Road Conditions

A yellow snowplow clears snow backed by a snow-covered mountain
A snow plow clears snow near the Devastated Area.
 

The 30-mile Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway traverses avalanche-prone slopes with up to 2,000 foot drops and can hold a snowpack up to 40 feet deep. Snow clearing operations usually begin in March or April and continues for about two months before the highway is entirely open.

Once a section of road is cleared, it remains closed to vehicles until the last layer of snow and ice melts and all road preparations (e.g. signs, shoulder grading) are complete. Once road preparations are completed, the section may open to vehicles. The park highway usually opens in increments. Once each section of road is cleared of snow, visitors can enjoy hiking or biking sections of the highway, before it opens to vehicles.

 
 
Road Closure Map Winter 2023/2024
Status as of 12/7/2023.
 

Road Clearing Operator Log 2023

Road clearing operations for 2024 to begin in March or April.


Log updates are posted when reports are received from road crew members during active road clearing operations. The latest update may not reflect the current status. The road crew works Monday through Thursday, 10 hours per day.

7/1/2023 - The road and parking areas are now all cleared and ready for vehicles. We want to give a shout out to Cal Trans for their assistance in helping with clearing again this year! There was a very large amount of snow to clear this year!

6/22/2023 - The connection between south and north is almost made! Cal- Trans asisted us and continued from Summit Lake this week, clearing to Kings Creek Meadow. We marched forward from Lassen Peak Parking lot and cleared another 1.5 miles to the Lake Almanor Overlook.
Between those locations are only about 4 miles remaining to punch through the entire road. Parking lots and other road preparations will still need to be completed prior to complete opening. There will be no additional road sections open until this happens.

6/19/2023 - Road crews have made it to Lassen Peak Trailhead from the SW entrance allowing for around 7 miles of pavement for hike and bike accessibility. There is still around 8ft of snow on average at this elevation currently and the Bumpass Hell Trail remains closed until devoid of snow.

6/13/2023 - Road crews have nearly made it to Lake Helen from the SW entrance allowing for around 6 miles of pavement for hike and bike accessibility. There is still around 9ft of snow on average at this elevation currently and the Bumpass Hell Trail remains closed until devoid of snow.
Sulphur Works is now open to vehicles from the SW entrance which is 1 mile beyond the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center.
From the NW entrance crews have made it to Summit Lake for hike and bike accessibility. Vehicle access is still limited to Devastated Area from the NW entrance.

6/9/2023 - Road crews have made it past Emerald Lake from the SW entrance! That is around 6 miles of pavement for hike and bike accessibility. No vehicle access beyond the Kohm Yah-mah-nee visitor center from the SW entrance or Devastated Area from the NW entrance.

6/2/2023 - Good progress has been made! The road is now cleared about 4 miles from the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center to a place we call "Chicken Shack". Chicken Shack is just above the first hairpin switchback and used to be a place where fried chicken was served for lunch, no joke. The road reamins closed for vehicle access at the Visitor Center.

CalTrans has assisted with progress from the north, clearing to just below Summit Lake, roughly 3 miles from the Devastated Area. Clearing will not continue from here until snow melts a bit more. The road remains closed at Devastated Area.

5/30/2023 - The road has been cleared about 2.5 miles from the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center to Diamond Point (1.5 miles beyond Sulphur Works). HWY 89 remains closed to vehicles at the Visitor Center parking lot from the Southwest.
Butte Lake Road is now open to vehicles for access to Butte Lake Day-use Area, Butte Lake Campground remains closed until 6/16/2023.

5/26/2023 - The road has been cleared about 2 miles from the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center (1 mile beyond Sulphur Works). It remains closed to vehicles at the Visitor Center parking area. We will continue progress on Monday.
Manzanita Lake day-use and boat launch area open to vehicles.

5/18/2023 - The road has been cleared about .75 miles from the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center. It remains closed to vehicles at the Visitor Center parking area. We will continue progress on Monday.
On a side note, clearing the Juniper Lake road is suspended due to washouts on the country section of the road. It will likely need to melt, rather than be cleared.

5/12/2023 - The road is now open to vehicle traffic from the northwest entrance to the Devastated Area. Several feet of snow is in the immediate Devastated Area.

5/11/2023 - We cleared the county portion of the Warner Valley Road from Chester to the park boundary (10 miles). The final three miles are still under snow. Equipment is staged at the southwest entrance at the Kohm yah-mah-nee Visitor Center ready to begin clearing Monday morning.

