Lassen Volcanic National Park: Nature's Explosive Masterpiece

We continued our journey through the "ring of fire" zone of southern Oregon and northern California where the landscape has been shaped by many extinct, dormant, and active volcanoes. These majestic giants appear serene and beautiful in the distance, yet they harbor an explosive force that, when released, can drastically change the surrounding landscape.

South of Crater Lake, we came across an area that was dramatically re-shaped by volcanic forces over the centuries. Mounds of lava rocks and what appeared to be cave openings caught our eye as we entered ...

Lava Beds National Monument

Eruptions 30,000+ years ago opened up the earth in this area of northern California, and the resulting flow of lava created numerous lava tube caves. The Modoc Nation called this area "the land of burnt-out fires" and considered it to be a sacred landscape. They lived on the nearby lands and at times took refuge in the caves. Sadly, this Native American community was forced off the land during a war in 1872. Today, this hallowed land is being preserved as Lava Beds National Monument.

After stopping at the Visitor Center and getting a brief orientation, we were given a permit that allowed us to freely explore the wonders that lie underground ... the lava tube caves.

With over 900 caves in the area, the park service has made a small number of these caves accessible for visitors to explore. The caves are labeled as easy, moderate, or difficult. 

I thought that it was best for us to check out the easier ones that didn't require hard hats or crawling through narrow spaces on our hands and knees. Equipped with our flashlights, we enjoyed the underground beauty of Golden Dome, Sunshine, and Sentinel Caves

... and continue to marvel at the amazing creative works of art that volcanoes produce.

From there it was on to visit our 52nd national park ...

Lassen Volcanic National Park

She lays there quietly;

Beautiful in her slumber;

But can awake at any moment with a fiery blast.

The view across Manzanita Lake looks so serene and beautiful today. Yet, in May 1914, Lassen Peak awoke from a 27,000 year long "nap" with powerful and violent eruptions that re-shaped the surrounding landscape. This forceful act of nature was captured on film by Benjamin F. Loomis, and for the first time, citizens around the country could witness nature's creative and destructive forces.

As a result of his widely distributed photos, the area surrounding this first witnessed eruption in the United States was set aside as a national park in 1916. Its active volcanic features, which includes hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles, are preserved for all to enjoy when they visit Lassen Volcanic National Park. 

Named Kohm Yah-Mah-Nee or "Snow Mountain" by the early Native American inhabitants, Lassen Peak is the star of this national park.  But Lassen Peak is not the only volcano in this park. This plug dome volcano is surrounded by the three other types of volcanoes ... shield, composite, and cinder cone, making this a geologist's paradise.

But as we found, the beautiful rocky terrain that these volcanoes produce also makes this a hiker's paradise.

During our first night's stay at Manzanita Lake Campground, we were able to take the trail around Manzanita Lake for our first view of the slumbering giant.

The next morning we drove the 33-mile Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway that encircles Lassen Peak. It is the easiest way to see some of the park's features and access many of the most popular trails.

Our first stop was at King's Creek Falls Trailhead. Unfortunately, this section of the park was scarred by wildfires a few years back,

but, happily, they couldn't steal the waterfall's natural beauty. 

Another must-see feature of the park is the section that makes this park a "mini Yellowstone". Bumpass Hell Trail highlights some of the many hydrothermal features of this park. The boiling mudpots, steaming ground, roaring fumaroles, and sulfurous gases found here are a result of the groundwater that is heated by the molten rock just below the surface.

Today there is a boardwalk to protect visitors. But back in 1860, Kendall Bumpass was not so lucky. He discovered this area, unfortunately, by stepping into one of the hot spots and severely burning his leg. I wouldn't recommend that as a way to get a national park trail named after you.

At the other end of the 33-mile Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway is the Kohn Yah-Mah-Nee Visitors Center.  Here we found a fun feature that we wish other national parks would embrace. The park allowed us to boondock in their parking lot overnight for just $10 (or half price with our "Senior" pass).

We enjoyed the peaceful surroundings as we rested up for the "crown jewel" of Lassen hikes ... the 2.5-mile, 2000 foot climb up to the summit of Lassen Peak.

Starting early the next morning, the temps were still pleasant, but the ascent began fairly quickly.

The views of the park below soon rewarded us for our efforts.

I was quite happy to see the "you're almost there" sign,

... and very relieved to be able to pose for our "summit photo" at the top,

... while we savored the views of nature's explosive masterpiece known as Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Crater Lake National Park: From Volcanic Destruction to Incredible Beauty.

Towering 12,000 feet above the surrounding landscape, Mount Mazama,"blew its top" 7,700 years ago. The violent explosion that scientists believe lasted just a few days caused the huge stratovolcano to collapse in on itself as the magma chamber quickly emptied. During the following centuries, rain and snow melt filled this resulting caldera to form one of the deepest, clearest, and most beloved lakes in the United States.

And clear skies and calm waters made it the picture-perfect time to visit our 51st national park, Crater Lake.

Located in southern Oregon on the crest of the Cascade Mountains, Crater Lake's clear blue water attracts half a million tourists each year for hiking, biking, and just gazing at its pure beauty. 

 One can spend a few hours or a few days exploring Crater Lake's incredible beauty. Some of our suggestions include ...

