Destination List > Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Photo by Jeff Hollett
The history...
Lassen Volcanic National Park is in northeastern California. The dominant feature of the park is Lassen Peak, the largest plug dome volcano in the world and the southernmost volcano in the Cascade Range. Lassen Volcanic National Park is one of the few areas in the world where all four types of volcano can be found—plug dome, shield, cinder cone, and stratovolcano.
The source of heat for the volcanism in the Lassen area is caused by the Gorda Plate diving below the North American Plate off the Northern California coast. The area surrounding Lassen Peak is still active with boiling mud pots, fumaroles, and hot springs.
Lassen Volcanic National Park started as two separate national monuments designated by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907: Cinder Cone National Monument and Lassen Peak National Monument. Starting in May 1914 and lasting until 1917, a series of minor to major eruptions occurred on Lassen. Because of the eruptive activity and the area's stark volcanic beauty, Lassen Peak, Cinder Cone, and the area surrounding were established as a National Park on August 9, 1916.
Fun Fact
Mount Shasta can be seen from the park. At 14,179 feet, the volcano is the second-highest peak in the Cascade Range (Mount Rainer in Washington is about 30 feet taller) and the fifth-highest in California.
