Park Significance & Themes

The following is taken from Lassen Volcanic National Park’s Foundation Document, Part 1: Core Components (published 2016). The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park, park purpose, significance statements, fundamental resources and values, and interpretive themes. These components are core because they typically do not change over time. Core components are expected to be used in future planning and management efforts.

 

 

Lassen Volcanic National Park was established in 1916, shortly after a series of highly publicized, dramatic volcanic eruptions of Lassen Peak in 1914 and 1915.

Chester Mullen, Benjamin F. Loomis Historical Photograph Collection

Brief Description of the Park

Lassen Volcanic National Park encompasses over 106,000 acres of a dynamic and diverse volcanic landscape. Located at the southern extent of the Cascade Range in northern California, the park was established as a unit of the national park system in 1916 shortly after a series of highly publicized, dramatic volcanic eruptions of Lassen Peak in 1914 and 1915. Prior to the park’s establishment, Cinder Cone National Monument and Lassen Peak National Monument were established in this area by proclamation of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907 to be administered by the U.S. Forest Service. These two monuments and surrounding areas were combined into what later became Lassen Volcanic National Park.

More than 85% of park acreage is either designated or proposed wilderness lands. Nearly 79,000 acres of the park were designated as Lassen Volcanic Wilderness in 1972, and another 13,151 acres have since been proposed to Congress as additional wilderness. Both the designated and proposed wilderness lands are managed as designated wilderness.

The park’s name is indicative of the dynamic geology and landscape of the area, as nearly every rock at Lassen Volcanic National Park originates from volcanism. Lassen’s volcanic domes are part of the Lassen Volcanic Center, located at the southern end of the Cascade Range, which began to erupt about 825,000 years ago and is still active today. The park’s diverse array of volcanic resources includes all four types of volcanoes found on Earth—shield, composite, cinder cone, and plug dome. Lassen Peak is one of the largest plug dome volcanoes in the world. With an elevation of 10,457 feet, it is the highest point in the park and dominates the park’s landscape. Unlike other volcanoes in the Cascade Range, the park’s large plug dome and composite volcanoes are in proximity to the smaller cinder cone volcanoes that surround the volcanic center.

Volcanic activity in this region has been ongoing for about three million years. Most recently, the region has seen eruptions from Cinder Cone (~350 years ago) and Lassen Peak (~100 years ago). The well-documented eruptions of Lassen Peak from 1914 to 1917 and the extensive system of hydrothermal areas in the park illustrate the fact that volcanic activity continues as a dynamic force today. The hydrothermal activity, such as bubbling mudpots, steam vents, and boiling springs, are surface representations of heat at depth, indicating the presence of hot magma and rocks a short distance below the Earth’s surface. Thus, while this volcanic landscape now appears relatively dormant, the underlying Lassen Volcanic Center is still active and will likely erupt again. However, at this time, no one can say when or where the next eruption might occur.

Lassen Volcanic National Park also protects a rich diversity of plant and animal life. This unique biological diversity of the park results from a variety of factors, but most notably, its location at the transition zone of three large regional biological provinces: the Cascade Range to the north, the Sierra Nevada Range to the south, and the Great Basin Desert to the east. Plant and animal communities, species, and ecosystems from these three provinces converge across the park’s landscape. This biodiversity is further complemented by variations of environmental conditions in the park such as elevation (5,000 to 10,457 feet), moisture (precipitation is greater on the western side of the park), substrate (rock type and soil depth), temperature, and localized amounts of sun exposure. Collectively, the park’s location and its environmental variability results in a myriad of habitats, species, and natural communities in Lassen Volcanic National Park. This biodiversity is demonstrated by approximately 300 species of vertebrates (which includes birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish), 765 species of plants, and a wide variety of invertebrates.

 

Lassen Volcanic National Park also protects a rich diversity of plant and animal life, including keystone species like pika.

NPS photo

Four general vegetation communities cover most of the park: yellow pine forests (ponderosa pine and Jeffrey pine), red fir forests, subalpine forests, and alpine fell fields. Yellow pine forests, which typically occur below 6,000 feet, may grow as climax stands of ponderosa and Jeffrey pine or as mixed stands with sugar pine, white fir, incense cedar, or Douglas-fir. Red fir forests are widespread between 6,000 and 8,500 feet and are characterized by mixtures of red fir and lodgepole pine, Jeffrey pine, western white pine, and mountain hemlock. The subalpine forest, at the upper limit of the coniferous forest, is dominated by whitebark pine and mountain hemlock. These two species are highly weather resistant and grow at elevations as high as 10,000 feet. Near timberline are the alpine meadows and fell fields, which are well-known for colorful wildflowers.

