RVers Aren't Immune To Rookie National Park Mistakes

Above, camping at Manzanita Lake Campground in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Having been to several national parks over the years, I generally know what to expect.

Since I bought my motorhome eleven years ago, I have camped in some national parks. They include Lassen Volcanic, Yosemite, Joshua Tree and Grand Canyon. 

There are those RVers who aren't "immune" to "rookie" mistakes at national parks. An article in RV Travel spells them out.

They begin with:

It’s easy to assume experience counts for everything. Many of us have rolled into dozens of parks over the years, know the drill, and figure the “rookie mistakes” don’t apply anymore. But national park mistakes RVers make still show up every season—and rangers say some of them can turn serious faster than people expect.

A former ranger speaking with Business Insider laid out a familiar pattern: visitors arrive unprepared, underestimate conditions, and forget that parks aren’t controlled environments. That may sound like it’s aimed at first-time tent campers. But look a little closer, and you’ll see how often it applies to RVers, too.

To read more, go here. 

Lassen National Park Closed Due To Park Fire

Above, Manzanita Lake Campground store in 2017. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It seems that just about every year there's a wildfire at Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California.

I visited there in 2017 during my Great American Eclipse trip. I also visited Crater Lake National Park.

During my 2017 trip, I stayed at Lassen's Manzanita Lake Campground. Now that campground is threatened by the Park Fire.

According to YubaNet:

MINERAL, Calif. – Three years after the Dixie Fire consumed much of the eastern portion of Lassen Volcanic National Park, the massive Park Fire is approaching the park’s western edge, prompting National Park Service officials to close the park. 

Visitors have been evacuated from all campgrounds, and reservations have been canceled. All park employees have been evacuated from park housing and their homes in the community, most staying in hotels. 

Fire officials speculate that the fire has potential to reach both Manzanita Lake and Mineral Headquarters. These are areas that were not hit during the Dixie Fire. 

The historic district at park headquarters in Mineral in the southwest portion of the park includes structures built by the California Conservation Corps in the 1930s. On the northwest side of the park is the pristine Manzanita Lake campground and historic district that was spared by the Dixie Fire during the summer of 2021. Staff are scrambling to save historic artifacts stored in the 1927 Loomis Museum.

To read more, go here.  

Tips For Camping In The Mountains

Above, at camp at Manzanita Lake Campground in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Generally speaking, while camping in mountain areas, campgrounds tend to be located in valleys such as North Pines Campground in Yosemite National Park. I camped there in 2016.

I have also camped at Manzanita Lake Campground at Lassen Volcanic National Park. It is 5,900 feet in elevation in the Cascade Mountain Range.

The topic of mountain camping is in an article in RV Life. It provides 8 tips for camping in the mountains.

They begin it with:

Camping in the mountains is a fantastic adventure that you should absolutely take. From way up high, you’ll be able to access amazing hiking trails, play in mountain streams, and see some animals that don’t tend to make their way down to the bigger human civilizations. 

All that said, there are some things you need to keep in mind in order to be properly prepared for camping in the mountains. Here we share our top mountain camping tips so you can go in ready for whatever the mountains may throw your way. 

To read more, go here. 

More Full Campgrounds In 2023 Than In 2020

Above, there were plenty of open campsites at Manzanita Lake Campground
 in Lassen Volcanic National Park when I arrived. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I must be a lucky person.

Since I bought my motorhome in 2015, I have not encountered full campgrounds during my travels. Maybe it is because I prefer the off-season. I was even able to get a site at Manzanita Lake Campground in Lassen Volcanic National Park without a reservation in August 2017.

I usually just show up at a campground (mostly private ones) without a reservation and ask the clerk at the front desk if they have room for one. 

According to an article in RV Travel, there were twice as many full campgrounds in 2023 than in 2020. 

They begin with:

Like to RV with spontaneity? Shun making campground reservations in favor of letting it ride while in your ride? Then you probably already know that finding an overnight spot is getting harder. Campsite-locating app The Dyrt has the numbers to confirm your experience. Twice as many full campgrounds were the rule for users in 2023 compared to 2020.

To read more, go here. 

Lassen Highway Now Open

Above, The Beast on the Lassen highway in 2017. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Here we are in July and only now the 30-mile highway through Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California is open.

Above, Manzanita Lake Campground is open. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As the following article snippet from National Parks Traveler states, Lassen sustained a higher-than-normal snowpack and it took road crews longer to clear it.

