mount St. Helens is located about 52 miles northeast of Portland and 98 miles south of Seattle. However, the closest town to the peak is Cougar, in Washington. This volcano has an elevation of 8,363 feet.

Compared to other peaks in the region, this mountain is relatively young and was formed within the past 40,000 years. It is considered the most active volcano in the Cascades yet it remains a favorite among mountaineers. This is because, from its peak, you can see Mount Rainier, Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, and Mount Adams, offering a sight you’ll never forget.

Mount St. Helens quick information

State: Washington
Elevation: 8,363 feet
Last active period: 2004-2008

Most popular route to the top: Monitor Ridge Route

However, despite some claiming it to be relatively easy, the climb is still not advised for those without experience or poor fitness. When Candance Dempsey ascended Mount St. Helens with her sister, Sherry, she described the experience, saying: “It was like scaling the spikes of a Stegosaurus.”

Everything you should know before climbing Mount St. Helens

The route has an elevation gain of 4,500 feet and you will need a permit

While Mount St. Helens is considered one of the easiest climbs in the Cascades, it’s still a pretty tough hike and only fit people with hiking experience should consider this unique journey.

The best time of year to reach the top is between late spring and early fall and the Monitor Ridge Route starting from the Climbers Bivouac is the most popular hiking trail to the summit. This route has an elevation of 4,500 feet and a length of five miles. Most people manage to reach the peak and descend within seven to twelve hours.

The climb is doable if you are relatively fit as it requires no technical knowledge. However, there are a few rules you should keep in mind for your safety.

While climbing to the rim is allowed, hikers cannot enter the crater. This is because it can be extremely dangerous. Unfortunately, a Japanese climber lost his life in the early 2010s getting too close to the rim while trying to take the perfect picture. He was found only nine months after his fall.

The cornice can also be incredibly dangerous especially in the winter. This term refers to the overhanging edge of snow on the ridge of a mountain. Because of this, it’s important to stay at least 30 feet from the visible edge.

Tip: Before climbing, check Mount St. Helens’ current conditions on the official website. Also, a climbing permit is required to climb Mount Saint Helens.

Know before you go

Climbing an active volcano has associated risks. These include but are not limited to volcanic activity, weather hazards, avalanches, terrain traps, equipment failure, and human error. Before heading into the backcountry for any reason or any length of time, make sure to take the precautions necessary to ensure a safe return.

Obtain a climbing permit for your entire group. Make sure each member has a copy, printed or digital.

Train appropriately. This will look different for each person but do several hikes in the weeks ahead to prepare you for the 10-12 mile, 4,500-5,500 foot climb.

Leave your itinerary, driving route, and estimated return time with someone you trust. Make sure they know what to do in case of an emergency.

Mount St. Helens Visitor Center *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Carry the 10 essentialsls:

Navigation
Headlamp, extra batteries
Sun protection
First aid
Repair kit and tools
Fire kit
Shelter
Extra food
Extra water (3-4 L per person)
Layers

Check the conditions. Never attempt to climb a mountain in hazardous conditions, i.e. thunderclouds, lightening storms, avalanche danger, etc. Remember that conditions can change on the mountain rapidly and sometimes unpredictably.

Pack equipment that matches the conditions. This may include avalanche beacon, probe, shovel, ice axe, snowshoes, and/or crampons. Know how to utilize and safely carry this equipment before you head into the backcountry.

Be prepared in case of an emergency. There is limited to no cell phone service on the roads leading to the climbing route or on the climbing route itself. Do not rely on your phone and carry an alternative for emergency communication. Have enough supplies to last at least one night on the mountain.

Notify your emergency person once you are off the mountain.

Experts have no idea when Mount St. Helens will wake up and end its current dormant state. So, if you’re eager to reach the summit of this stunning volcano, try to do so before the next eruption occurs and ensure you follow all the rules to stay safe along the way.

Worth Pondering…

Each volcano is an independent machine—nay, each vent and monticule is for the time being engaged in its own peculiar business, cooking as it were its special dish, which in due time is to be separately served.

—Clarence Edward Dutton, American geologist (1841-1912)

This California National Park is a Mini Yellowstone

When most people think of mud pots, geysers, and thermal pools, Yellowstone National Park immediately comes to mind. In Northern California, Lassen Volcanic National Park features many of the same geothermal wonders as Yellowstone with a fraction of the crowds.

With multiple twinkling cities, an expansive coastline dotted with pristine beaches, a diverse culinary scene, and the majestic Sierra peaks, California is one of the most captivating states in America. Its nine national parks are among its most celebrated natural wonders with Yosemite being the most visited.

In the Southern Cascade Range in northern California there is a lesser-visited national park, Lassen Volcanic which only welcomes about half a million tourists annually yet is equally fascinating. The park makes a perfect alternative to Yellowstone, the oldest and one of the most popular national parks in the US.

Although it isn’t near the vastness and diversity of America’s first national park, its features like hot springs and volcanoes make it worth more than the attention it gets. Discover why California’s most underrated yet scenic national park, Lassen Volcanic is a mini Yellowstone.

What to know about Lassen Volcanic National Park

The area was made a national park in 1916 after facing its largest volcanic eruption on May 22, 1915

Lassen Volcanic had humble beginnings as two separate national monuments: Cinder Cone National Monument and Lassen Peak National Monument established by Theodore Roosevelt in 1907.

Between May 1914 and 1917, Lassen Peak, the park’s dominant feature and the world’s largest plug dome experienced a series of eruptions, the most powerful on May 22, 1915. The eruption altered the surroundings raining volcanic ash as far away as 200 miles to the east.

This eruption came after 27,000 years of being a dormant volcano earning the area public recognition. As a result, the U.S. Congress made the area a national park including the two national monuments. It covers nearly 106,000 acres today with about 79,000 acres designated as a wilderness area.

Admission fee: $10-$30 for a standard pass, valid for 7 days; $55 for an annual pass
Hours of operation: 24 hours
Year established: 1916
Size: 106,000 acres
Highest point: Lassen Peak, at 10,457 feet
Lowest point: Hot Springs Creek, at 5,275 feet
Main attractions: Bumpass Hell, the Devastated Area, Lassen Peak, and other geothermal and volcanic features
2024 visits: 357,651

Although Lassen Volcanic National Park’s Visitor Center (Kohm Yah-mah-nee) remains in operation throughout the year it closes during bad weather and many roads and facilities might also close in winter. However, the park is surrounded by communities that offer year-round accommodation options.

A hidden gem

With incredible hydrothermal features (including a geyser) and volcanoes this hidden gem is a perfect miniature of Yellowstone, yet rarely visited

Lassen Volcanic National Park’s claim to fame is its incredible volcanoes. It’s one of the few places in the world with all four types of volcanoes: plug dome composite, cinder dome, and shield—which is one of the main reasons it’s among the national parks better than Yellowstone.

Like Yellowstone, Lassen Volcanic National Park’s hydrothermal features include boiling pools, steaming fumaroles, mud pots, and hot springs, the remains of its past volcanic eruption. Although its thermal features aren’t as numerous as Yellowstone’s, they are just as vigorous and worth your time.

Bumpass Hell, reachable via the three-mile Bumpass Hell Trail is the park’s largest hydrothermal area. The trail, one of the most popular hikes in the park starts in the parking lot about seven miles from Southwest Entrance. The basin has a boardwalk allowing visitors to enjoy an up-close view of the incredible hydrothermal features.

Another area you’ll be happy to experience is the Little Hot Springs Valley, a steep valley with steam vents that travelers can only see from the park road via binoculars. Sulphur Works, the easiest-to-visit hydrothermal area in the park accessible via a sidewalk hosts steam vents and boiling mud pots. Other areas include Devil’s Kitchen and Boiling Springs Lake.

Lassen Volcanic hosts Terminal Geyser which is barely burping—nothing like Yellowstone’s Old Faithful but incredibly magical. Nestled in Warner Valley the geyser is accessible from the Warner Valley trailhead.

With less than 500,000 yearly visits this park has far fewer crowds than Yellowstone which welcomes about four million tourists annually. So, if you want to escape crowds you should ditch Yellowstone for Lassen Volcanic’s geothermal features.

Thanks to its alpine lakes, waterfalls, and snow-capped peaks, Lassen Volcanic offers a bit of Yosemite. Combined with the incredible hydrothermal features this national park rivals both Yosemite and Yellowstone.

Like Yellowstone this park offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts from hiking to fishing.

In addition to the beautiful thermal features, Lassen Volcanic, like Yellowstone offers endless options for fun outdoor adventures. Whether you are interested in water activities, a strenuous hike, or admiring the view of the night sky there is something for everyone.