Wildlife species that are typically found in the lower elevation forests of the park are black bear, mule deer, marten, brown creeper, mountain chickadee, white-headed woodpecker, long-toed salamander, and a wide variety of bat species. Seasonally wet meadows are also common in valley bottoms, along streams, and at lake margins, providing habitat for the Pacific tree frog, Western terrestrial garter snake, Wilson’s snipe, and mountain pocket gopher. In the subalpine zones of the park, wildlife species that are common include Clark’s nutcracker, deer mice, and various chipmunk species. Above treeline, conditions are such that little vegetation is found. Species found in this habitat include gray-crowned rosy-finch, pika, and golden-mantled ground squirrel.

Lassen Volcanic National Park also protects a robust human history related to how people inhabited, explored, and traveled through this unique landscape. These cultural resources include important stories (e.g., American Indian ethnographic resources and B. F. Loomis photography of the Lassen Peak eruption), artifacts (historic objects, archived collections), and sites (archeological sites, historic structures, and cultural landscapes). Additionally, the park has several significant examples of human pathways and cultural landscapes, including Drakesbad cultural landscape, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) / Park Development, the Nobles Emigrant Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway – All American Road.

In addition to protecting and preserving the above-described natural and cultural resources and stories, Lassen Volcanic National Park provides a wide array of opportunities for park visitors to experience, enjoy, and learn about these resources, as well as pursue many forms of outdoor recreation across all seasons. On average, the park receives an average of 450,000 park visitors per year. This visitation includes people who camp and spend several days throughout the park, as well as people who only spend a few hours focusing more on educational and scenic opportunities provided at the visitor centers, museum, and scenic byway park highway. Day hiking in the frontcountry and backpacking in the wilderness are popular activities supported by more than 150 miles of hiking trails. These trails provide visitors with access to many of the park’s volcanic landforms and features such as Lassen Peak and the hydrothermal areas of Bumpass Hell and Devils Kitchen. Other visitor opportunities include, but are not limited to, auto touring, wildlife viewing, wildflower viewing, stargazing, camping, boating, horseback riding, fishing, and a wide range of educational programs provided by park staff. In addition, during winter months the park also provides access for many winter recreation activities such as snowshoeing, skiing, and sledding.

 

Park Purpose

The purpose statement identifies the specific reason(s) for establishment of a particular park. The purpose statement for Lassen Volcanic National Park was drafted through a careful analysis of its enabling legislation and the legislative history that influenced its development. The park was established by legislation on August 9, 1916. However, this enabling legislation was preceded by a series of presidential proclamations under President Theodore Roosevelt that included the establishment of Lassen Peak Forest Reserve in 1905 and Lassen Peak National Monument and Cinder Cone National Monument in 1907. The purpose statement lays the foundation for understanding what is most important about the park.

 

Lassen Volcanic National Park preserves dynamic volcanic phenomena, scenic values, outstanding wilderness character, and diverse natural and cultural resources; and provides educational, recreational, and exceptional scientific opportunities for the benefit of the public.

 

Few places on Earth parallel Lassen Volcanic National Park’s concentrated diversity of volcanic features, like this cinder cone.

Lary Leigh photo

Park Significance

Significance statements express why a park’s resources and values are important enough to merit designation as a unit of the national park system. These statements are linked to the purpose of Lassen Volcanic National Park, and are supported by data, research, and consensus. Statements of significance describe the distinctive nature of the park and why an area is important within a global, national, regional, and systemwide context. They focus on the most important resources and values that will assist in park planning and management.

The following significance statements have been identified for Lassen Volcanic National Park. (Please note that the sequence of the statements does not reflect the level of significance.)

