Lassen Volcanic National Park, National park in Shasta County, California, US
Lassen Volcanic National Park is a national park in Shasta County in northeastern California, covering roughly 106,452 acres of volcanic landscape. The park includes Lassen Peak at 10,457 feet (3,187 meters) along with hot springs, clear mountain lakes, and multiple volcanic formations such as cinder cones and lava flows.
Theodore Roosevelt designated Lassen Peak and Cinder Cone as national monuments in 1907, after explorers and settlers opened the region during the 19th century. Between 1914 and 1917 the volcano erupted and sent ash across surrounding valleys, which led to the creation of the national park in 1916.
The mountain takes its name from Danish explorer Peter Lassen, who guided settlers through the region in the 1840s toward the Sacramento Valley. Indigenous groups already knew the summit under different names and regarded it as a powerful natural phenomenon with special meaning for their communities.
The Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center offers geological exhibits and information for guests wanting to learn about the volcanic features of the area. In winter, heavy snowfall limits access to higher elevations, while lower areas remain open to visitors.
Here all four types of volcanoes found on Earth come together: plug domes, shield volcanoes, cinder cones, and stratovolcanoes. Only at this site in the United States can this complete geological diversity be observed in one limited area.
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