Over 150 miles of trails wind around hydrothermal areas, alpine lakes, meadows, and volcanic peaks. Manzanita Lake and Summit Lake are suitable for water sports like boating, fishing, swimming, and camping.

If you are more into swimming, head to Summit Lake which offers scenic camping. The park’s stargazing opportunities are fantastic. According to NPS, you can enjoy the beautiful night sky from anywhere in the park but it guarantees a more expansive view near a meadow, a lakeshore, or a parking spot.

Outside of America’s oldest national park there are very few places to explore active volcanic features like Lassen Volcanic which is why it’s one of the California National Parks worth adding to your bucket list.

Check this out to learn more:

Worth Pondering…

Lassen’s Peak looks sharper from this side than any other, and views seen from among these pinnacles and rocks are some of the most picturesque imaginable. A series of photographs would be treasured indeed.

—William H. Brewer, Up and Down California (Journals; 1860-1864)

A Massive Volcanic Catastrophe Could Hit the Pacific Northwest. Experts Are Sounding the Alarm.

Dangerous mudflows known as lahars could inundate the communities surrounding Mt. Rainier in as little as 30 minutes

In the fog and pine-covered mountains of the Pacific Northwest, active volcanoes wait patiently above the ridgelines leaving residents on edge. Many fear the impending eruptions of the peaks. Washington state’s volcanoes are particularly dangerous with multiple considered to be at least high threats to volcanologists.

The famous and catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 is still fresh for those who lived in the Pacific Northwest at the time. An estimated 2.3 billion cubic meters—a volume that would fill more than 900,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools—of ash, pumice, dirt, and rock flowed downslope resulting in the largest landslide in recorded history.

This debris flow continued to travel 14 miles west at up to 25 miles an hour using the North Fork Toutle River as its guide. It turned what was once a river of abundance into a river of concrete by uprooting trees, carrying car-sized boulders along its path, bulldozing 27 bridges, and devastating local communities and farms. Ash continued to pour from the volcano for hours.

While volcanoes are known for producing sinewy streams of lava and billowing plumes of ash, the St. Helens eruption underscored a lesser known but equally potent volcanic hazard: massive debris flows known as lahars. These slurries of water, sediment, and rocky debris originate atop a volcano and tumble rapidly downslope under gravity. The destruction St. Helens wrought had less to do with the eruption itself than the repercussions of the massive landslide it generated.

All told, the eruption and its aftermath took 57 lives and caused $860 million dollars of economic damage to roads, railways, communities, and the logging industry. That summer, the U.S. government established the Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) kicking off a gargantuan effort to monitor active volcanoes along the Cascade Range which stretches from Northern California to British Columbia and includes volcanoes like California’s Mount Shasta, Oregon’s Crater Lake, and Mount Rainier in Washington.

Researchers had a lot to learn about how to best communicate the risks of volcanic disasters and adequately prepare the public. Because it wasn’t a question of if another eruption would happen again; it was a matter of when.

Right now in Alaska, the state’s largest city is preparing for an eruption that has a 50 percent chance of happening.

But what is the largest volcano in Cascadia? Which Pacific Northwest volcano is most likely to erupt? When could these volcanoes erupt? The answers might surprise you.

Mount St. Helens devastation 40 years later *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

When is the next volcanic eruption likely in the Pacific Northwest?

There are multiple volcanoes with a high or very high threat potential

In the Pacific Northwest, United States Geological Survey (USGS) researchers have called lahars “the most threatening hazard” in the Cascades, largely due to their direct access to communities. In the last 10,000 years, more than 60 lahars have originated from Mount Rainier which is situated about 50 miles northeast of St. Helens and looms large over the Seattle skyline. According to the USGS, 150,000 people in Pierce County live in Rainier’s projected lahar path.

A giant volcano in Alaska is showing signs of an impending eruption. Significantly elevated levels of volcanic gas emissions were recently observed around Mount Spurr which is located 75 miles from Anchorage and is home to nearly 300,000 people.

Geologists, seismologists, volcanologists, and residents in Anchorage have had their watchful eyes on Mount Spurr for the better part of a year after unprecedented seismic activity has heightened beyond the ‘norm’ causing unease and concerns that the mountainous volcano is inching closer to eruption each day.

Last month, the Alaska Volcano Observatory and the USGS stated they measured “significantly elevated volcanic activity with newly reactivated gas fissures or fumaroles seen at Mount Spurr’s Crater Peak.” That activity prompted a swift warning by both agencies and again on Wednesday, March 19th on the agency’s “X” page warning residents to be prepared for an imminent eruption.

As Alaska’s Mount Spurr stirs, shakes, rumbles, and continues to show obvious signs of awakening and erupting, residents are again being urged to brace for an eruption within the coming days, weeks, or months.

After a year-long period of continual and increasing seismic activity, scientists provided an estimated chance of Mount Spurr’s eruption last month at 50/50. Since last month, the Alaska volcano has shown telltale signs that there is a greater than 50 percent chance of eruption and when and if Mount Spurr should erupt, it will be the first major eruption since 1982. That eruption’s plume from its first explosion reached 47,500 feet and its second explosion closed the Anchorage airport for 20 hours.

Small earthquakes were detected at Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Hood during the past month. These are the Cascade Range. We did have the Volcan de Fuego or Volcano of Fire blowing a thick ash cloud seen from Palin, Guatemala on Monday, March 10, 2025. This is more of a concern. Numerous volcanoes can have an accumulative effect.

Scientists have their eyes on the Cascade Range, a 1,200-mile stretch of volcanoes that form a trail of peaks from British Columbia to northern California.

The Washington portion of this range is especially active and has seen recent eruptions even after the aforementioned 1980 catastrophe. From 2004 to 2008, Mount St. Helens once again erupted though it was a more gradual process than the previous explosion.

There are currently five volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest that are deemed as high or very high threats:

Mount Spurr

Location: Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska
Elevation: 11,070 feet
Last erupted: 1992

Mount Baker

Location: Whatcom County, Washington
Elevation: 10,781 feet
Last erupted: 1843

Mount Rainier

Location: Pierce and Lewis counties, Washington
Elevation: 14,410 feet
Last erupted: 1450

Mount St. Helens

Location: Skamania County, Washington
Elevation: 8.300 feet
Last erupted: 2004-2008

Mount Adams

Location: Skamania, Yakima, Klickitat, and Lewis counties; Washington
Elevation: 12,276 feet
Last erupted: 1800 BC–5600 BC

More dangerous volcanoes you need to know about

These volcanoes pose a threat

Alaska contains about 140 volcanoes and volcanic fields active within the last 2.6 million years (the Quaternary).

About 90 of these volcanoes have been active within the last 11,000 years (the Holocene) and more than 50 have been very recently active within the last 300 years or so.

The volcanoes in Alaska make up more than three-quarters of US volcanoes that have erupted in the past 200 years.

Most of Alaska’s volcanoes are located along the 1,500 mile Aleutian Arc which extends westward from the mainland of Alaska towards Kamchatka and forms the northern portion of the Pacific “ring of fire.” Other volcanoes in Alaska that have been active in the last few thousand years exist in southeastern Alaska (Edgecumbe) and the Wrangell mountains. Smaller volcanoes, some active within the past 11,000 years, are found in interior Alaska and in western Alaska as far north as the Seward Peninsula.

Lassen Peak *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Other volcanoes along the Pacific Rim from Alaska to California of note include:

Mount Redoubt

Location: Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska
Elevation: 10,197 feet
Last erupted: 2009

Akutan Peak

Location: Akutan Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
Elevation: 4,279 feet
Last erupted: 1992

Makushin Volcano

Location: Unalaska Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
Elevation: 6,680 feet
Last erupted: 1995

Mount Meager

Location: Lillooet Land District, British Columbia
Elevation: 8,790 feet
Last erupted: 410 BC ± 200 years

Mount Garibaldi

Location: New Westminister Land District, British Columbia
Elevation: 8,786 feet
Last erupted: 8060 BC ± 500 years

Glacier Peak

Location: Snohomish County, Washington
Elevation: 10,541 feet
Last erupted: 1700

Mount Hood

Location: Clackamas and Hood River counties, Oregon
Elevation: 11,249 feet
Last erupted: 1865-1866

Crater Lake

Location: Klamath County, Oregon
Elevation: 6,178 feet
Last erupted: 5700 BC

Mount Shasta

Location: Siskiyou County, California
Elevation: 14.179 feet
Last erupted: 1250

Lassen Peak

Location: Shasta County, California
Elevation: 10,457 feet
Last erupted: 1914-1921

How can you tell when a volcano will erupt?

Most volcanoes provide warnings before an eruption

As volcanoes don’t tend to erupt at timed intervals—for example, every ten years—it can be quite a task for volcanologists to predict when the next volcanic eruption will happen in the Pacific Northwest.