1. Few places on Earth parallel Lassen Volcanic National Park’s concentrated diversity of volcanic features. The park showcases a dynamic geologic landscape containing an intact network of hydrothermal features and 60 extinct and active volcanoes in relative proximity to one another that represent all four primary types: (1) shield, (2) composite, (3) cinder cone, and (4) plug dome. This extent and diversity is complemented by more than a century of scientific study, which enhances global knowledge of volcanic systems and contributes to future research, management, and stewardship.
2. Located at the crossroads of three distinct biological provinces—Cascades, Sierra Nevada, and Great Basin—Lassen Volcanic National Park preserves an exceptional biodiversity of more than 1,050 plant and animal species. This biologically rich transition zone offers many opportunities for scientists to research anthropogenic effects on biological processes and populations.
3. Lassen Volcanic National Park protects valuable archeological sites, historic structures, objects, stories, and traditional places that remain significant to people of various backgrounds. These resources enrich our understanding of people that have lived in, adapted to, and traveled through the southern Cascade region for thousands of years.
4. Lassen Volcanic National Park includes more than 90,000 acres of designated and proposed wilderness, which comprises more than 85% of park lands and are buffered by large expanses of other public lands and a contiguous wilderness area. The park’s wilderness lands provide outstanding opportunities to experience natural quiet, solitude, clean air, clear views, and pristine night skies amidst a distinctive, vast landscape of volcanic landforms.

 

The park provides visitors with ample experiential opportunities to enjoy clean air and natural scenery offered by the unique expanse of volcanic landforms and the surrounding landscape.

NPS photo

Fundamental Resources and Values

Fundamental resources and values are those features, systems, processes, experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, smells, or other attributes determined to warrant primary consideration during planning and management processes because they are essential to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance. Fundamental resources and values are closely related to a park’s legislative purpose and are more specific than significance statements.

Fundamental resources and values help focus planning and management efforts on what is truly significant about the park. One of the most important responsibilities of NPS managers is to ensure the conservation and public enjoyment of those qualities that are essential (fundamental) to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance. If fundamental resources and values are allowed to deteriorate, the park purpose and/or significance could be jeopardized.

The following fundamental resources and values have been identified for Lassen Volcanic National Park:

Wide Variety of Volcanic and Hydrothermal Features and Associated Geology.

With the iconic Lassen Peak towering above, Lassen Volcanic National Park contains approximately 170 square miles of volcanic landforms, glacially sculpted terrain, and spectacular hydrothermal features, all occurring at the southern tip of the volcanic Cascade Range. The park contains the four primary types of volcanoes (shield, composite, cinder cone, and plug dome), as well as lava flows, pyroclastic flows (density currents of volcanic gases, ash, and rock), and tephra (deposits of volcanic material ejected from a volcano). Before the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, Lassen Peak was the only Cascade volcano to have erupted in the 20th century. The currently active “Lassen Volcanic Center” (a body of hot or molten rock beneath Lassen Peak) underlies most of the southern half of the park. This heat source of active volcanism drives the remarkable hydrothermal features, including roaring fumaroles, mudpots, boiling pools, and thermal ground. These features are indicators of the ongoing potential for future volcanic eruptions in the Lassen Volcanic Center. Although the park is noted primarily for its volcanic terrain and features, volcanism and glaciation have worked hand in hand in the creation of the park’s landscape. Large ice caps covered the mountainous terrain several times during ice ages of the recent geologic past. Glacial landforms, such as moraines and outwash deposits, overlay much of the volcanic foundation. The alteration of volcanic rocks by hydrothermal processes facilitated glacial erosion. Glacially eroded features such as cirques and arêtes occur throughout the park. It should be noted that the prominent hydrothermal and glacial processes also highlight the importance of the park’s hydrology. The park lies in the headwaters of four major watersheds that all eventually drain to the Sacramento River, and contains over 200 lakes and ponds and 15 perennial streams. Groundwater systems are also fed by some closed basins near Lassen Peak that drain into lakes.

Biodiversity and a Distinctive Range of Flora and Fauna.

Lassen Volcanic National Park protects a wide range of intact ecosystems and rich biological diversity that occur at the transition zone between the Cascades, Sierra Nevada, and Great Basin biological regions. The park’s location at this transition zone provides essential natural conditions for a distinctively large and unique assemblage of plant and animal species. Healthy populations of native wildlife and plants are found throughout the park, including species that are endemic and unique to this area. This biodiversity lends itself to scientific research on the effects of wildland fire management, climate change, and other stressors on these resources.

