Winter Activities

Choose Your Winter Adventure

The snowy winter and spring seasons offers numerous opportunities for oversnow recreation. Vehicle access is limited to one mile from the Southwest and Northwest Entrances approximately November through May. Beyond the plowed roads to the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center and Loomis Plaza, the entire park is snow-covered.

Choose Your Destination:

  • The Southwest Area (6,700 - 10,457 ft) offers steep slopes and sweeping vistas just beyond the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center, which offers the only services between November and early May.
  • The Manzanita Lake Area (5,800 - 7,200 ft) consists of gentle slopes and scenic lakes. It offers the easiest routes for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the park.

Choose Your Activity:

 
A boy slides down a hill backed by a young girl and the top of a wooden building.
Play it Safe

Learn how to be prepared and reduce your risk in the snowy season.

A silver wagon drives toward two small, snow-covered buildings.
$10 Winter Entrance Fee

The Winter 1-7 day entrance pass is $10 through April 15.

The top section of guide titled Lassen Volcanic Winter/Spring Guide
View the Winter/Spring Visitor Guide

View or print a copy of the Winter/Spring Guide.

 
 
A young sledder enjoys the ride

Snowplay & Sledding

The steep slopes in the Southwest Area of the park, near the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center, are popular with experienced sledders. Be sure to choose a slope that is right for your group and the conditions. Sledding is the number one cause of visitor injury in the winter season. Each winter rangers treat and evacuate sledders with head and spine injuries, lacerations, and broken bones. Icy snow creates very fast sledding conditions and trees and rocks abound in this area. Eskimo Hill, located north of the park in Lassen National Forest, is also a popular sledding area.

 
A woman and young boy stand with a yellow sled in a snowy mountain landscape.
Snowplay in the Southwest Area

Enjoy the steep slopes and sweeping vistas in the snow-covered Southwest Area.

A man riding on a round, orange sled backed by conifer trees.
Snowplay in the Manzanita Lake Area

Enjoy snowplay on the gentle slopes near scenic lakes in the Manzanita Lake Area.

 

Oversnow Travel

In the snowy season, the majority of the park is snow-covered and oversnow travel is required to explore the winter wonderland.

 
A snow-covered road passes through steaming hydrothermal features in a mountain landscape.
Sulphur Works in Winter

Visit Sulphur Works in Winter

Four men and three women on showshoes backed by mountain peaks.
Snowshoeing

Bring your own snowshoes to enjoy winter routes in the Southwest and Manzanita Lake Areas.

A man, woman, and girl pose for a photo on cross-country skis in a mountain landscape.
Skiing & Snowboarding

Enjoy backcountry skiing and snowboarding.

Two women on snowshoes walk across the shore of a snow-covered lake backed by volcanic peaks.
Winter Routes in the Manzanita Lake Area

View ski and snowshoe routes in the Manzanita Lake Area.

A man and a women standing on snowshoes backed by a pointed, snow-covered peak.
Winter Routes in the Southwest Area

View ski and snowshoe routes in the Southwest Area.

A person snowshoes up a snow-covered route through a mountain landscape.
Oversnow Route Conditions

View conditions of oversnow routes in the park.

 

Snow Camping

Southwest Campground

The Southwest Campground is not open in the 2023/2024 season due to fire hazards. Tent camping is not permmitted until the closure is lifted. In addition, tents are not permitted in the parking lot year-round. Only self-contained vehicles are permitted overnight in the adjacent visitor center parking area with fee. Learn more about winter camping at the Southwest Campground.

Backcountry Camping

Backcountry Camping is recommended only for experience backcountry travelers. A backcountry permit is required and is available online through Recreation.gov. Learn more about backcountry permits.

Last updated: December 21, 2023

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

PO Box 100
Mineral, CA 96063

Phone:

530 595-4480

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