However, scientists state that a volcano could erupt any time particularly in Alaska and Washington State where most of the highest-threat volcanoes are on the West Coast. These sites are looming disasters and beloved recreation areas in the Pacific Northwest. Residents and visitors to the state flock to the towering peaks for scenic hikes, award-winning ski slopes, camping, hiking, mountain biking, and more.

This is not just the case for Washington and Oregon volcanoes. Around the world, the rise of dark tourism is leading to skyrocketing volcano visitor numbers including at Indonesia’s blue lava spectacle. Meanwhile, at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park tourists are flocking to Kīlauea as it erupts and lava spews many feet up in the air.

Note: Volcanoes are considered the most striking evidence of plate tectonics offering visitors a glimpse of a largely invisible process. These peaks are among the few spots where molten rock emerges on the surface.

What would happen if a volcano erupted in the Pacific Northwest?

From lahars to smoke clouds, the effects would be catastrophic

Though volcanic eruptions in the Pacific Northwest aren’t very frequent, they are incredibly violent when they do happen. During an eruption, volcanoes send gas, rock, and ash high into the air making breathing hard and killing swaths of nearby wildlife. This blast leads to volcanic glass, more ash, and minerals going airborne and firm what’s called an eruption column cloud.

One of the world’s most active volcanoes produced ash clouds that were over two miles high. Meanwhile, any large debris that falls from the sky is called volcanic bombs as they damage anything within a few miles of the vent. Together, these results of the initial eruption are called tephra and they can not only damage communities below but also airplanes in the sky if they fly through the cloud. All of this can also put locals at risk of lung damage.

If the blast is strong enough or in the case of volcanic collapse, this can cause a pyroclastic flow or a rapidly moving mix of gas, rock, and ash that spills over the cone and down the slope at top speed—they can reach 100-150 miles per hour. Between the speed and the temperatures that hit over 1,500°F the pyroclastic flow flattens and kills everything it goes near.

After the eruption’s blast and tephra, lava then emerges. As it gets on the move, it destroys everything in its way. Lava with low viscosity (meaning it’s not sticky) like basalt moves quickly and can reach further distances while high viscosity (meaning it’s sticky) lava like rhyolite moves slower and less far. The heat emitted from either melts snow and ice that aren’t directly in the path but are nearby which leads to the most dangerous part of all: lahars.

These are hazardous flows of debris and mud. While the eruption, lava, and ash devastate all infrastructure within ten miles of the eruption, lahars destroy anything within 50 miles and if it’s a low-lying area, it can be even further away and still be a casualty. In Washington State, lahars are known to travel up to 120 miles per hour and some have so much solid material in them like rocks that it looks like a superspeed train of concrete.

Lahars are the deadliest part of a volcanic eruption and if there was another one in the Pacific Northwest, it would be the costliest hazard of all. This is not just due to their force, speed, and reach but also because they can happen at any time. Lahars don’t need a volcanic eruption to occur and can happen during intense rainstorms.

While Seattle would most likely just be at risk of ash, cities in the foothills like Puyallup and Orting would be devastated by all volcanic hazards especially lahars. For this reason, citizens regularly participate in lahar evacuation drills.

Note: The eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 blanketed 22,000 square miles with ash. Despite this seemingly large mileage it was considered a relatively modest eruption as far as size goes. Bigger eruptions like that of the South Pacific’s Krakatoa in 1883 produce enough ash to lower the entire planet’s temperature for years.

How to know if a volcanic eruption is imminent in the Pacific Northwest

It’s all about staying informed and practicing ahead of time

Although it can be tricky to pinpoint the exact moment when a volcano will erupt, there are some clues that experts rely on. Eruptions are often paired with earthquakes as the magma in the volcano makes its way up through the cone and to the surface. Although earthquakes aren’t a sure sign of an upcoming eruption even if it’s a “swarm” of them, if they happen alongside gas emission, temperature changes, and deformation events this hints strongly that the volcano will erupt.

For this reason, volcano seismologists track earthquakes and seismic signals that suggest magma is moving. The CVO posts a weekly volcanic activity update in the Pacific Northwest. The big five volcanoes in Washington are detailed as well as Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, Three Sisters, Newberry, and Crater Lake in Oregon.

Data is compiled in partnership with the University of Washington Pacific Northwest Seismic Network which publishes a map of volcanic activity accessible to all. Viewing resources like these regularly is a great way to prepare for eruptions in the Pacific Northwest.

Learning about the risks you face in your neck of the Pacific Northwest is key. Even if you’re a visitor to the area, it’s still advised that you understand the volcanic updates before coming. Those living in places like Iceland which is being deemed the volcano capital of the world live by emergency preparedness.

How to prepare for a volcanic eruption in the Pacific Northwest

Have water, food, and emergency supplies ready and stored safely

Having a go-to bag is critical. Every person’s go bag will look different. And it should be easy to carry and maintain.

Consider making an emergency go-bag checklist so you don’t forget anything necessary. Staying updated with your local weather stations and national services is also a great way to be informed and prepared. Note any evolving situations and adapt your packed items accordingly.

Essential items include goggles, breathing masks, essential contact information, important documents.

Plan an evacuation route for both landslides and lahars, prepping a path that directs you and your loved ones away from streams, river valleys, and anywhere that’s low-lying.

Listen to All Hazard Alert Broadcast sirens and local news stations for warnings and evacuation orders.

Subscribe to volcano notification services.

If an eruption does happen but you can’t evacuate, get to high ground and stay inside, closing all windows, doors, and vents until ash stops falling. If possible, head to a designated evacuation area or public shelter once the eruption is over.

While the lush, mountain-speckled landscapes of the Pacific Northwest offer plenty of beauty, they also offer potential danger. However, if you’re informed and prepared, there isn’t any reason why you can’t enjoy and get lost in the scenic wonderland.

Related stories

Worth Pondering…

Each volcano is an independent machine—nay, each vent and monticule is for the time being engaged in its own peculiar business, cooking as it were its special dish which in due time is to be separately served. We have instances of vents within hailing distance of each other pouring out totally different kinds of lava, neither sympathizing with the other in any discernible manner nor influencing other in any appreciable degree.

—Clarence Edward Dutton, Report on the Geology of the High Plateaus of Utah (1880)

Mount St. Helens Erupted 44 Years Ago Today: Here’s How It Unfolded

After the eruption, ash poured into the atmosphere for nine hours

Washington’s Mount St. Helens erupted for nine hours on this day in history, May 18, 1980, killing 57 people and triggering the largest landslide in recorded history.

Prior to the eruption, Mount St. Helens stood at 9,677 feet, says the website for the United States Geological Survey (USGS). It was the fifth-tallest mountain in the state of Washington.

“It stood out handsomely, however, from surrounding hills because it rose thousands of feet above them and had a perennial cover of ice and snow,” said the site.

That changed on May 18 when the volcano erupted for the first time in more than a century. Instead, there was a horseshoe-shaped crater in its place. The crater’s highest point located on the southwestern side of the mountain is 8,365 feet. The eruption came almost exactly two months after seismic activity began on the long-dormant volcano.

On March 16, 1980, a series of small earthquakes began to shake the area. Eleven days later, on March 27 following hundreds of small earthquakes, Mount St. Helens had a relatively small eruption—it’s first since 1857.

In that eruption, steam explosions blasted a 200- to 250-foot wide crater through the volcano’s summit ice cap and covered the snow-clad southeast sector with dark ash.

These eruptions continued through April 22.

After about a two-week stop in volcanic activity, smaller eruptions and earthquakes continued from May 7 through May 17.

By that time, more than 10,000 earthquakes had shaken the volcano and the north flank had grown outward about 450 feet to form a prominent bulge.

This bulge was strong evidence that molten rock (magma) had rose high into the volcano and was growing at a rate of up to five feet per day.

At 8:32 a.m. on May 18, a 5.1 earthquake with no immediate precursors struck Mount Saint Helens triggering a rapid series of events.

At the same time as the earthquake, the volcano’s northern bulge and summit slid away as a huge landslide—the largest debris avalanche on Earth in recorded history.

A small, dark, ash-rich eruption plume rose directly from the base of the debris avalanche scarp and another from the summit crater rose to about 650 feet high.

The volume of the avalanche was the equivalent of one million Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Following the landslide, the destruction continued.

The landslide had removed part of the cryptodome which was a very hot and highly pressurized body of magma. With the cyptodome removed, Mount St. Helens’s magmatic system depressurized, triggering powerful eruptions that blasted laterally through the sliding debris knocking 1,000 feet off the height of the mountain.

The cloud of tephra or rock fragments reached 15 miles within 15 minutes.

The aftermath of the initial eruption was devastating.

Virtually no trees remained of what was once a dense forest in the six-mile radius of the former summit and other trees were knocked to the ground and seared.