5/4/2023 - We finished clearing the bulk of the snow to the end of the Butte Lake Road. The road will need to dry out substantially before it opens to vehicles in order to preserve the gravel surface. Butte Lake area is no exception to the snow coverage there are up to 8 foot drifts in places! With more snow on the way, instead of proceeding from the southwest entrance, we will clear the Warner Valley Road starting Monday, May 8. This road needs to be accesible sooner than later for fire rehabilitation. Then hopefully, by the end of the week, we will begin on the southwest entrance where snow is still very deep at around 10 feet!

4/27/2023 - The road is cleared 10 miles beyond the Loomis Plaza to the Devastated Area parking lot. The road will open to here once restrooms are uncovered from surrounding snow. For now, the road remains closed to vehicles at the Loomis Plaza. Walkers and bicycles are permitted however. Road clearing will not continue from the Devastated Area.

Equipment is now staged at the southwest entrance with road clearing scheduled to begin there on Monday, May 8. As of this report, there is still 13 feet of snow on the road at the southwest entrance. With all of the winter snow pack and late-season storms, this is the latest date road clearing has ever begun from the southwest entrance! We have a long road ahead of us, literally and figuratively. 20 miles of road to go.

4/20/2023 - The road is cleared roughly 7.5 miles beyond Loomis Plaza towards Devastated Area. Vehicle access still remains at the Loomis Plaza. Walkers and bicycles are permitted on roads closed to vehicles. Road clearing will continue to the Devastated Area parking lot next week.

4/15/2023 - Manzanita Lake Campground and Park Road from Loomis Plaza to Lost Creek Group Campground Cleared of snow. No vehicle access beyond Loomis Plaza.

3/23/2023 - Road clearing equipment has been staged at Manzanita Lake. Clearing operations wil begin once conditions allow.

 

Directions for Travel Around the Park

It is possible to travel around the park around both the east and west sides of the park to access the northwest or southwest entrances when the park highway is closed through traffic due to snow.
 
Directions for Travel Around the Park

Travel Around the West Side of the Park

This route is the shortest route around the park. This windy road is not recommended for RVs and trailers. Average travel time is one hour and 45 minutes and 71 Miles . View directions in Google Maps.

  1. From the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center, head south on Lassen National Park Highway (SR-89) for 6 miles.
  2. Turn right (west) on SR-36. Continue for 23 miles.
  3. Turn right (north) onto Lanes Valley Road. A large road sign on the north side of the highway marks the turnoff approximately one mile before the town of Paynes Creek. Continue for 7 miles.
  4. Turn right onto Manton Road (CR-A6). Continue for 0.6 miles (1 km).
  5. Turn left onto Blackbutte/ Wildcat Rd. Continue for 9 miles (14km).
  6. Turn right (east) onto SR-44. Continue for 24 miles (39 km).
  7. Turn right (south) into the park. Continue 1 mile to the Manzanita Lake entrance.

Travel Around the East Side of the Park

This route is slightly longer than the west route, however it has fewer curves and is appropriate for RVs and trailers. Average travel time is two hours and 106 Miles. View directions on Google Maps.

  1. From the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center, head south on Lassen National Park Highway (SR-89) for 6 miles.
  2. Turn left (east) on SR-36. Continue 38 miles to CR-A21/Mooney Road located in the town of Westwood. Continue for 18 miles. Turn left (west) onto SR-44. Continue for 28 miles.
  3. Turn left (west) onto SR-44/89. Continue for 13.5 miles.
  4. Turn left (south) into the park. Continue 1 mile to the Manzanita Lake entrance.
 
 
Three stacked images showing snow on a highway, a couple on road flanked by snow, and a curving road cut into snow below a peak
Top: Winter road conditions at the Southwest Entrance, people walking on the park highway, a cleared section of highway below Lassen Peak.

When Will the Highway Open to Through Traffic?

Road crews begin clearing snow from the park highway in March or April, depending on snow depth and weather forecasts. It is not possible to predict when the highway will open to through traffic, because weather and other delays can affect the clearing process significantly. A chart below provides opening and closing dates of the park highway since 1980. The park may plow snow from Butte Lake, Warner Valley, or Juniper Lake roads, depending on the spring snow depth. The paved sections of Warner Valley and Juniper Lake roads are maintained by Plumas County and are usually not plowed.

