Lassen Highway
Lassen Volcanic National Park, California
Road
20 miles | 2,500 ft elevation
Lassen Volcanic National Park is teeming with volcanic activity, where you can experience boiling mud pots, steaming fumaroles and pungent sulfurous gasses. The highway that runs through the park is about 30 miles one-way and every year (late spring/early summer) you can ride through the park with little to no cars during their “Hike and Bike the Highway” road closures. As snow clearing takes place, the road gradually opens to cars in sections (the timeline varies each year, depending on snowfall and plowing schedules), giving you the unique opportunity to ride a quiet road surrounded by snow.
Starting from the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center (near the southwest entrance), it’s a scenic 7-mile climb to the Lassen Peak. One mile into the ride, you’ll pass by Sulphur Works, where you can see and smell the presence of volcanic activity. Then between miles 3 and 5, you’ll make your way up the switchbacks as you head toward the Bumpass Hell trailhead (the trail is closed until the snow melts).
As you wind your way around Lake Helen, you will soon reach the road summit at 8,500 feet. The route is out and back, so make the descent down the other side for as long as you like (heading towards Summit Lake and Devadated Area) and when you’re ready, turn around and head back the way you came. (Be sure to pack layers and long gloves for the downhill sections.)
I highly recommend taking advantage of this special time of year to ride up to Lassen Peak, one of the largest plug volcanoes in the world.
Strava Route:
Notes
Be sure to review the official Lassen Volcanic National Park website for the latest information about the park.
For more information about “Hike and Bike the Highway” and the road closures in the Spring, visit www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/hbh.htm
There are water fountains and restrooms at Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center (check the website for hours of operation).
If riding when the road is closed to vehicles, services may not be available so plan accordingly and bring enough food/water.
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