The eruption then became a Plinian eruption defined as as one that produces a sustained convecting plume of pyroclasts and gas rising more than 15 miles above sea level.

The Plinian eruption lasted for nine hours sending 520 million tons of ash into the air.

The ash was so thick that the city of Spokane, Washington, located 250 miles from Mount Saint Helens was plunged into complete darkness. Over four inches of ash covered Yakima, Washington.

Major ash falls occurred as far away as central Montana and ash fell visibly as far eastward as the Great Plains of the Central United States more than 930 miles away.

The ash cloud spread across the U.S. in three days and circled the Earth in 15 days.

The blast also triggered something called a lahar which is an Indonesian term that describes a hot or cold mixture of water and rock fragments that flows down the slopes of a volcano and typically enters a river valley.

In Mount Saint Helens’ case, the snowy peak melted in the initial eruption. That rush of water combined with the rock flow created a lahar.

In the weeks leading up to May 18, people who lived near Mount St. Helens were evacuated.

The area immediately surrounding Mount St. Helens was divided into a red zone and a blue zone.

Of the 57 people who died in the eruption, only one Harry Randall Truman did not have express permission to be near the mountain the day it erupted and most of the deaths actually occurred outside the boundaries of the blue zone.

Truman, an 83-year-old man who had lived near Mount St. Helens for 54 years refused to comply with evacuation orders and leave the red zone.

In a colorful interview with National Geographic prior to the eruption, Truman said, “I’m going to stay right here because, I’ll tell you why, my home and my (expletive) life’s here.”

“My wife and I, we both vowed years and years ago that we’d never leave Spirit Lake. We loved it. It’s part of me and I’m part of that (expletive) mountain,” he said.

Truman’s remains were never found.

Mt. St. Helens eruption 44^th anniversary

Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980 at 8:32 am

The volcano, located in southwestern Washington used to be a beautiful symmetrical cone about 9,600 feet above sea level.

Vancouver! Vancouver! This is it!

On March 1, 1980, a new system of seismographs at the University of Washington went into operation to monitor earthquake activity in the Cascades. On March 20, it recorded a magnitude-4.2 earthquake deep beneath Mount St. Helens inaugurating a round-the-clock watch that was to save many lives. From March 25 to March 27, quakes of magnitude 4.0 rocked the mountain as many as three times a day and smaller quakes occurred several times every hour.

At 8 a.m. PST on March 27, the U.S. Geological Survey issued an official Hazard Watch for Mount St. Helens; around noon, the first eruption of steam from the summit sent a column of ash and steam 6,000 feet into the air. Twin fissures opened on the mountain’s north face.

On the morning of May 18, USGS volcanologist David A. Johnston camped on the ridge with his lasers, radioed in his regular 7 a.m. report. The changes to the bulging mountain were consistent with what had been reported several times daily since the watch began. At 8:32, a magnitude-5.1 earthquake registered on the seismographic equipment. His excited radio message, “This is it!” was followed by a stream of data. It was his last transmission; the ridge he camped on was within the direct blast zone.

By the numbers

57: Lives lost
$1.1 billion: Damage costs
9,600 feet: Height before eruption
8,300 feet: Height after eruption
200: Homes destroyed
90 mph: Mudflows speed
5,400,000 tons: Estimated ash
2,200 square miles: Ash covered
185 miles: Roads destroyed
15 miles: Railways damaged

Go deeper

Worth Pondering…

—Clarence Edward Dutton, American geologist (1841-1912)

The Complete Guide to Lassen Volcanic National Park

Explore the otherworldly landscape and see bubbling mud pots and hot springs in this northern California park

On May 30, 1914, Lassen Peak awoke from a 27,000-year sleep with a violent explosion, the first of hundreds that rocked this Northern California mountain over the course of the next year carving out a lava-capped crater 1,000 feet across.

But the biggest eruption by far came on May 22, 1915 when a tremendous plume of steam shot into the air shattering the lava cap and sending glowing chunks of molten lava high into the sky. As they fell back onto the mountain which was already blanketed in a record 30-foot snowfall the hot rocks triggered an avalanche a half-mile wide that thundered into the valley creating a mudflow of such tremendous force that it swept over hills and into more valleys beyond, burying farms and homesteads.

No lives were lost thanks to the early alert of the initial explosions but more than a century later that torn and blasted landscape known as the Devastated Area remains. Located just northeast of Lassen Peak, it’s one of the many attractions of the 106,000-acre Lassen Volcanic National Park, an awe-inspiring showcase for the sheer power of the Earth’s volcanic forces. The most popular attraction, Bumpass Hell—a hissing, bubbling expanse of sulfuric mud pots, hot springs, and fumaroles—on the park’s southern end serves as an eerie reminder that these forces are still active today.

Four kinds of volcanoes can be found in the world: cinder cone, composite, plug dome, and shield. Lassen Volcanic has all four along with chiseled rock spires, lava fields, and huge boulders tossed about like bowling balls by the formative explosions of 1914 and 1915.

This magical landscape was protected in 1907 as two separate national monuments, Lassen Peak and Cinder Cone then Congress unified them into one national park in 1916. The park was created to protect all these amazing volcanic features after the eruption and ever since then people have come to see this otherworldly landscape.

Perhaps due to its out-of-the-way location, an hour’s drive on mountainous roads off Interstate 5, Lassen Volcanic National Park receives just 500,000 visitors a year. It’s kind of this gem that people don’t know about just three to four hours from San Francisco.

You’ll experience the eerie majesty of Lassen’s cratered landscape—and pass a series of geological wonders—as you drive the Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway which makes a semicircle around Lassen Peak, still 10,457 feet high even after blowing its top.

To the east are three additional park sections—Butte Lake, Juniper Lake, and Warner Valley—all accessed by separate roads from the northeast and southeast. Since you can’t reach these areas from the park highway check maps beforehand to determine your route if you plan to visit them.

Plan your trip

Two entrance stations at the park’s south and north ends provide access to Lassen Volcanic Park Highway which runs generally north to south making a horseshoe bend around Lassen Peak.

Driving from San Francisco, the park is 247 miles to the north. Enter the park at the southwest gate and stop at the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center to get oriented. Here you’ll find maps and signage explaining what’s open in the park, current trail conditions, and information on ranger programming. If you’re driving from Portland, 453 miles to the north you’ll enter at the northern entrance and continue to the Loomis Museum where a smaller visitor center provides updates on park conditions and happenings.

Be sure to download the park app which provides a guided audio tour of 16 stops along the park highway almost all of which can be seen from pullouts on the road or from accessible parking areas. There’s no cell service in the park but you can use the free Wi-Fi at the Kohm Yah-mah-nee center to download the app. If entering from the north, you must download it ahead of time as the Loomis Museum has no Wi-Fi. “If you don’t download it in advance, the last reliable cell service north of the park is in Shingletown,” notes Arreglo, referring to a small community about 17 miles west of the north entrance.

In the late summer and fall of 2021, California’s devastating Dixie Fire burned 73,240 acres in the park. In addition to leaving behind huge swaths of blackened pine forest, the fire buckled park roads and destroyed lookouts and other facilities, some still closed for repairs. Nonetheless, the average visitor doesn’t experience many significant impacts. Most damage to attractions along the park highway was repaired before the park reopened this past summer.

Lassen Volcanic gets snow early and it stays late often lingering well into June on the higher trails. Wildflowers which begin to emerge in late May and blanket the slopes and valleys all summer have become even more profuse since the fire.

The 30-mile highway through Lassen Volcanic National Park has opened for the 2023 summer season though sections might seem like winter. A higher-than-average snowpack has been fully cleared. Visitors to the park should prepare for winter conditions at higher elevations and possible delays due to ongoing road work.

Nights can be cool even in summer though daytime temperatures can climb into the 90s. By mid-fall, temperatures creep towards freezing. The park remains open year-round despite cold winters although most of the campgrounds close and the park highway isn’t plowed then. Rangers close the gates located just inside the north entrance and just past the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center at the south end with the first significant lasting snowfall typically in November. The Kohm Yah-mah-nee center remains open providing the only park services until the Loomis Museum reopens in May.

Where to stay and eat

Lassen Volcanic National Park’s only hotel-style lodging, the Drakesbad Guest Ranch in Warner Valley remains temporarily closed due to damage from the Dixie Fire. The pine-paneled cabins encircling the sunny meadow survived intact but infrastructure repairs are still necessary before reopening.

The park has seven campgrounds with all sites featuring picnic tables, fire rings, and lockable bear-proof cupboards.

