Winter Arrives At Lassen Volcanic National Park

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

Winter weather finally arrived at Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California. 

Lassen was the first national park I ever visited and I returned there two years ago during my Great American Eclipse trip.

The Red Bluff Daily News reported:

A mostly dry and warm November at Lassen Volcanic National Park finished with a series of strong winter storms, bringing several feet of snow in a short amount of time.
“These storms have brought enough snow to higher elevations that it is necessary to close the main park road for the winter season,” said Superintendent Jim Richardson. 

“We want to remind folks that Lassen is an outstanding place to visit during these snowy months, even when the road through the park is closed to vehicles.” 

Lassen Park Highway, also known as SR 89, officially closed on Friday this year. As of Sunday, three feet of snow was reported at the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center, which is at an elevation of 6,700 feet. More snow and freezing temperatures are in the forecast for the remainder of the week. 

During the winter the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center is open Wednesdays through Sundays, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. However the visitor center will be open on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Jan. 20, 2020, which is a fee free day to enter the park, and Washington’s Birthday Feb. 17, 2020.

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. 

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.