Welcome to Lassen Forest

The Lassen Forest lies at the heart of one of the most fascinating areas of California, called the Crossroads. Here the granite of the Sierra Nevada, the lava of the Cascades and the Modoc Plateau, and the sagebrush of the Great Basin meet and blend.

Lassen National Forest is a total of 1.2 million acres or 1,875 square miles. It lies within seven counties; Lassen, Shasta, Tehama, Butte, Plumas, Siskiyou, and Modoc. It is an area of great variety, greeting visitors and residents alike with a wide array of recreational opportunities and adventures.

Fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, bicycling, boating, snowmobiling,cross-countryskiing, and just exploring and learning about nature are among the many popular pastimes. Within the Lassen National Forest you can explore a lava tube or the land of Ishi, the last survivor of the Yahi Yana Native American tribe; watch pronghorn antelope glide across sage flats or an osprey snatch fish from lake waters; drive four-wheel trails into high granite country appointed with sapphire lakes or discover spring wildflowers on foot.

Lassen National Forest
Headquarters: 2550 Riverside Drive, Susanville, CA 96130; 530-257-2151;
Alamanor Ranger District: Chester, CA 96020; 530-258-2141;
Eagle Lake Ranger District: Susanville, CA 96020; 530-258-4188;
Hat Creek Ranger District: Fall River Mills, CA 96020; 530-336-5521;
Old Station Visitors Center: 13435 Brian's Way Highway 44/89, Old Station, CA 96071; 530-336-5521;

Exciting high adventure opportunities for exploring, boating, camping, hiking, watersports, weekend retreats and more.

Lassen Volcano California
The last volcano to explode in California (in 1915) and today is a beautiful wilderness park, rich in wildlife and active geothermal features. Includes many campgrounds and over 150 miles of hiking trails.

Susanville California
Susanville is the principle city and county seat of Lassen County. It lies in the heart of the Northern California Sierra Mountains at 4,200 feet elevation.

Campgrounds:
Most campgrounds are only open from June to September

Local Climate:
Weather plays a dramatic role at Lassen Forest California. Winter, especially, shapes the landscape; snow generally begins to accumulate each year in October, doesn't melt in most places until July, and can remain in isolated areas year round. Summer weather is more predictable, with warm, dry days, blue skies, and cool nights. Visitors should be prepared for any kind of weather, any time of the year.

Local Wildlife:
The Lassen National Forest was at first designated as a Forest Reserve in 1905. With 361 animal species and 29 fish species, Lassen is home to a variety of wildlife and supporting ecosystems. From the Sierra Nevada red fox to the American marten, the late seral coniferous forests provide ideal habitat for such sensitive species.

Hiking Trails:

High Lakes OHV Area
A portion of Lassen Forest has been designated for Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation. Under the Temporary Forest Order, motorized wheeled vehicle travel on most existing roads, trails, and small riding areas is allowed to continue. Cross-country travel (between roads, trails or areas) in the Forest is temporarily prohibited.

Thousand Lakes Wilderness Area
Area of Lassen Forest that lies within Shasta County, midway between the town of Burney and Lassen Volcanic National Park. The area is dominated by Crater Peak (8677 ft), the highest point in the Lassen National Forest. The area is dominated by seven major fishing lakes. Local wildlife includes black-tailed deer, black bear, pika, pine marten, northern goshawk, spotted owl, pileated woodpecker, Clark's nutcracker and even elk. There are four major trails to access this area.

Caribou Wilderness Area
20,500 acre portion of Lassen Forest lying adjacent to the east side of Lassen Volcanic National Park protecting large swaths of old growth forest. There are 23 named lakes, innumerable unnamed ponds and tarns, cinder cones and volcanic buttes within the wilderness. Recreational activities include day hiking, backpacking, fishing, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, nature photography and rock climbing.

Ishi Wilderness Area
41,000 acres located about 20 miles east of Red Bluff. The land is etched by wind and water, and dotted with basalt outcroppings, caves, and unusual pillar lava formations. The land is a series of east-west running ridges framed by rugged river canyons, with the highest ridges attaining elevations of 4,000 feet. Named for the last survivor of the Yahi Yani native american tribe that lived in the area until the time great gold rush.

Lake Almanor Ranger District
Lake Almanor is one of the largest man-made lakes in Northern Californa, with great fishing, boating, camping and the historic old logging town of Chester on it's north shore.

Eagle Lake Ranger District
Eagle Lake is Located just northwest of Susanville, the second largest natural lake in California, offers fishing, boating, water-skiing, sailing...

Hat Creek Ranger District
Hat Creek includes the Intermountain Area communities of Burney, Fall River Mills, Hat Creek and Old Station. In the shadow of Lassen Peak, seven campgrounds and four picnic areas are nestled along ten miles of Hat Creek. Opportunities for fishing, hiking, camping, picnicking, wildlife observation and natural history are many. Lava tubes, dormant and extinct volcanoes, massive lava flows and fault lines reveal a fascinating volcanic past.

Old Station Visitors Center
13435 Brian's Way, Highway 44/89, Old Station, CA 96071;
Open Weekends Only - March to December;