Manzanita Lake Campground just inside the park’s northern entrance in a shady pine forest uphill from the lakeshore is the largest and best developed campground with 179 sites ($26 per night) and amenities including hot showers, an RV dump station, a laundry, and a camp store. It also features 20 uber-rustic one- and two-room camping cabins (both shower areas have an accessible stall with bench seat and hand rails) and a larger eight-bed bunkhouse ($76 to $101 per night) without electricity. They have beds but you’ll need to bring your own bedding and linens.

Summit Lake North and South campgrounds which bookend a pretty, pine-fringed alpine lake in the park’s center have 46 sites ($24 per night) between them. The 101 sites ($22 per night) at Butte Lake Campground cluster in a dense pine forest adjacent to the lake reachable by a 6-mile dirt road.

At Juniper Lake Campground 18 sites ($12 per night) line the shore of the deep blue lake shaded by tall ponderosa and Jeffrey pines and you’ll find a mostly level campground with wheelchair-accessible sites.

Butte Lake and Manzanita Lake campgrounds have wider roads making them good choices for those traveling in an RV. Manzanita Lake, Summit Lake, and Butte Lake campgrounds will be reservation-only starting in 2023 (check the park website for exact dates). Make your reservations through recreation.gov.

The park’s only restaurant, Lassen Café & Gift inside the Kohm Yah-mah-nee center serves soup, salads, and other simple fare along with hot coffee and ice cream. You can pick up to-go sandwiches and snacks at the Manzanita Camp Store.

Picnicking is the way to go in Lassen so stock up on supplies before heading into the park. Devastated Area, Kings Creek Meadow, and Lake Helen are all in the park’s center. Manzanita Lake feature level picnic sites, accessible parking, and restrooms.

Things to do

Drive Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway. From the jagged cliffs of Chaos Crags and mounds of black lava boulders at Chaos Jumbles to the azure waters of Lake Helen and the viewpoints overlooking Hat Creek, Little Hot Springs Creek, and Diamond Peak every stunning stop on the 30-mile park highway route is indicated by a numbered road marker matching the numbers on the park map.

Visit geothermal spots

Lassen Volcanic is dotted with areas of constant geothermal activity where boiling water spurts from vents, pools of mineral-rich mud bubble and spit, and fumaroles release vaporous clouds of steam that hang in the air like a ghostly mist.

Not far past the south entrance, stop at wheelchair-accessible Sulphur Works located right on the park highway to marvel at the silica-crusted mud pots and breathe in the malodorous vapor that gives them their name. It’s a moderate 3-mile round-trip hike to Bumpass Hell, the largest and most active of the park’s geothermal areas named for hapless explorer Kendall Bumpass who fell into one of the mud pots and suffered severe burns.

Go stargazing

While not certified as an International Dark Sky Park, Lassen Volcanic’s high elevation, crystal clear air, and lack of light pollution make it a perfect setting for celestial viewing. As such, the park schedules numerous viewing activities including monthly full moon hikes, astronomy demonstrations, and an annual Dark Sky Festival in early August. Plan your trip to be here during a meteor shower like the Perseids and you’ll see quite a show from Summit Lake or another high point in the park. You’ll see more sky in wide-open spots like the Devastated Area and the Bumpass Hell parking lot.

Have fun in the snow

In winter, the park highway is plowed until just beyond the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center and its expansive parking lot offering easy access for those who come to see the craggy landscape made even more dramatic when iced in white. Lassen Volcanic is also popular for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The hill behind the visitor center also becomes a sledding area with people banking trails and going down on tubes, discs, and toboggans.

Hit the hiking trails

Plunging 30 feet straight down from a rock shelf, Kings Creek Falls near Summit Lake is a must-see for those who can manage the 2.3-mile round-trip loop to the overlook. Rated moderate for its 486-foot elevation gain, the trail follows the creek through wildflower-strewn meadows and meanders through fire-damaged pine forests already showing optimistic regrowth. The final stretch, a series of cliff-hugging stone steps known as the Cascades Foot Section is more challenging but is easily avoided by doing the hike as an out and back rather than as a loop.

Another short but considerably more ambitious hike is the 2-mile round trip to the Ridge Lakes which leaves from the Sulphur Works parking lot and gains 1,000 feet of elevation reaching a string of impossibly blue glacier-scooped bowls on Lassen Peak’s shoulder. Then there’s Arreglo’s favorite, the Terrace, Shadow, and Cliff Lakes Trail, a moderate four-mile round trip with 700 feet of elevation gain which departs from a trailhead just north of Lassen Peak’s parking lot. “It takes you through Paradise Valley to three gorgeous subalpine lakes one after another with these incredible views of Lassen Peak rising above them.”

Sun Dial Bridge, Redding *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Gateway towns

The closest lodging to the park is 10 minutes from the south entrance at the rustic-chic Highlands Ranch Resort. Stay in one of seven splurge-worthy, easy-to-access cottages, some with lofts to accommodate larger groups and dine at the all-American bistro in a firelit, high-beamed dining room.

However, most non-camping park visitors stay in gateway towns on different sides of the park.

Redding, the area’s largest town is popular with those driving north from San Francisco. Located on Interstate 5, 47 miles from the park’s south entrance, the town was founded as a rail hub for transporting minerals, lumber, and cattle from the surrounding mines, forests, and ranches and trains still whistle nightly through its quaint downtown.

Sacramento River from Sundial Bridge *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

The area’s wealth of outdoor activities include Turtle Bay Exploration Park with the renown Sundial Bridge, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Shasta Lake, and Lake Shasta Caverns. Turtle Bay Exploration Park is a 300-acre campus along the banks of the Sacramento River. Gateway to the city’s 220-mile trail system, the Park features a botanical garden, natural history and science museum, and exploration center in the guise of a traditional forest camp. The 300-acre complex is tied together by Redding’s jewel, the Sundial Bridge that was the first American project by celebrated Spanish bridge architect Santiago Calatrava. The supporting pylon and curving, translucent deck perform as the world’s largest sundial.

Surrounded by pristine mountains, lakes, and rivers, Redding offers a wide range of RV parks and campgrounds including Green Acres RV Park, Marina RV Park, Premier RV Park, Redding RV Park, and Win-River Resort.

JGW RV Park, Redding *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Our home base while touring the Redding area was JGW RV Park, a big-rig friendly resort located 9 miles south of Redding on the Sacramento River. This is a beautiful 5-star RV park with water, sewer, and 30/50-amp electric service centrally located. The majority of pull-through sites are back-to-back and side-to side. Our site backed onto the Sacramento River. Interior roads are paved and in good condition with concrete pads.

Centrally located on the Sacramento River, Red Bluff is just 32 miles south of Redding on I-5.

Red Bluff KOA *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Big-rig friendly, Red Bluff KOA Journey (formerly Durango RV Resort) is a 5-star resort located on the Sacramento River. The park is well laid out and designed. Most sites are pull-through, 70-90 feet in length, and 30-35 feet wide. In addition, there are 11 riverfront sites and 21 water-feature spaces (fountains); these sites have utilities on both sides of the concrete pads enabling fifth wheels and travel trailers to back onto the sites and motorhomes to drive forward maximizing the view and water features. In addition, there are several buddy sites.

Farther from the park is the uber-photogenic former lumber company town of McCloud, 81 miles northwest of Lassen Volcanic’s north entrance. Here, pastel-painted clapboard buildings cluster in the shelter of Mount Shasta’s eastern slope. The McCloud Mercantile Hotel occupies the upper floor of the former McCloud Lumber Company store, each of its 12 antique-furnished rooms themed to reflect a colorful local resident or significant event. The moderately priced hotel offers two accessible rooms with open floor plans, roll-in showers, and whirlpool tubs.

On the east, 30 miles from the park’s south entrance, the tiny town of Chester borders Lake Almanor. It’s basically just a place to overnight with the Timber House Brewing and Lodge a favorite of those seeking a retro Wild West vibe enhanced by modern comforts. Accessible rooms are available. For breakfast, head to Cravings for homemade corned beef hash.

En route

All routes to Lassen Volcanic National Park include at least one stretch of the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway that encircles the park and continues north to link the park with Lava Beds National Monument and Crater Lake National Park.

Check this out to learn more:

Facts box

Location: Northern California

Size: 106,000 acres

Highest point: Lassen Peak, at 10,457 feet

Lowest point: Hot Springs Creek, at 5,275 feet

Miles of trails: 150

Main attractions: Bumpass Hell, the Devastated Area, Lassen Peak, and other geothermal and volcanic features

Entry fee: $30

Best way to see it: By car

Worth Pondering…

—William H. Brewer, Up and Down California (Journals; 1860-1864)

See Steaming Volcanoes at This Eerie National Park

Lassen Volcanic Park boasts a fascinating eruptive history that has dramatically shaped the landscape

Lassen is also one of the oldest national parks in the country. The former hunting ground for the Atsugwei, Yana, Yahi, Maidu, and Kohm people became the fifteenth national park in 1916.

