Lassen Volcanic National Park

Our next stop after leaving Sacramento on June 2 was just up the road to Chico, California. Dan's oldest Granddaughter was graduating high school this year, and we wanted to be there to help her celebrate this most important occasion. Since the Lassen Volcanic National Park (LVNP) is only about 70-miles from Chico, we decided to drive to the park for a day trip of hiking and exploration. LVNP is home to smoking fumaroles (steam vents), thumping mud pots, boiling pools, meadows filled with wildflowers, mountain lakes, streams, and waterfalls, not to mention the numerous volcanoes. The jagged peaks throughout the park give visitors a clue to eruptive past of this region, while hot water continues to mold the landscape. Water from rain and snow that falls on the highlands of the park feed the hydrothermal system. Once deep underground, the water is heated by a body of hot or molten rock beneath Lassen Peak. Rising hot water boils to form boiling pools and mud pots. Super-heated steam reaches the surface through fractures in the earth to form fumaroles such as those found at Bumpass Hell and Sulphur Works. These features are related to active volcanism and are indications of the ongoing potential for further eruptions from the from the Lassen volcanic center. During our visit we hiked to the Sulphur Works to see the geothermal activities, had a picnic lunch in the trees, then hiked to Mill Creek Falls. We were treated to beautiful wildflowers, colorful birds, including a Western Tanager, and a pristine hiking trail. Here are some snapshots from our day.