12 May 2019 - Michelle Ho
Everyone thought Lassen Peak was an extinct volcano until it suddenly exploded on Memorial Day in 1914. Shortly thereafter, the region was established as a national park.
When we visited, most of the park roads were closed and the campgrounds covered in snow. We camped in the parking lot. We drove to the Sulphur Works, a series of fumaroles (volcanic openings) that are essentially steaming hot bubbling slurries of mud that stink of rotten eggs. Charming. There was another geothermal area wonderfully called “Bumpass Hell”. We didn’t get to see it due to road closures, but we’ll have to come back!
There wasn’t much else to do… but there was free WiFi at the Visitors Center! Geoff and I actually watched the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones in the Visitors Center lobby after dinner. 5 stars for the National Park Service.
Lassen Volcanic National Park is part of the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, a 500 mile road that connects multiple volcanoes. We drove most of this byway to get to Crater Lake, our next stop.