They wrote:

The 30-mile highway through Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California has opened for the summer season, though sections might seem like winter. A higher-than-average snowpack slowed operations, but through the hard work of National Park Service and Caltrans road crews, the road has been fully cleared. Visitors to the park should prepare for winter conditions at higher elevations, and possible delays due to ongoing road work.

Intermittent closures along the highway are possible due to repair work, as well as inclement weather. You should check the weather forecast before traveling. In other areas of the park, the road to Butte Lake is open; Warner Valley Road is closed to vehicles, but open to bikers and hikers; and Juniper Lake Road remains closed to all traffic at the park boundary due to post-Dixie Fire hazards.  

Campground openings have been delayed due to snow, snow damage, and hazard trees, but some are open. Manzanita Lake Campground, cabins, and the Camper Store are open.

Above, Manzanita Lake Camper Store in 2017. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

National Parks: You May Need Advance Reservations and Permits

Above, at Manzanita Lake Campground at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The days of spontaneously going to a national park without camping reservations are pretty much a thing of the past. In some cases, spontaneously just going to a park is also becoming a thing of the past.

I have gotten lucky in getting campsites at two national parks over the past few years without making any reservations: Joshua Tree National Park and Lassen Volcanic National Park.

But since the pandemic, our national parks are getting more crowded and in order to control crowd numbers to protect the parks, some are requiring reservations even to just enter the park.

That is the subject of a CNBC post.

They begin with:

National park tourism is booming. But an idyllic adventure into the great outdoors can be derailed by overlooking an important aspect of trip planning: advance permits and reservations.

Some of the most frequently visited parks require people to book ahead for access to popular attractions like heavily trafficked hikes, roads and campgrounds. Some require advance tickets for full park entry.

What this means: Travelers can’t necessarily bank on showing up spontaneously to a national park and getting the experience they desire. Fail to secure this paperwork, which is typically free but can carry a processing fee of as little as $2, and you might not even get in. Since reservations can be in high demand, it’s necessary to plan ahead.

To read more, go here. 

Scoring Last Minute Campground Reservations

Above, Manzanita Lake Campground at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There was one time where my family and I went on a camping vacation to a national park (I don't remember which) and the campground was full.

We decided to stay at a nearby overflow lot and slept there. My dad slept on the hood of the car while my mom and I slept inside (it was a big Buick, so we had plenty of room). We got up early in the morning and got in line (we were about third or fourth in line) at the campground's gate. We got ourselves a campsite.

That was the only time we ever had to do this.

RV Life has an article with tips on scoring a last minute campground reservation.

They begin it with:

Finding a last minute camping reservation can be a problem. With campgrounds filled to the brim, you are likely better off planning your trip way ahead of the game. Sometimes, however, life just doesn’t work that way and you need somewhere to stay.

Check out these pro tips for finding and booking a last minute camping reservation.

To read more, go here. 

Camp Near An Active Volcano

Above, Devastated Area with Lassen Peak in the background. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in August 2017, I visited Lassen Volcanic National Park during my Great American Eclipse trip up in Idaho.

After the eclipse was over, I headed west into Oregon and then down into Northern California where I stayed a couple of nights at Lassen. I had no difficulty getting a campsite. There were plenty of them available at the Manzanita Lake Campground. 

This wasn't my first visit to Lassen, the first time visiting it was back in 1968 with my parents. We camped at Manzanita Lake in my grandfather's old canvas umbrella tent.

Insider has an article about camping at Lassen Volcanic National Park and what to see and do there.

They begin it with:

Yellowstone may be known for its geothermal areas, but Lassen Volcanic National Park — a smaller, less-visited national park with its own fair share of geothermal features — is also worth exploring.

Located in northern California, this 166-square-mile park is one of the few places with all four major volcanic types. On top of having one of California's seven active volcanoes and the largest lava plug dome in the world, it also has clear mountain lakes and steaming fumaroles.

Plus, Lassen Volcanic usually gets a fraction of the annual visitors that Yellowstone does, meaning guests have to deal with comparably fewer crowds.

It's open all year, but peak season runs from the summer through the early fall before snow cover closes many roads and facilities.

My family loves the outdoors and took a recent trip to Lassen Volcanic. Here's why other outdoor enthusiasts should check it out too.

To read more, go here. 

Conserving RV Power While Boondocking

Above, dry camping at Manzanita Lake Campground in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer

Camping off-grid or boondocking out in the wilderness is gaining in popularity among RVers.

The only real "problem" when doing so is how to conserve battery power, since one doesn't have hook-ups to use. This is dry camping, be it in the middle of the desert or in a national park campground.