Snow clearing operations occur in the following order:

  1. Manzanita Lake Area between Loomis Plaza and Devastated Area (10 miles).
  2. Southwest Area between Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center and Lassen Peak (8 miles).
  3. Devastated Area to Lassen Peak (12 miles).
 
A bulldozer pushes deep snow off a slope below Emerald Lake on the park highway.
A bulldozer pushes snow off a steep slope below Emerald Lake on the park highway.

What's the Delay?

Clearing the park highway is no quick or easy undertaking! Snow accumulates on the 30-mile park highway throughout the winter season (typically November through April). Snow depth can reach up to 30 feet at the highest elevations, with drifts occasionally reach as high as 40 feet. The road clearing process can take up to three months due to numerous factors including:

  • Heavy snowpack with deeper snowdrifts in some areas

  • Trees and boulders that have fallen across the road and been buried in the snow

  • Rockslides over the highway when the snow begins to melt

  • Snow avalanches over cleared sections of the highway

  • Snow storms (and additional accumulation) during the operations

  • Snow removal in parking areas

  • Road and road shoulder repairs

  • Lingering ice once snow is cleared
  • Equipment repair
 
Visit our keyboard shortcuts docs for details
Duration:
4 minutes, 27 seconds

See how park road crews clear snow from the park highway in a two-month long process each spring.

 

Road Opening and *Closing Dates - 1980 to Present

* Closing date may not reflect when the road first closed due to snowfall. The first season snowfall may temporarily close the road.
The official closing date is listed in the chart and often occurs at a later date.

Year

Date plowing began from southwest

Date road opened

April 1 Snow Depth at Lake Helen (8,200' elevation)

Date road closed

1980 April 20 May 29 231" / 19.3' November 21
1981 April 20 May 21 149" / 12.5' November 3
1982 April 19 June 18 266" / 22.2' October 25
1983 April 18 July 2 331" / 27.6' November 10
1984 April 23 June 4 175" / 14.6' October 28
1985 April 14 May 18 163" / 13.6' October 21
1986 April 7 June 7 195" / 16.3' November 24
1987 April 20 May 15 138" / 11.6' November 13
1988 April 2 May 20 98" / 8.2' November 7
1989 April 3 June 6 223" / 18.6' October 23
1990 April 1 April 28 106" / 8.9' November 14
1991 April 7 May 24 151" / 12.6' October 22
1992 April 6 May 14 127" / 10.6' October 29
1993 April 12 June 28 225" / 18.8' November 10
1994 April 3 May 20 101" / 8.4' November 7
1995 March 19 July 21 287" / 23.9' November 21
1996 April 1 June 12 171" / 14.3' October 18
1997 April 7 June 5 135" / 11.3' November 14
1998 April 5 July 12 250" / 20.9' November 10
1999 April 12 June 11 194" / 16.2' November 19
2000 April 3 June 2 178" / 14.9' November 17
2001 April 2 May 10 109" / 9.1' November 15
2002 April 1 May 22 166" / 13.9' November 13
2003 March 26 May 23 185" / 15.5' November 7
2004 March 11 May 27 187" / 15.6' October 28
2005 April 4 June 2 173" / 14.5' November 8
2006 April 3 July 6 266" / 22.2' November 11
2007 April 2 May 18 112" / 9.3' December 6
2008 March 31 May 18 132" / 11' December 12
2009 April 13 June 4 146" / 12.2' November 18
2010 April 19 July 8 169" / 14.1' October 23
2011 April 19 July 16 242" / 20.2' November 22
2012 April 21 June 1 145" / 12.1' November 19
2013 March 21 May 24 140" / 11.7' December 18
2014 April 3 May 19 122" / 10.2' December 1
2015 March 31 May 3 91" / 7.6' November 8
2016 April 18 June 12 199" / 16.6' October 30
2017 April 4 July 26 243" / 20.3' November 10
2018 March 30 May 27 131" / 11' November 20
2019 April 18 June 22 238" / 19.8' November 29
2020 March 19 May 29 119" / 10' November 13
2021 April 5 May 17 114.5" / 9.5' October 21
2022 March 16 June 3 96" / 8' November 6
2023 May 15 July 1 217"/ 18' December 5

Last updated: December 9, 2023

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

PO Box 100
Mineral, CA 96063

Phone:

530 595-4480

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