Wild places > Northeast CA: Regional Map

Lassen Volcanic National Park Potential Wilderness Additions

Managing agency: Lassen National Forest and Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Size: Approximately 27,787 acres.

Location: In, and adjacent to, Lassen Volcanic National Park in Plumas, Tehama, Lassen, and Shasta counties.

Highlights:

• Terminal Geyser, long stretches of the Pacific Crest National Scenic and Nobles Emigrant trails, and Butte and Juniper lakes.
• Abundant ancient forests, verdant meadows, crystal-clear streams, and fascinating volcanic features.

Description: In 1915, Lassen Peak began to rumble and fume in what would become two years of impressive volcanic activity. In 1916, inspired by awestruck accounts of explosions and smoke, Congress declared the peak and its surroundings "Lassen Volcanic National Park" (LVNP) and set-aside over 106,000 acres (roughly 65 square miles) as a scenic, ecological, and recreational preserve.

In 1972, Congress designated over 78,000 acres of the park as wilderness. There is only one way to guarantee that a Congress or White House of the future will not return us to the bad old days of over-development in our parks: protecting most of them as wilderness. The areas Congress did not protect as wilderness in 1972 include some of LVNP's most important features: Terminal Geyser, long stretches of the Pacific Crest National Scenic and Nobles Emigrant trails, Butte and Juniper lakes, and even half of Lassen Peak itself, among other features.

The potential wilderness additions include rich groves of abundant ancient forest, verdant meadows, crystal-clear streams, and fascinating volcanic features, and provide habitat for California spotted owl, goshawk, pine marten, fisher, bald eagle, Sierra Nevada red fox, and other sensitive species.

For additional information, please contact:
Sierra Club, Shasta Group
P.O. Box 993323
Redding, CA 96099
Phone: (530) 246-3087