Lassen Volcanic National Park

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Lassen Volcanic National Park, geologically active area in northern California, U.S., about 50 miles (80 km) east of Redding. The park contains Lassen Peak, which reaches an elevation of 10,457 feet (3,187 metres); it and Mount Saint Helens, some 400 miles (640 km) to the north in Washington state, were the only active volcanoes in the 48 conterminous U.S. states during the 20th century. Lassen Peak and Cinder Cone to the northeast of it were set aside as national monuments in 1907; they formed the core of the national park when it was established in 1916. The park has an area of 166 square miles (430 square km) and is surrounded by Lassen National Forest. The park occupies the southernmost extent of the Cascade Range (which also contains Mount Saint Helens) at the northern limit of the Sierra Nevada.

The Lassen region was once a hunting area for Native American peoples, including the Atsugewi, Yana, Yahi, and Maidu. Between about 600,000 and 350,000 years ago, the western portion of the park’s present area was occupied by Mount Tehama, a stratovolcano that exploded and created a caldera some 3 miles (5 km) wide. A number of volcanic summits, including Lassen Peak, mark the rim of the eroded caldera. Lassen Peak erupted intermittently between 1914 and 1921, most spectacularly in 1915. Other evidence of volcanic activity includes such formations as Cinder Cone, Chaos Crags, and Bumpass Hell; the latter is the largest of several geothermal areas in the park that feature bubbling mud pots, sulfurous vents, and steaming fumaroles. Numerous small lakes are scattered throughout the park, the largest of which are on the eastern side.

The park encompasses a number of areas that are in different stages of plant regrowth following the volcanic eruptions of the early 20th century, notably the Devastated Area and Chaos Jumbles. The predominant plant life is coniferous forest, notably huge ponderosa pines and stands of Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, and western hemlock. Wildflowers are abundant during the summer. Animal life includes deer, black bears, and other forest mammals; numerous migrating waterfowl frequent the park’s lakes, especially in the fall.

The park is crisscrossed with hiking trails, including a segment of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail that bisects it from north to south. Cross-country skiing and a driving tour through the park are popular activities. The Loomis Museum exhibits artifacts and photographs of the area’s geological and cultural history.