When a national park has over 20 volcanoes, you can expect some pretty spectacularly strange landscapes. Gurgling mud pots, curves of red earth, sulfur vents, fumaroles, lava tube caves, and boiling springs all sit in a northeastern patch of California mixed in with lakes, waterfalls, and snowy mountains. Lassen Volcanic National Park is one of the few places on earth that has all four types of volcanoes (cinder cones, composite, shield, and plug dome)—for all the science types out there.

The birth of this park as a federally protected area really began in the summer of 1914 when three climbers ascended Lassen Peak in an attempt to uncover the reasons why the dormant volcano had recently started rumbling deep beneath its surface. As they neared the top, the volcano began to erupt, spewing ash and debris into the air forming a 12-mile long mud flow that flooded across the region. The climbers narrowly escaped and survived the event—an event that would become one of intense study for many years to come.

In 1915, the peak blew its top. The catastrophic eruption forced rock, trees, and debris miles down into valleys, devastating the surrounding areas and changing its landscape forever. Then in 1917, the volcano fell dormant.

The geothermal activity and spectacular jagged landscape is one of California’s best kept secrets as only about 500,000 travelers visit the park each year—as opposed to the few million found just south in Yosemite—even though it’s easy to reach at just 130 miles north of Sacramento.

In Lassen’s 166.3 square miles of protected land, you’ll find rigorous hikes, the 30-foot Kings Creek Falls, and wheelchair-accessible viewpoints of the rugged volcanic wilderness. You can experience the best of the park during a day trip but to do Lassen justice and maximize your trip spend three to four days in the national park. Here’s everything you need to know about the volcanic park.

Visit… pretty much any time of year

Lassen Volcanic National Park can be visited year round—but expect snow for the majority of the year. Determining the best time of year to go will depend on what you hope to experience in the park.

The winter season lasts from December to March but snowfall continues through June making winter-centric activities in the park available through spring. In cooler months, visit the southwest areas of the park which begin at 6,700 feet of elevation and receive the most snow—up to 30 feet each season. Manzanita Lake is a popular spot for snowshoeing.

Summer is the most popular time to visit Lassen Volcanic National Park though visitor numbers are still low enough that the park can feel quite empty. Warm-weather hikes in Manzanita Lake start around May though Bumpass Hell Trail often remains closed due to snow hazard until July. As the sun comes out you might increase your chances of spotting some of the 250 species of wildlife in the park looking to basque in the sunshine.

May through September brings wildflowers in the meadows. Peak blooming occurs between July and September depending on the elevation of the area. And while leaf peeping isn’t a huge draw to the park as it’s mostly populated with evergreen trees you’ll still find some changing leaves on aspen, alder, and cottonwood trees in the autumn months. The best place to enjoy fall colors is Hat Meadow.

Hike around and on top of volcanoes

No matter what, you’ll want to begin at the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center locatrd one mile from the Southwest Entrance which is open year-round. The visitor center offers an information desk, exhibit hall, auditorium, amphitheater, park store, dining area with fireplace, patio, and a gift shop and cafe. Free Wi-Fi is available inside.

There you can choose from between the 150 miles of trails in Lassen.

At Butte Lake, hike the challenging four-mile trail to the summit of Cinder Cone and be rewarded with views of the volcano’s crater.

The three-mile round-trip Bumpass Hell Trail leads to a boardwalk over the largest hydrothermal area in the park. The path takes guests within a safe distance of aquamarine pools in the 16-acre basin.

For a longer trek, head out on the park’s 17 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail.

Hike at least seven miles in Lassen Volcanic National Park and you could achieve the Reach Higher Trail Challenge which supports the recovery of the native Sierra Nevada red fox. Plus you’ll be rewarded with a nifty, commemorative bandana. Are you ready for the challenge?

Totally don’t worry about eruptions

No trip to the park is complete without a visit to the most famous volcano in the park, Lassen Peak, also known as Yah-mah-nee or “snow mountain.” It’s the world’s largest plug dome volcano at 10,457 feet elevation and it last erupted in 1917. But don’t worry—volcanologists know well in advance when an eruption could happen and park rangers wouldn’t let you venture out if it were a possibility. Despite often being snow-covered into August, Lassen Peak Trail is open for hiking year-round. Or stay grounded and enjoy the stunning views of the gigantic mountain jutting out behind the tree-lined lake.

To experience Lassen’s famous hydrothermal activities fed from the natural underground hot water system head to Sulphur Works where you’ll witness mud pots boiling and steam hissing from vents. Just like at Yellowstone, you’ll want to stay on designated paths to avoid severe burns though you’ll get to witness strange colors of the earth and smell some pungent sulfur.

Where to stay in Lassen National Park

Camping permits are free in Lassen and there are eight campgrounds within the park. RVs and trailers can be accommodated at the Manzanita Lake, Butte Lake, and Summit Lake campgrounds. Campsite reservations are highly recommended July through early September and can be made only through recreation.gov.

You can also find camping cabins at the Manzanita Lake Campground. Thanks to the lack of light pollution those who sleep over often see the shimmering Milky Way or a spectacle of meteor showers while stargazing.

If roughing it isn’t your thing, book lodges, cabins, or bungalows at the historic Drakesbad Guest Ranch which is the only lodging in the park. The ranch will prepare your meals while you soak in the on-site hydrothermal spring-fed pool after a day spent exploring the park.

>> DIG DEEPER

Worth Pondering…

Lassen’s Peak looks sharper from this side than any other and views seen from among these pinnacles and rocks are some of the most picturesque imaginable. A series of photographs would be treasures indeed.

—William H. Brewer, Up and Down California journals, 1860-1864

Celebrate Volcano Week!

Volcano Week 2023 takes place during the first week of February

It’s Volcano Week! You may not have heard of this annual celebration hosted by the National Park Service (NPS) but it’s the perfect opportunity to learn more about the lava-filled peaks that continue to shape our Earth.

There are about 1,350 potentially active volcanoes around the world, 161 of which are in the U.S. and its territories.

Volcano Week 2023 takes place February 5-11.

El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico © *Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

“Some volcanic eruptions are witnessed by people who remember what they’ve seen by writing it down, painting about it, telling stories, or collecting detailed scientific data. Other eruptions go unseen, hidden in the distant past. How do we discover, learn about, and remember those eruptions? We have to look at many lines of evidence to reconstruct the activity and eruptions of volcanoes,” the park service said.

Volcanoes are diverse! They range from the majestic Mount Rainier to colossal shield volcanoes like Mauna Loa (Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park) and volcanic fields that can cover hundreds of square miles such as at Craters of the Moon National Monument.

Some volcanoes are picturesque, others less so. They vary in size from small cinder cones that stand only a few hundred feet tall to the most massive mountains on earth. Some have textbook-perfect conical shapes and others are more irregular in form.

Petroglyph National Monument, New Mexico © *Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Some volcanoes erupt only once and last for only a few days or less while others may have periods of activity that span expanses of time as great as a few million years.

Each volcano is somewhat unique, but most can be classified into several types. The most common types of volcanoes are cinder cones, composite volcanoes (stratovolcanoes), shield volcanoes, and volcanic domes.

Several other types of volcanoes exist and are part of the diversity of volcanic landforms found on land. Examples of these volcanoes are also found in national parks.

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California © *Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Cinder cone volcanoes

Cinder cones are the most common type of volcano in the world. They may look like an idealized depiction of a volcano as they are steep, conical hills that usually have a prominent crater at the top. Cinder cones are the most common type of volcano in the National Park System.

Capulin Volcano and Sunset Crater Volcano national monuments were established specifically to preserve especially large and picturesque cinder cones. These volcanoes are the tallest cinder cones in the National Park System with a height of approximately 1,000 feet each. Wizard Island in Crater Lake National Park is a cinder cone that formed after the caldera-forming eruption.

At least 24 units in the National Park System contain cinder cones, including:

Capulin Volcano National Monument, New Mexico
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Arizona
Petroglyph National Monument, New Mexico
El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico
Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington © *Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Composite volcanoes

Composite volcanoes can be the most picturesque of all volcanoes. A classic composite volcano is conical with a concave shape that is steeper near the top. These mountains commonly have snow-covered peaks standing high above the surrounding mountainous terrain.

Composite cones are large volcanoes (many thousands of feet tall) generally composed of lava flows, pyroclastic deposits, and mudflow (lahar) deposits, as well as lava domes. Composite volcanoes are active over long periods (tens to hundreds of thousands of years) and erupt periodically. Composite volcanoes are also called stratovolcanoes.

Mount Rainier is an active volcano and the tallest peak in the Pacific Northwest. It is also considered to be the most dangerous volcano in the Lower 48. Brokeoff Volcano (Mount Tehama) in Lassen Volcanic National Park is a deeply eroded large composite volcano. It consisted of lava domes, lava flows, and pyroclastic deposits that are between 590,000 and 385,000 years old.

