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Lassen Volcanic National Park Facts

Lassen Volcanic National Park Facts
Lassen Volcanic National Park is a 106,452 acre park located in northeast California in the United States. It is home to the world's largest plug dome volcano. Prior to settlement by immigrants in the 1800s, the area was inhabited by Native Americans. In the 1830s, Peter Lassen, a Danish blacksmith, settled in the area. This is who Lassen Peak, and eventually Lassen Volcanic National Park, was named after. Lassen Volcanic National Park was originally designated as two separate national monuments in 1907: Lassen Peak National Monument, and Cinder Cone National Monument, by President Theodore Roosevelt. Lassen Volcanic National Park was established in 1916.
Interesting Lassen Volcanic National Park Facts:
Prior to immigrant settlement in the Lassen region four Native American tribes are known to have met in the area, including the Maidu, Yahi, Yana, and Atsugewi. The temperatures and moving deer herds in the area made it unsuitable for living year round.
The first real settlers to the Lassen area came with the California Gold Rush. Peter Lassen and William Nobles were developers of two pioneer trails in the area. Parts of these trails can still be seen in some places.
Lassen was originally designated as Lassen Peak Forest Preserve, as a means to protect the region. This stopped the heavy logging and other development projects from destroying the area.
Lassen Volcanic National Park's plug dome is the Cascade Range's most southern non-extinct volcano.
The last known eruption of Cinder Cone is estimated to have been between 1630 and 1670.
The last major eruptions of Lassen Peak occurred between 1915 and 1917.
Wildlife found in Lassen Volcanic National Park includes raccoons, cougars, brown creepers, squirrels, black bears, mule deer, martens, coyotes, bobcats, weasels, bats, skunks, pronghorns, marmots, and pikas.
Reptiles and amphibians found in Lassen Volcanic National Park include striped whitesnake, garter snakes, alligator lizards, sagebrush lizards, rubber boas, rough skinned newts, and western toads, among others.
Lassen Volcanic National Park is home to more than 216 bird species. These species include the peregrine falcon, bald eagles, golden eagles, hummingbirds, and many others.
Because the elevation within Lassen Volcanic National Park varies so much, the type of trees and forests vary as well.
At elevations less than 6,500 feet in Lassen Volcanic National Park the forest is mixed conifer. At elevations from 6,500 to 8,000 feet the forest is pine, red fir, hemlock, and lodgepole pile. Higher elevations have mountain hemlock and whitebark pine.
Lassen Volcanic National Park has four shield volcanoes including Raker Peak, Red Mountain, Mount Harkness, and Prospect Peak.
There are 14 permanent snowfields in Lassen Volcanic National Park. There are no glaciers at this time in the park's history, but they have existed in the past.
Visitors to Lassen Volcanic National Park can tour by car, backpack, camp, hike, fish, ski, snowshoe, go horseback riding, swim, watch wildlife, bird watch, or attend seminars or stargazing events.
In 2012 the number of visitors to Lassen Volcanic National Park reached more than 407,000. In 1917 the number of visitors was only 8,500.


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