Drive (or Bike) Around Rim Drive

This 33 mile road takes you along the caldera rim high above Crater Lake. Stop at the Visitor Center to watch the video of how this natural wonder was created. Take the road to access the many hiking trails and vistas. Or just find a pull out and enjoy the views and colors as the sun sets on the other side of the caldera.

Hike The Cleetwood Cove Trail To Experience Some Cool Beauty

The Crater Lake caldera has steep rock walls that rise an average of 2000 feet from the water's surface. The only way to safely and legally access the water is by taking the Cleetwood Cove Trail. Here, the one mile trail descends about 700 feet down to the water's edge. When we reached the lake, we admired its clarity close-up and were entertained by a group of young people who were brave enough and/or crazy enough to go for a swim in the cool waters. 

Check Out Wizard Island ...

By Boat or From Watchman Overlook

From Cleetwood Cove, there are boat tours that will take you out to Wizard Island, a cinder cone that forms an island on the west end of Crater Lake. Since our "advanced planning skills" are often lacking, we admired views of the island from the top of the Watchman Overlook Trail.

Challenge Yourself and Being Rewarded With Some Amazing Views on the Garfield Peak Trail

The Garfield Peak Trail is often described as the #1 hike to do when in Crater Lake. The 1.8 mile trail starts out right away with an unrelenting climb that leads you up 1000 feet to the summit.

But with a little perseverance, you will be rewarded with incredible views at the summit.

At 1,943 feet, Crater Lake takes the prize for the deepest lake in the United States. With no inlet or outlet, its waters remain some of the clearest and purest. But it's the transformation from volcanic destruction to incredible beauty that makes Crater Lake a national treasure that we are grateful to finally be able to experience in person.

Brushing Up on My Volcano Lingo in Central Oregon

We were on a mission!

We had two more national parks to visit in southern Oregon and northern California while the weather conditions were still optimal. And I soon realized that I would need to brush up on some of my volcano lingo such as ...

Caldera ... Crater Rim ... Fumarole ... Lava Tubes ... Magma ... Obsidian

as we were going to be in one of the most active volcanic areas in the continental US.

(Wikipedia)

It would also be helpful to re-learn the names of the four main types of volcanoes ...

Cinder Cone ... Composite (Stratovolcano) ...  Plug (Lava) Dome ... Shield Volcano

And, of course, it's always important to know if these volcanoes are ...

Active ... Dormant ... Extinct

So after leaving San Juan Island, Washington we made a quick stop in downtown Seattle to check out a few of the famous sights like the Space Needle, the original Starbucks Coffee Shop, and the "flying fish" at the Pike's Place Fish Market.

Can you see it???

From there it was on to Portland Oregon where we discovered the sinfully good things that come in pink boxes at ...

VooDoo Donuts.

VooDoo Donuts has many "interesting" choices

that are bound to make your blood sugar erupt!

From there we headed across a stretch of highway that we last traveled through in 2020. We recalled it as being some of the most beautiful national forest areas that we have ever seen. This time, however, the landscape had changed dramatically due to the devastating wildfires that swept through central and southern Oregon in September of 2020. 
 

Now there were huge expanses of burned trees and bare mountainsides.  But the green ground cover and an occasional "hardy" pine gave us hope that this forested area would someday show off its natural beauty once again.

Fortunately, the mountain town of Sisters, Oregon was spared from the devastation. We found a nice boondocking spot in the national forest just outside of town

and were happy to wander the streets of this cute village. We could have happily stayed a few more days, but as I said earlier, 

... we were on a mission!

First stop ...

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

Newberry National Volcanic Monument is located just south of Bend, Oregon and serves to protect the area around the Newberry Volcano. Still an active volcano, a section of it last erupted about 1,300 years ago.

We were able to drive up and walk around the rim of the cinder cone known as Lava Butte.

Although this area was estimated to have last erupted 7,000 years ago, it was fascinating to still see the miles of lava

... and a few hardy plants attempting to "brighten up" this rather bleak landscape.

The next day we visited a different section of the park that has seen more recent volcanic activity. Here, beauty was emerging as the powerful water carved its way through the rocks to form Paulina Falls. 

A little further down the road was probably the most fascinating area of Newberry National Volcanic Monument ... the Big Obsidian Flow. Obsidian, as I'm learning, is volcanic glass. It is formed when lava cools very quickly and thus is very dense and heavy compared to the lava that we saw on the Lava Butte Trail.

Pictures hardly do it justice, but this obsidian rock has a deep black color and a shiny hue. It is very dense and has sharp edges when broken ... just like glass. Because of these qualities, obsidian rock was highly prized by Native Americans for making cutting and hunting tools. 

And a fun fact for my medical friends ... obsidian rock was even used experimentally as a surgical instrument, and they found that the incisions that it produced left hardly any scarring when compared to traditional surgical scalpels.

And while I would have loved to take this obsidian "heart" home with me, just the quick act of holding it for a picture gave me a small but deep cut on one of my fingers ... but I can attest to the fact that there is no lasting scar. I decided that it was probably best to just leave it here and avoid more finger cuts ... and  a huge fine from the Park Service.

After refreshing some of my volcano "lingo", it was time to move on to one of the most awe-aspiring sights in the United States ... a sight that wouldn't be possible had it not been for some pretty powerful volcanic action. But first, let's check out some more waterfalls,

have dinner under the shadow of Mount Theilson,

and enjoy a sunset behind Diamond Lake.

Next stop ... Crater Lake National Park!