Lassen Volcanic National Park

We drove to Lassen Volcanic National Park the other day - even more unsettling for us being around all these active volcanos.  Lassen Peak, now at 12,000 feet, erupted May, 1914 and over the next two years, periodic eruptions occured with the last major one occurring May 22, 1915 which blew large ash cloud 30,000 feet into the air. This last one altered the entire landscape - valleys of pumice rock, boulders strewn all over, mounds of lava, sides of mountains sheered from the mud flow. Lassen Peak is one of a chain of active volcanos, we camped by three of them - Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Shasta Mountain, and now Lassen Peak - all part of the Pacific Ring of Fire - peachy.

As we drove to this campground this past Saturday we kept seeing these huge fields of lava rock and now we know why.  It is a wonder anything grows here, but we are glad it does, we are camping within 25 feet of the Lassen National Forest, tall pine trees abound!  You would never know that 13 miles away is Lassen Peak where they do seismology readings daily.

Lassen Peak and meadow

Lassen Volcanic NP is a haven for geology buffs, everything you want to see and look at regarding the earth's formation and landscape can be found in this park.  And this is the only place in the world where you will find 4 different kinds of volcanoes - plugged-dome (Lassen), cinder cone, conical and strato.  There is a thermo area where hot water and mud pots seap from underground - this is sorta a mini-Yellowstone.  Stinking sulfur smell and the yellow/white ground where the hot springs leak out to the surface.

Fields of rocks

There are glacial lakes left over from the melt thousands of years ago, but sadly only can be reached by hiking.  Pretty meadows, if we were here about a month earlier would have seen wildflowers.

Results of Reading Fire of 2012 

One road transverses from northwest to south west, and the rest of the park only reachable by a dirt road which is closed right now due to a forest fire from late last year, or by hiking to.  Very little pull offs to view, I guess I understand why because the landscape is so barren and sharp lava rocks.  Can't say this is a pretty park, but a must see for those that like geology.

We had thought we would spend a couple of days exploring the park but one day was plenty for us. One thing that we had to adjust for - no diesel gas around for 30 miles of where we camp.  So, we sit tight, struggle with the internet, and just relax and enjoy the forest.  Hat Creek meanders right on the property and it is soothing to sit and listen to the water rushing over the rocks and stare at the pretty clear water.  The creek has just been stocked over the weekend so there are folks fishing right off the banks.  And our next neighbor has been smoking all the fish they catch - fire going all the time with a rack for smoking the fish above it.