At least eight units of the National Park System contain composite volcanoes, including:

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
Lassen Volcanic National Park, California
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington
Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
Katmai National Park, Alaska

Shield volcanoes

Although shield volcanoes are the largest volcanoes on Earth, they do not form soaring mountains with conical peaks like composite volcanoes. Instead, they are broad volcanoes with gentle slopes and are shaped somewhat like a warrior’s shield lying flat on the Earth. Shield volcanoes have a convex shape as they are flatter near the summit.

Shield volcanoes are truly massive with volumes that dwarf other types of volcanoes even large composite volcanoes. Shield volcanoes are usually constructed almost entirely of basaltic and/or andesitic lava flows which were very fluid when erupted. They are built by repeated eruptions that occurred intermittently over vast periods (up to a million years or longer).

Mount St. Helens National Monument, Washington © *Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

At least 13 units of the National Park System contain shield volcanoes, including:

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai’i
Lassen Volcanic National Park, California
Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico
Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho

Lassen Peak, Lassen Volcanic National Park, California © *Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Volcanic Domes

Domes form from the slow extrusion of highly-viscous silicic lava. These lavas are too thick to spread out into a lava flow. Most domes are small and many do not have a crater. Domes are sometimes called lava domes.

Lassen Volcanic National Park contains multiple lava domes. Lassen Peak (see above photo) is the world’s largest dome with a peak elevation of 10,457 feet. It was emplaced 27,000 years ago. Chaos Crags are a set of six lava domes that grew during eruptions approximately 1,050 years ago. In Valles Caldera National Preserve, at least seven lava dome complexes formed along the ring fracture of the Valles Caldera during post-caldera volcanic activity.

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Park, Washington © *Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

At least 12 units of the National Park System contain volcanic domes, including:

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California
Valles Caldera National Preserve, New Mexico
Big Bend National Park, Texas
Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
Lava Beds National Monument, California

Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona © *Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Other types of volcanoes

Maars and tuff rings

Maars and tuff rings are low-standing volcanoes with wide, bowl-shaped craters. They commonly have a donut-like profile. Their low edifices consist of shallowly-dipping deposits of tuff made mostly of ash and angular, nonvesicular pebble-sized pyroclasts (lapilli).

A maar is a volcanic crater in which the crater lies below the surrounding ground level and is surrounded by a low pyroclastic cone. Because they are topographic lows, maars frequently contain lakes in their craters. A tuff ring is a pyroclastic cone with a crater above the surrounding ground surface. Tuff ring craters are usually dry.

Big Bend National Park, Texas © *Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

At least six units of the National Park System contain maars or tuff rings, including:

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Alaska
Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
Big Bend National Park, Texas
Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico

Fissure volcanoes

Fissure volcanoes are produced by eruptions that occur along elongated fissures versus at a central vent. Fissure eruptions occur when magma-filled dikes intersect the surface. Fissure eruptions usually do not build substantial edifices but instead, feed lava flows that can travel great distances. Fissure eruptions may also occur in rift zones on shield volcanoes. They also frequently occur in monogenetic volcanic fields.

Fissure eruptions may be large or small, depending on the magma supply and length of the fissure. Fissure volcanoes have been the site of the largest volume of volcanic eruptions in Earth’s history in terms of the magnitude of lava erupted.

Mount St. Helens, Washington © *Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

At least four units of the National Park System contain fissure volcanoes, including:

El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico
Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho
Petroglyph National Monument, New Mexico
Lava Beds National Monument, California

Monogenetic volcanic fields

Volcanic fields are clusters of volcanoes or areas covered by volcanic rocks. Monogenetic volcanic fields consist mostly (or exclusively) of monogenetic volcanoes. These volcanoes (cinder cones, maars, tuff rings, and eruptive fissures) each experience one period of activity. Most monogenetic volcanic fields include areas covered by basaltic lava flows and clusters of cinders cones and/or maars and tuff rings, sometimes with a composite volcano or shield volcano located near the center of the field.

Chiricachua National Monument, Arizona © *Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

At least 13 units of the National Park system contain all or parts of monogenetic volcanic fields, including:

El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico
Mojave National Preserve, California
Petroglyph National Monument, New Mexico
Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada
Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Calderas

Calderas are collapse features that form during large-volume volcanic eruptions when the underlying magma chamber is partially emptied and the ground above it subsides into it. Calderas are large, generally with a diameter greater than 0.6 miles. The largest calderas are tens of miles wide. A defining characteristic of calderas is that they have diameters that are much wider than their included vents.

Saguaro National Park © *Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

At least 16 units of the National Park System contain calderas, including:

Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona
Aniakchak National Monument, Alaska
Saguaro National Park, Arizona
Big Bend National Park, Texas
Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Worth Pondering…

—Clarence Edward Dutton, Report on the Geology of the High Plateaus of Utah (1880)

On the Road to Mount St. Helens

Before Mount St. Helens blew its top it was a beautifully symmetric rounded snow-capped mountain that stood between two jagged peaks, Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams

The tranquility of the Mount St. Helens region was shattered in the spring of 1980 when the volcano stirred from its long repose, shook, and exploded back to life. The local people rediscovered that they had an active volcano in their midst and millions of people in North America were reminded that the active—and potentially dangerous—volcanoes of the U.S. are not restricted to Alaska and Hawaii.

The eruption of Mount St. Helens caused the largest landslide in recorded history, sweeping through the Toutle River Valley and removing 1,306 feet from the top of the volcano. The powerful lava flow, savage winds, and deadly heat destroyed much of the previous landscape. What the mountain left behind is the history of a violent eruption that shook the surrounding region and left many with stories of that tumultuous day on May 18, 1980.

On the road to Mount St. Helens *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Mount St. Helens, located in southwestern Washington, is one of several lofty volcanic peaks that dominate the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest; the range extends from Mount Garibaldi in British Columbia to Lassen Peak in northern California. Geologists call Mount St. Helens a composite volcano (or stratovolcano), a term for steep-sided, often symmetrical cones constructed of alternating layers of lava flows, ash, and other volcanic debris.

Most people visit the area around Mount St Helens by leaving Interstate 5 in Washington state at exit 49 and traveling East along a road called Spirit Lake Highway. The road is so-called, because, before 1980, it used to terminate at Spirit Lake. The lake is no longer accessible by road from the West, and even from the East, a substantial hike is required. So, I like to refer to Spirit Lake Highway as the Road to Mount St Helens.

Four visitor centers tell the story of the mountain and the people living in the region surrounding it. The awesome views from each of the centers bring you face to face with a monumental natural event. These centers are located along the 52-mile-long Spirit Lake Memorial Highway, the only scenic byway in the United States that penetrates a fresh volcanic blast zone.

Like a book with four chapters, each visitor center tells a different part of the story: the mountain as it was before the blast at Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center; first-hand accounts from survivors who experienced the explosion at Johnston Ridge Observatory; the recovery of the mountain and the region at the Forest Learning Center; and its present state at the Silver Lake Visitor Center. Each center offers a unique experience that brings visitors face-to-face with one of the most memorable natural phenomena of our era.

Mount St. Helens Visit Center *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Mount St. Helens Visitor Center

Located 5 miles from I-5, Silver Lake Visitor Center is a world-class facility located on the western shore of Silver Lake. With its high ceilings and massive windows, the outdoors becomes a part of the architecture. Your senses will come alive as you enjoy the interactive exhibits, a step-in model of the volcano, and theater programs. Outside, a mile-long trail takes you into marshy plains surrounding Silver Lake where you can see waterfowl and picture-perfect views of the mountain.

Hoffstadt Bluffs *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center

Located 27 miles from I-5, Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center offers an up-close view of the mountain and the flood plain where mud rushed down into the valley, raising it a mile higher than it was prior to May 18, 1980. Take a short walk to another viewing point where a grove was dedicated in 2000 in memory of the 57 people who perished during the eruption.

Hoffstadt Bluff Visitor Center *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

A large post-and-beam structure, Hoffstadt Bluff houses the “Memories of a Lost Landscape” exhibit, which provides an excellent depiction of the mountain prior to the blast, when the area was full of youth camps and visitors enjoying the outdoors.

Forest Learning Center

The Weyerhaeuser Forest Learning Center, at milepost 33, describes the work of foresters before, during, and after the eruption, with an emphasis on the rebirth of the forest.

Walkthrough the forest, hearing the sounds of the birds and animals on the mountain prior to May 18, 1980. Enter the “eruption chamber” to view a video of what the forest looked like immediately after the eruption. Breathtaking photographs and life-size models of loggers working in the blast zone bring the experience to life.