Do It Yourself RV has posted an article on ways to conserve power while boondocking.

They begin it with:

Boondocking is a great way to connect with nature and spend a lot of time in your RV. Unfortunately, being disconnected from a power source can have its drawbacks. When your RV is not hooked up, you end up relying solely on your battery for power. If you can’t conserve power, you’ll rapidly drain your battery and find yourself stranded.

Luckily, there are things you can do to cut back on your energy consumption and conserve power. Some are minor, while others will have a significant impact. They can all make a difference when you’re trying to extend your battery’s charge and get the most bang for your b
uck. 

Below we have 10 ways to conserve power while you’re boondocking. Follow along with our tips and see if there is anything you want to change in your own RV setup.

To read more, go here. 

Park Ranger Tips

Above, a park ranger in front of the Manzanita Lake camp store
 at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Park rangers have a job to do even though their places of employment are gorgeous. They are helpful and informative when asked by visitors.

But there are things that the rangers want one to know to make their job easier and one's visit trouble-free.

RV Life has posted the five things rangers want visitors to know.

They begin with:

For most RVers, camping can be an opportunity to make amazing memories that will last a lifetime. And this isn’t just because our parks are located in exceptionally beautiful wilderness areas. State, provincial, and national parks are run by park rangers who have an absolute passion for the outdoors and helping people enjoy it. 

Park rangers are responsible for ensuring everyone brings home happy camping memories. From helping you get the right campsite to making sure the washrooms are spic and span, park rangers do a lot to help make sure you have the best possible stay at the campground. However, there are five things park rangers would like you to know to help ensure everyone has a good time at the park. 

To read more, go here. 

National Parks Traveler Checklist: Lassen Volcanic National Park

Above, Lassen Peak from Devastated Area in 2017. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The very first national park I ever visited was Lassen Volcanic National Park in 1968 with my parents. We camped in an umbrella tent at Manzanita Lake Campground.

I returned to Lassen Volcanic National Park in 2017 during my Great American Eclipse trip in 2017 and, again, camped at Manzanita Lake Campground. This time, it was in my motorhome. It was easy to get a campsite. 

Above, at Manzanita Lake Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

National Parks Traveler has posted a checklist for Lassen Volcanic National Park.

They begin it with:

While Lassen Volcanic National Park might once have been an undiscovered gem, according to Lassen’s superintendent Jim Richardson, it’s now a discovered gem. Smaller than say, Yosemite or Yellowstone, with parts still closed due to the 2021 Dixie Fire, Lassen should still be a destination on your national park bucket list. You can hike to the top of a cinder cone for amazing views in every direction, walk alongside hydrothermal wonders of hot springs, bubbling mud pots, and steaming fumaroles, and hike to the summit of one of the largest plug dome volcanoes in the world. You can walk around a quiet lake frequented by Canada geese, blue herons and other waterfowl over which Lassen Peak and Chaos Crags tower, gaze up at the sparkling night sky with little to no light pollution, and drive a park highway listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

All set for a visit? The National Parks Traveler Checklist for Lassen Volcanic National Park should help you with your plans.

 To read more, go here.

What Is The Best RV Length?

Above, Manzanita Lake Campground at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer

If one is about to purchase an RV, there are many considerations to think out.

One important one is, What length of RV? 

There are RVs of various sizes and types. One consideration is: What are you going to use it for?  If the new potential owner plans to stay at national park campgrounds, they have to keep in mind that campsite sizes in national parks are limited. A 40' behemoth would likely not be able to have a national park campsite large enough to accommodate it.

I have a 23' Class C motorhome. It is big enough my needs and I have had no problems in finding campsites big enough for it.

RV Life has posted an article on the best RV length.

They begin it with:

What Is The Best RV Length?

The RV industry is full of options for potential buyers. This can make buying an RV more difficult for the undecided.

Once you decide on buying an RV, there will be some important questions about the RV you will be searching for.

The type of RV will likely be first; do you want a Class A, Class C, travel trailer, or a fifth wheel? The price will be another determining factor, as will floor plans and preferred manufacturers.

With all these questions to answer, it is important to have decided on one other very important factor: what length RV should I buy?

To read more, go here. 

Your National Parks RV Camping Getaway Plan

Above, The Beast at Manzanita Lake Campground at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Finding an open campsite in our national parks is getting harder and harder, especially when one made no reservations. 

Taking a spontaneous trip to camp in a national park is likely a thing of the past.

Five years ago, during my Great American Eclipse trip, I got lucky and got a campsite at Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California without a reservation. 

