Sunset along the California Aqueduct
On the first day of my trip, I was nearing Sacramento and got hungry (note: I’m always hungry but this was already past dinner time). As I took a back road off Route 5 to reach the small town in the distance, I drove over a bridge and the sun hit the water perfectly. Dinner could wait another 30 minutes as the sun disappeared.
Lassen Volcanic National Park 2019 Trip
I try to provide quality and unique information here so you will frequently see me post pictures of the information available in the parks. This includes the information signs and boards that tell the story of the park. The Sulphur Works are hot and stinky. These hot spots naturally occur in the park as it is a volcanic cauldron.
These pictures were taken in mid-September 2019. I didn’t have a lot of time to spend in the park but I traveled through the main road which climbs through the mountains and provides breathtaking views.
There was some evidence of fire ripping through some areas. Canoeing is a favorite activity of visitors to the park.
There are some incredible views of mountains, meadows, and lakes throughout the park.
2023 Trip
I went back to Lassen to try to get more pictures and video of the park. Unfortunately, they were still working on removing snow from the previous winter—and this was on July 4th. There is no controversy that we are thankful for the heavy snowfall during the winter but it hampered my efforts to get to many areas of the park.
At the visitor center, there are a series of rocks and the story of their formation that you can tour. This park is unique in that it has had extensive volcanic activity over millions of years. The diversity of the landscape due to these eruptions has given us a treasure trove of scientific information about our land.
There were certain areas that were closed when I visited the park. I wanted to hike the Bumpass Hell Trail but it was closed. I also wanted to hike the Cinder Cone trail but the road was closed to that area. Maybe next time.
The Dixie Fire in 2021 was the largest fire in California history. Over 963,000 acres were burned, many of those acres were inside the park. You can see some of the damage in these photos.
Although the Dixie fire was a tragedy, the forest always recovers and, when driving through the park, you can see growth beginning to take shape. Hopefully with more water due to the melting snow, the forest will recover even faster than it normally does. For more information about Lassen, check out their website:
Have you visited Lassen? What is your favorite part? If you want to visit the park, email me at midlifecrisistraveler@gmail.com and I will help you plan a trip.