Lassen Volcanic Ntn’l Park

The primary reason we came to this part of California was to see the wonder that is Lassen Volcanic National Park. Though we had distracted ourselves with other adventures for two weeks, we finally got into the park-proper at the very end of our stay in the area. Sadly, the weather was not in our favor during our short visit. The rain started the previous night and lingering around for much of the day. A little bit of dreary weather wasn’t going to keep us away though. First, a stop into the visitor’s center for a lapel pin for the collection. Then we simply drove the entire park, pulling over at each pullout to read the info on the placard. Eventually we made it to the top of the road and pulled over to enjoy a few minutes of the snow… Moose loves the snow.

Down the other side of the mountain, towards the town of Mineral again, we eventually made it all the way to the Sulphur Works section where we were able to get back out of the van and walk among the boiling mud pots.

Unfortunately, with the main attraction (Bumpass Hell) closed for repairs we knew we were not going to get in any hike out. Add too it the snow that was still on the ground at that elevation, no way would we have been able too anyway. Luckily, we have spend so long just outside the park boundaries, exploring it’s sister forests, that I do not feel I am lacking the exploring of this area. I may not have been able to hike the path that everyone that comes here does, but then again most people do not spend two weeks camped all around the surrounding forest either.

Eventually we turned around and repeated the entire road in reverse, popping back out the entrance we came in too, and drove up and past McArthur Burney State Park again towards the Shasta-Trinity and Modoc National Forests. With warm weather down the mountains, we would spend the following week camped under the watch of Mount Shasta, trying to stay cool.