This is such an area of wild, untamed beauty. Less known to the general public than Yellowstone National Park, this is also a living park where the earth's thin crust continues to make variations in the landscape. 1914 is a date that created its own legacy. With the 1914-17 series of eruptions it shaped a complete new environment. From what men thought to be was a dead volcano changing into a violent one, became national news. Today you can visit the remarkable hydrothermal features. Roaring fumaroles (steam and volcanic-gas vents), thumping mud pots, boiling pools, and steaming ground, abundant in awe inspiring colors 'tempting' your senses. But under all conditions, stay on walkways and trails. Bumpass Hell is a name related to mister Bumpass who lost his leg after he felt into a boiling pool while he was short cutting a trail.
Lassen is primarily known for its volcanic geology. All four types of volcanoes in the world are found here: cinder cones (Cinder Cone), composite volcanoes (Brokeoff Volcano), shield volcanoes (Prospect Peak), and lava dome, with Lassen Peak as the largest plug dome volcano in the world. If the varied volcanoes of Lassen aren't enough to satisfy your geo-appetite, consider taking a-two-and-a-half-hour drive northwest to Shasta-Trinity National Forest, home of Mount Shasta, the largest stratovolcano in the Cascades. But the park also boasts a rich diversity of plant and animal life.
There is another special story that has to be told when speaking of Lassen Volcanic National Park, the life story of Ishi, the Yahi Indian, lone survivor of a doomed tribe, and unique in the annals of North American anthropology. Learn more about the story of Ishi at the University of California website.
The park's website provides you with some excellent ideas how to fill in some fine summer days. The 30-mile Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway offers and excellent introduction to the park, starting either at the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center or Loomis Museum. Near Lassen Peak the road reaches 8512 feet, making it the highest road in the Cascade Mountains.
This is the official Park Map by the National Park Service. Be sure to check the Park's 'Maps' section to view more.

This is such an area of wild, untamed beauty. Less known to the general public than Yellowstone National Park, this is also a living park where the earth's thin crust continues to make variations in the landscape. 1914 is a date that created its own legacy. With the 1914-17 series of eruptions it shaped a complete new environment. From what men thought to be was a dead volcano changing into a violent one, became national news. Today you can visit the remarkable hydrothermal features. Roaring fumaroles (steam and volcanic-gas vents), thumping mud pots, boiling pools, an...