Johnston Ridge Observatory

At the end of the scenic byway, 52 miles from I-5, Johnston Ridge Observatory is tucked into the side of Johnston’s Ridge, a mere 5 miles from the north side of the mountain. Providing visitors the opportunity to come within a stone’s throw of the crater, the observatory is unparalleled. Walkout on the viewing deck or take a stroll along one of the trails and feel the energy of the mountain as it continues to puff steam into the sky.

The 16,000 square-foot structure offers a fully-equipped theater where visitors can watch a video about the eruption. Just as the mountain surprised the world with its blast, the movie does likewise as the show concludes and the screen rises to deliver a picture-perfect view of the mountain.

View the many exhibits and read through personal survival stories from that fateful day in 1980. For more detailed information, catch a formal talk or join a guided walk led by one of the observatory’s volunteers.

Worth Pondering…

Looking back across the long cycles of change through which the land has been shaped into its present form, let us realize that these geographical revolutions are not events wholly of the dim past, but that they are still in progress.

—Sir Archibald Geikie, Scottish geologist (1835-1924)

The Ultimate Guide to Lassen Volcanic National Park

Lassen Volcanic National Park is most popular during the summer when its most beautiful features are revealed after a long snowy winter

While Lassen Volcanic National Park is just as serene and peaceful as other California national parks, it was established to protect and aid the research of a turbulent landscape. The birth of this park as a federally protected area really began in the summer of 1914 when three climbers ascended Lassen Peak in an attempt to uncover the reasons why the dormant volcano had recently started rumbling deep beneath its surface.

As they neared the top, the volcano began to erupt, spewing ash and debris into the air forming a 12-mile long mudflow that flooded across the region. The climbers narrowly escaped and survived the event—an event that would become one of intense study for many years to come. In 1915, the peak blew its top. The catastrophic eruption forced rock, trees, and debris miles down into valleys devastating the surrounding areas and changing its landscape forever. Then in 1917, the volcano fell dormant.

Today, the active but sleeping volcano is the high point of a lively wilderness environment. Across 160,000 acres, elevations range from 5,300 to over 10,000 feet creating a diverse landscape of jagged mountain peaks, alpine lakes, forests, meadows, streams, waterfalls, and of course, volcanoes. There are hot springs, geysers, fumaroles, mud pots, steam vents, and other geothermal features in the area as well from where bubbling activity still appears reminding us of the region’s stormy past.

With all of that said, it is not surprising that Lassen Volcanic National Park is known for its extreme weather. During heavy snow years, the main park road along the Lassen Volcanic National Park Scenic Highway (the main park road) may not open until May and sometimes not until mid-July putting visitors at the mercy of Mother Nature during any season of the year. Lassen Volcanic fully opened for summertime activities this year in late June. All the park’s roads, campgrounds, and trailheads are open for the first time in seven months with some high-country trails in sun-shielded sites still covered with some patches of snow.

Lassen features a landscape built primarily by volcanic blasts and lava flows with the last series of major eruptions from 1914 to 1918. Its high country is cut by ice and snow. The park’s 106,000 acres is a matrix of lava peaks, basalt flows, and geothermal basins that is set amid forests, lakes, and streams. The centerpiece, 10,457-foot Lassen Peak, has just an inch or two of snow left on portions of the switch-backed trail that leads up from the parking lot. It is expected to melt off soon.

As a national park, Lassen is like Yosemite’s little brother—it gets about 750,000 visitors each year (542,274 in 2020) compared to Yosemite’s 5 million (2,268,313 in 2020). It is a unique destination for camping, hiking, trout fishing, and wilderness treks. The Pacific Crest Trail also runs through much of the park.

With summer heating up, here is the ultimate guide to Lassen Volcanic with ideas on how to enjoy the park’s greatest hits and stay cool.

Camping

Along the Lassen Park Highway, you can find major campgrounds and camping cabins at Manzanita Lake (multiple loops, 179 sites, 20 cabins). Or check out Summit Lake with two separate campground areas and 94 sites which opened June 25. Near the southern entrance station, Southwest Walk-in has 20 sites, first come, first served. In the park’s more remote regions, the campground at Butte Lake (101 sites) is located across the entrance road from the car-top boat access.

Camps are also available at the distant Warner Valley (17 sites, first-come, first-served) and the even more remote Juniper Lake (16 sites, first come, first served, opened June 25). Access to these spots is along dirt roads and SUVs are advised to reach them.

Three easy hikes

The park’s most popular hike, the Bumpass Hell geothermal area (named after a guy who accidentally fell in), is now open. It’s a 3-mile round trip: a short climb and then a descent to a basin filled with boiling pots, hot springs, steam vents, and hydrothermals. A series of boardwalks provide access to the basin.

From Hat Lake along the Lassen Park Highway, there’s a pretty hike along a creek past a waterfall (a short cutoff on the right provides the best view) to gorgeous Paradise Meadow. It’s a 2.8 miles round trip with a 700-foot climb on the way in. The meadow is nestled in a mountain bowl at 7,100 feet where visitors will find an explosion of wildflowers.

Mill Creek Falls, a gorgeous 75-foot chute-like waterfall, is a 3.8-mile round trip. The route starts near the southwest parking area (near the park entrance, behind the amphitheater), then is routed through the forest with a few small stream crossings.

Two tougher hikes

The park’s signature hike, the Lassen Peak Trail, has recently become accessible for hiking as the snow melts off the south-facing switchbacks. It’s a 5-mile round-trip with a 2,000-foot climb on the way up to the rim. Then it’s a short jaunt across the caldera to the plug dome summit crag. As you approach, the best route up to the pinnacle is on the far side on the left.

From the trailhead at Butte Lake, the park’s most unusual climb is the 2-mile trek to the rim of the Cinder Cone (4.5 miles roundtrip). It’s somewhat of a slog through volcanic rubble but the reward is a view inside the collapsed caldera of the cone and views of the Spectacular Lava Beds and also to Lassen Peak. A trail rings the rim of the cone with a cutoff spur that plunges to the bottom.

Lakes

The park’s most famous lake is Manzanita Lake, located a short distance from the Highway 44/89 entrance station. During the summer, it is a favorite area for kids of all ages to hike, swim, and paddle. With a kayak or canoe, you can paddle across the lake with a backdrop of Lassen Peak. Kayak rentals are available at the Camper Store. The lake is also a destination for flyfishers with special regulations in effect for catch-and-release wild trout.

National Park Service rangers at Lassen also provide regular guided tours that examine summer bird species in the area (there are 213 species in the park) The one thing that never changes at Manzanita Lake is the straight-on view of Lassen Peak from its north side. Gorgeous!

Summit Lake, ringed by conifers, is also popular for kayaking with the best access on the northern shore; no rentals.

Remote Butte Lake has a designated area to launch car-top boats and from here you can paddle amid a backdrop of pine forest, volcanic crags, and shoreline rubble. The lake has fair trout fishing with fish up to about 12 inches. No motors are permitted at any of the lakes at Lassen.

Fact Box

Size: 106,372 acres

Date Established: August 9, 1916

Location: Northern California, at the southern foot of the Cascades Range

Park Elevation: 5,300 feet-10,463 feet

How the park got its name: Lassen Volcanic National Park was named after the high-point in the park, Lassen Peak (10,463 feet). Lassen Peak was named after a Danish blacksmith named Peter Lassen who explored the area and settled there in the early 1840s. It has also been called Mount Lassen or Lassen Butte. It’s Native American names varied, translating loosely as Fire Mountain, Water Mountain, Snow Mountain, and The Long High Mountain That Was Broken.

Iconic site: The unobstructed view of Lassen Peak from Manzanita Lake is a showstopper and a site that can be accessed all year long. Along the popular 1.5-mile trail that circumnavigates the lake, there are plenty of cool offshoot trails meandering the serene alpine setting. From the north side of the lake, forests of conifer trees frame-up Chaos Crags, Eagles Peak, and Lassen Peak like a painting. Stay for sunset! It’s an easy walk back to the car and the alpenglow is beautiful.

Did you know?

Sunset Magazine called Lassen The West’s most beautiful, least visited wonderland.

Lassen is one of the few places on Earth that contains all four of the world’s known types of volcanoes—stratovolcanoes, volcanic domes, shield volcanoes, and cinder cones. A shield volcano can be seen at Prospect Peak, a cinder cone volcano that formed the Painted Dunes when it erupted in 1666, Lassen Peak itself is a plug dome volcano—the largest in the world, and the stratovolcano (also known as a composite volcano) can be seen at Mount Diller.

All of the mountains in this national park are volcanic.

The only volcanic eruption occurring in a national park in the lower 48 states during the 20th century was at Lassen Volcanic.

Worth Pondering…

—William H. Brewer, Up and Down California (Journals; 1860-1864)