Ranger-led Education Programs

Lassen Volcanic National Park serves public and private school groups in thirty-six California counties, grades Kindergarten through college. Our ranger-led education programs are designed to meet the individual needs of classes and California State curriculum standards. All ranger-led programs are free of charge. The number of programs we can offer depends on park staffing and funding.

 

Reservations

Programs for school groups are very popular and dates fill quickly, so make reservations early. To make reservations, please contact the park education staff e-mail us . All programs are subject to availability of park staff.

Note: Education Programs are not available to the general public or organized groups (such as church groups, Scout groups, hiking clubs, etc.).

Public Ranger Lead Programs are available to the general public.

 

Ranger-led Education Programs are offered throughout the year!

Interested in what Ranger-led programs are available throughout the year? Refer to the table below.

Outlined below are the timeframes reservations begin for education programs.

November 1 for January through March snowshoe programs.
February 1 for mid-May* through July programs.
June 1 for August through mid-October* programs.

* Programs may not be available for entire duration due to limited staffing and/or conditions.

• Programs are offered Monday-Friday.
• Size limit is 30 students per group, 2 group maximum.
• A 1:5 ratio of adult chaperone to students is required. A licensed teacher is required to attend but not included in this ratio. An excess number of adults is discouraged and not covered if using an educational fee waiver.
• Email us to receive a field trip request form.

Title	Location	Months	Duration	Description	Recommended Grades
Winter Ecology Snowshoe	Southwest Entrance	January-March	2 hours	Strap on snowshoes and join a park ranger for up to 2 miles of snowshoeing experience! Enjoy how flora and fauna interact with Lassen’s winter wonders.	All
Hike to Hell	Bumpass Hell Trail	Mid-May – October	3 hours	Witness the strange beauty formed by bizarre life forms on and forces under the earth. Rangers will lead your group out and back on this strenuous 3 mile roundtrip trail. **Limit of 20 hikers in a group	5-12
Devastated!	Devastated Area Trailhead	Mid-May – October	2 hours	A ranger will lead your group through activities that explain how a volcanic eruption altered the landscape we now walk on. Trail is an easy ¼ mile walk.	3-5
Build a Volcano	Southwest Entrance or Manzanita Lake Ampitheater	Mid-May – October	1.5 hours	Meet your ranger at the pre-arranged location for an interactive volcano-building activity to answer the question: What is the difference between the 4 volcano types in our park?	4-8
A Wildlife Neighborh ood	Manzanita Lake (meet at Loomis Plaza)	Mid-May – October	2 hours	Led by a ranger, put on your scientist cap and use data collection tools to observe and record what is in this exemplary riparian ecosystem habitat. This is an easy 1 mile walk around the lake.	1-4
Fire: Friend or Foe?	Chaos Crags Trail	Mid-May – October	2 hours	Fire is a natural part of our ecosystem. What roles does it serve? Walk 2 miles roundtrip with a ranger to explore a sample section of forest.	6-12

 

Reserve a Winter Ranger-led Education Program

The reservation window is closed until November 1, 2025 for a wintertime education program.

• Winter Ranger-led Education Programs are offered Wednesday-Friday.
• Minimum participant age is 7 years old, no child carriers permitted for safety.
• Single Group Size limit is 30. A 1:5 ratio of chaperone to students is required. Teachers are required to attend but not included in this ratio. An excess number of adults is discouraged and not covered if using an educational fee waiver. Group sizes larger than 30 may be difficult to accommodate.
  • Example: 25 student class should bring 5 adults to chaperone and 1 licensed teacher.

Winter Programs offered from January to March include:

New: As of Spring 2024 the Winter Survival and Snowshelter Building Program will no longer be offered. This decision was based on multi-year decrease in requests from educators for the program as well as reduction of park staff.