Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park is a national park of the United States in northeastern California. Visitors find it 3 mi north of Mineral. Its operator is the National Park Service. In 2025, it drew 505K visitors.
A national park, 3 mi north of Mineral
Visits rose 41% in 2025
The National Park Service counted 504,777 visitors in 2025, up from 357,651 the year before. Visitors ↓
Plan where you’ll sleep
The nearest town with many places to stay is Old Station, 18 miles north. Where to stay ↓
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 72K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 95% of the 7,770 attractions we track.
Established in 1916
Lassen Volcanic National Park dates from 1916 and is run by National Park Service. About ↓
Best months: Jul, Aug and Sep
July, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 71–77°. When to go ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
The busy season and the weather
Here is how visitors and weather at Lassen Volcanic change through the year.
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park is a national park of the United States 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 volcanoes can be found: plug dome, shield, cinder cone, and stratovolcano.
The source of heat for the volcanism in the Lassen area is subduction of 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.
- Type
- National Park
- Established
- 1916
- Area
- 166 square miles
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Wikipedia readers
- 72K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/lavo
Know before you go
- Private Vehicle$30
- Private Vehicle$10
- Motorcycle$25
- Per Person$15
Hotels and campgrounds near Lassen Volcanic National Park
You can sleep inside the park (3 places). Places to stay start in Mineral (4) and Chester (7), and Redding has the most rooms in the area (63).
Stay in the park
- Drakesbad Guest Ranch lodge or cabins
- Manzanita Lake Campground campground
- Summit Lake Campground campground
Mineral
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
133 people · 78% vacation homes
3 mi south of Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center · at the park edge
Chester
1,759 people · 22% vacation homes
18 mi southeast of Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center · 9 mi to the park
Redding
The most places to stay in the area, and a base for a longer trip.
94,092 people
45 mi west of Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center · 42 mi to the park
Compare 9 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mineral 78% vacation homes | 3 mi south | 5 min | 4 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 133 | — |
| Chester 22% vacation homes | 18 mi southeast | 30 min | 7 2 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 1,759 | $305K |
| Old Station 100% vacation homes | 18 mi north | 25 min | 5 2 hotels · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | — | — |
| Lake Almanor Peninsula 64% vacation homes | 24 mi southeast | 35 min | 5 2 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins | 412 | $546K |
| Butte Meadows 91% vacation homes | 24 mi south | 35 min | 4 2 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds | 25 | — |
| Burney | 32 mi north | 50 min | 9 3 hotels · 4 motels · 2 lodges & cabins | 2,668 | $234K |
| Prattville 54% vacation homes | 26 mi southeast | 40 min | 4 4 campgrounds | 57 | $1,020K |
| Manton | 17 mi west | 25 min | 1 1 hotel | 629 | $425K |
| Redding | 45 mi west | 1 hr | 63 36 hotels · 12 motels · 7 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 5 RV parks | 94,092 | $382K |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
Nearby, too
A wider trip can take in these, within 70 miles.
14 mi MountainLassen Peak
237 mi WaterfallBurney Falls
66 mi DamOroville Dam
53 mi National forestPlumas National Forest
54 mi Park & preserveBidwell Park
68 mi WaterfallMossbrae Falls
69 mi MuseumWestern Pacific Railroad Museum
50 mi MuseumTurtle Bay Exploration ParkPhoto credits
Lassen Peak: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Burney Falls: Dvortygirl, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Oroville Dam: California Department of Water Resources, Public domain · Plumas National Forest: Plumas National Forest, Public domain · Bidwell Park: Saopaulo1 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mossbrae Falls: Pinecar at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Western Pacific Railroad Museum: The original uploader was Evicknair at English Wikipedia., Public domain · Turtle Bay Exploration Park: DimiTalen, CC BY-SA 3.0
A year of 504,777 visitors (2025)
Visits each year from 2016 to 2025.
Good to know about Lassen Volcanic
What town is Lassen Volcanic National Park near?
Mineral, CA, about 3 miles south.
When is the best time to visit Lassen Volcanic National Park?
July, August and September, with highs of 71–77°. July is the busiest month (about 104,632 visitors).
How many people visit Lassen Volcanic National Park each year?
504,777 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 542,274, set in 2020.
What is the closest airport to Lassen Volcanic National Park?
Redding Municipal (RDD), about 40 miles away. The nearest big hub is Reno Tahoe (RNO), about 114 miles.
Where should I stay near Lassen Volcanic National Park?
Inside the park: Drakesbad Guest Ranch, Manzanita Lake Campground and Summit Lake Campground. Nearby: Mineral (3 mi, 4 places to stay), Chester (18 mi, 7 places to stay) and Old Station (18 mi, 5 places to stay).
Notes from people in Mineral
Nobody has posted a tip yet; ask or answer in Mineral’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.