Human Pathways and Ties with the Landscape (past, present, and future, including artifact collection).

People have traveled through and inhabited the area now known as Lassen Volcanic National Park for millennia. Resources in the area have long been used by American Indians and today the area still retains significance to them and to people who have more recently created ties to this dynamic landscape. Likewise, the historic Nobles Emigrant Trail through the park is associated with the overall history and development of the nation by contributing to settlement access to this region for the settlers’ wagon trails. The park’s extensive museum and archive collection documents the volcanic history, ethnographic resources, historic artifacts, photos, and stories. Since establishment of the park, designated trails and travel pathways, including the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail and the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, provide access to many park resources and experiences.

 

Natural darkness and sounds are part of the park's wilderness character and a valuable park resource.

Alison Taggart-Barone photo

Lands with Wilderness Character and Other Backcountry Areas.

The park contains more than 90,000 acres of designated and proposed wilderness lands (accounting for more than 85% of the park), which possess the following qualities of wilderness character: untrammeled, undeveloped, natural, outstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfined recreation, and other features of value. These wilderness lands, as well as other adjacent backcountry lands that are not designated wilderness, provide both easily accessible and challenging backcountry experiences for park visitors across a diverse and dynamic volcanic landscape. For park visitors, the wilderness lands provide experiences of clean air, natural darkness and sounds, scenic views of wide open expanses, and the sense of solitude amongst nature. These wilderness lands also protect large tracts of important habitat and critical water sources for the benefit of many different plant and wildlife species.

Diversity of Traditional Recreational Values and Visitor Experiences.

The park provides visitors with ample experiential opportunities to enjoy clean air and natural scenery offered by the unique expanse of volcanic landforms and the surrounding landscape, which also includes scenic lakes, forests, wildlife, etc. Opportunities to appreciate other experiential values of the natural world, including dark night skies and a natural soundscape, are also available to the visitor throughout the year. In addition, the park provides a diversity of other more active forms of recreation and national park experiences for visitors such as an impressive drive along the scenic byway through the park, many equestrian trails, family oriented frontcountry opportunities (e.g., picnicking, camping, kayaking, hiking, etc.), winter recreation (e.g., cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding), easily accessible gateways to wilderness lands, and a wide variety of educational and discovery opportunities related to natural features and processes as well as cultural and historic values (e.g., Kohm-Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center, Loomis Museum, interpretive media, and artist and photographer exhibits).

 

Park rangers have been helping visitors learn and connect with Lassen since the park’s establishment, like this Bumpass Hell talk in the 1940s.

George A. Grant photo

Interpretive Themes

Interpretive themes are often described as the key stories or concepts that visitors should understand after visiting a park—they define the most important ideas or concepts communicated to visitors about a park unit. Themes are derived from, and should reflect, park purpose, significance, resources, and values. The set of interpretive themes is complete when it provides the structure necessary for park staff to develop opportunities for visitors to explore and relate to all park significance statements and fundamental resources and values.

Interpretive themes are an organizational tool that reveal and clarify meaning, concepts, contexts, and values represented by park resources. Sound themes are accurate and reflect current scholarship and science. They encourage exploration of the context in which events or natural processes occurred and the effects of those events and processes. Interpretive themes go beyond a mere description of the event or process to foster multiple opportunities to experience and consider the park and its resources. These themes help explain why a park story is relevant to people who may otherwise be unaware of connections they have to an event, time, or place associated with the park.

The following interpretive themes have been identified for Lassen Volcanic National Park:

• Geology. Lassen Volcanic National Park is a dynamic volcanic landscape providing an awe-inspiring glimpse of Earth’s seething power, above and below ground.

• Biodiversity. Diverse natural systems coexist in Lassen Volcanic National Park due to the intersection of three distinct biological provinces. Study and research of these ecosystems furthers the understanding about the changing ecological health of the region, nation, and the planet.

• Pathways. Lassen Volcanic National Park is part of a network of social and natural pathways that connect the park and its values to surrounding resources and partners.

• Human Activity. Stories of human experience from precontact to the present day are reflected in the cultural resources of Lassen Volcanic National Park.

• Wilderness. The park’s wilderness provides outstanding opportunities for self-discovery in wild soundscapes, natural darkness, and relatively undisturbed ecosystems.