National Parks Traveler has an article on RV national parks getaway planning.

They begin it with:

More people are leaping into the RV lifestyle every year. They’re exploring national parks in comfort, but all that extra traffic makes spontaneous road trips to the parks largely a thing of the past, at least during the busy summer season. With more rigs on the road than campsites to accommodate them, RVers like me are constantly competing for a scant number of RV-friendly campsites. I learned this lesson the hard way when I arrived at Yellowstone without reservations.

To read more, go here. 

Lassen Volcanic National Park Reopening Monday

Above, The Beast at Manzanita Lake Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There's some good news coming out of Northern California.

Parts of Lassen Volcanic National Park will reopen to visitors starting Monday.

KRCR-TV reported:

LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — Part of Lassen Volcanic National Park will reopen Monday following a nearly two-month-long closure due to the Dixie Fire.

The majority of the park will remain closed and only the far western portion will be accessible to the public next week.

Eight miles of Lassen National Park Highway will reopen from the southwest entrance to the Lassen Peak parking area.

The highway will also reopen from the northeast entrance through Manzanita Lake to Loomis Plaza.

Camping will be allowed at Manzanita Lake Campground, but only two loops (A & B) will be open.

To read more, go here. 

Scenic National Park RV Campgrounds

Above, Grand Canyon's Trailer Village. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Everyone should camp in a national park campground one in their lives. I have camped at several of them over the years.

Travel Awaits has listed the nine most scenic RV national park campgrounds. Of the nine on the list, I have camped at three of them: Bryce Canyon North Campground, Watchman Campground at Zion National Park and Trailer Village at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.

One national park campground that should be on the list, but isn't, is Manzanita Lake Campground at Lassen Volcanic National Park. It is in a beautiful forested setting.

They wrote:

National parks offer beautiful experiences, including camping. My home is in the midwest, and I have found several scenic campgrounds through the years. Many of these campgrounds are in national parks and offer views that you will not find elsewhere. If you are new to camping or an experienced camper, I hope you will book a stay at one of these scenic RV campgrounds within national parks. Each of these campgrounds offers a picturesque view that you will find yourself staring at over and over. All of these campgrounds provide captivating experiences and perspectives.

 To read more, go here.

Lassen Volcanic National Park Has A Bear Problem

Above, a bear at Yellowstone Bear World in Idaho. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Let's face it, forests in this country are the domain of several species of bears. It is man who is the intruder.

Right now, Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California has a bear problem. Much of it is the fault of park visitors for not taking adequate precautions.

Above, a bear-resistant container at Lassen's Manzanita Lake Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

National Parks Traveler reported:

The amount of Lassen Volcanic National Park backcountry closed to overnight use due to a bear or bears obtaining food from backpackers has been greatly expanded to encompass most of the eastern half of the park. 

Earlier this month the park closed an area of one mile in all directions from the following lakes frequently accessed from Summit Lake Trailhead: Echo, Upper Twin, Lower Twin, Swan, and Rainbow Lake.  

"There have been multiple reports from visitors of a bear (or bears) coming into campsites and searching backpacks for food in these areas," park staff reported at the time. "This is a learned behavior from visitors leaving scented items in their backpacks and not storing them in proper bear-resistant containers." 

Now, because of additional reports of troublesome bears, the park has closed the area east of Lassen National Park Highway (CA State Highway 89) and east of Hat Creek and Kings Creek to overnight backpacking use. This closure does not impact day use including hiking and stock use or camping within developed campgrounds. 

“We have received additional reports of human-bear interactions from outside the original closure area,” said Lassen Volcanic Superintendent Jim Richardson. “It is necessary to expand the area of the closure in an effort to prevent more negative interactions,” Richardson added. 

Lassen Volcanic is home to a population of approximately 30 black bears; there are no brown or grizzly bears in the park. Information about black bears in the park is provided in large part by wildlife sighting reports submitted by visitors. 

I camped at Lassen's Manzanita Lake Campground three years ago and each campsite had a bear-resistant container for visitors' use. Even though I camped in a motorhome and didn't really need it, I made use of it anyway so that a foraging bear wouldn't scratch up the motorhome.

Above, The Beast at Lassen Volcanic National Park in Devastated Area. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

Lassen Volcanic National Park Officially Reopens

Above, The Beast at Manzanita Lake Campground in 2017. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Lassen Volcanic National Park officially reopened Friday.

According to KRCR News:

OLD STATION, Calif. — The Lassen Volcanic National Park officially reopened Friday after being temporarily closed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on March 27. 

The park says the Butte Lake area, the 30-mile Park Highway, Warner Valley area, and most of the trails are open.

Juniper Lake Road does remain closed at the park boundary due to snow.

And the Manzanita Lake and Southwest Walk-In campgrounds will open next week on Monday, June 1. 

Visitors should plan ahead of time when they visit. There is no gas, food, or supplies in the park at this time. There is also no drinking water in the Butte Lake and Warner Valley areas until June 5 and 6.

To read more, go here. 

A Trip Through Lassen Volcanic National Park

Above, a view of Devastated Area in 2017. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was 51 years ago that I first visited Lassen Volcanic National Park with my parents.

Back then, the park's Devastated Area looked, well, devastated. Today, the area looks a lot less devastated as parts are now more overgrown with pine trees. Two years ago, I visited Lassen again and found this to be the case.

Above, with The Beast in the foreground, a view of Lassen Peak from Devastated Area. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This was the what Jean Barton, writer of an article on Lassen, noticed in the Red Bluff Daily News.

The article begins with:

It has been more than 20 years since I have been on the north side of Lassen Volcanic National Park, and was amazed to see that the Devastated Area and Hot Rock area were overgrown with trees. Not as I had remembered when there were rocks and boulders scattered over the land. 

It was a Mt. Lassen Motor Transit tour of the park, just before the snow butterflies emerged as seen on the local television news. 

It was a Mt. Lassen Motor Transit tour of the park, just before the snow butterflies emerged as seen on the local television news. 

First stop was Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center where we learned about the four types of volcanoes from a park employee, and viewing the movie about the park. 

Mt. Harkness is a shield volcano with a broad, rounded volcano built up by many outpourings of fluid lava. 

Cinder Cone is made up of loose volcanic rock, cinders and ash that accumulate around a single vent. 

Lassen Peak is a plug dome volcano with thick lava that doesn’t flow very far. A steam blast shattered Lassen’s plug, creating an avalanche of melted snow and rock down the east side.

Above, at camp at Manzanita Lake Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Lassen Volcanic National Park is an interesting place to visit. It is not crowded like other California national parks. I was able to get a campsite at the Manzanita Lake Campground at the north end of the park without any reservations.

To read more, go here. 

End of First Come, First Served Campsites

Above, self check-in at Manzanita Lake Campground at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During my 2016 cross-country trip to Metropolis, Illinois, I made reservations at only two campgrounds, the Graceland RV Park and Goulding's Lodge Campground. I just dropped in on the rest along the way.

The same went for the campgrounds during my 2017 Great American Eclipse. On that trip, I was lucky enough to get a campsite at Manzanita Lake Campground at Lassen Volcanic National Park without reservations.

There is an article on how "first come, first served" camping may be becoming a thing of the past at RV Life.

They begin with:

Spontaneous road trips are a way of life for many outdoor lovers. But the end of first come, first served campsites may dampen those adventures. All across the U.S., scoring that perfect campsite at a moment’s notice is becoming a thing of the past. Now, many of the mhe most popular public campgrounds require reservations just to get past the gate. 

Snow is still on the ground in many U.S. cities. But right now, campers are already booking their summer RV camping reservations for popular campgrounds. That’s because from California to Maine and everywhere in-between, the busiest public campgrounds have already made the switch to a “reservations only” system.

To read more, go here. 

Winter Arrives At Lassen National Park

Above, Lassen Peak with leftover snow from 2017. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While I have been getting snow showers here in New Mexico (more came last night), Lassen Volcanic National Park has also received snow showers, just in time for the winter season.

The Red Bluff Daily News reported:

Snow showers have arrived in Lassen Volcanic National Park just in time to kick-off the holiday season. 

“We eagerly await a reprieve from this fall season’s unseasonably dry conditions,” said Superintendent Jim Richardson. “The winter snowpack in the park and its resulting spring snowmelt are critical to supporting water systems throughout the state.” 

The park highway may close to through traffic at any time as icy or snowy conditions warrant. In the case of closure, the highway will remain open one mile from the Northwest and Southwest entrances to Loomis Plaza and the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center respectively. 

Due to freezing overnight temperatures and snow, Manzanita Lake Campground is closed. The Southwest Walk-in Campground is open year-round. The fee for snow camping or camping in a vehicle is $10 per night. The Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. 

The cost for park entrance fees and pass will increase beginning April 16, 2019 to $30 for a single vehicle and $55 for an annual pass.

To read more, go here.