Park Reopens

Date: October 17, 2013
Contact: Darlene M. Koontz, 530-595-6102

Mineral, CA –Lassen Volcanic National Park will reopen in time for the weekend on Friday morning at 8:00 a.m. The park has been closed since October 1 due to the lapse in Congressional appropriations. Park Superintendent Darlene M. Koontz stated, “The park staff is excited to return to work and we look forward to welcoming visitors to the park to enjoy the rest of the fall and upcoming winter season.”

On Thursday, October 17, the Lassen National Park Highway through the park will be closed to allow road crews to clear rock and debris that accumulated during the shutdown, but visitors can access Manzanita Lake Campground, Loomis Museum, Sulphur Works, and Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center. Several campgrounds including: Butte Lake, South Summit Lake, Southwest (walk-in) and Warner Valley Campgrounds will all be open on Friday for dry camping. The visitor center is open daily and Loomis Museum is open Wednesdays through Sundays for the remainder of October.

The concessioner facilities, including Drakesbad Guest Ranch and Manzanita Lake Camper Store have been closed for the season while Lassen Café & Gifts in Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center will re-open on Saturday October 26 for weekend operations through fall and winter.

Other activities that will resume include park ranger participation in the Turtle Bay Earth Science Week Celebration on October 18 and 19 in Redding, education programs in the park for school visits, and Wilderness Stewardship Plan open houses. The revised open house schedule is as follows:

• October 23 – Redding, 5-7pm, Lema Ranch, 800 Shasta View Drive
• October 24 – Old Station, 5-7pm, Old Station Volunteer Fire Department, Highway 89
• October 29 – Chester, 5-7pm, Chester Fire Protection District, 251 Airport Road
• November 6, Red Bluff, 5-7pm, Tehama County Visitor Center, 250 Antelope Blvd

Lassen Volcanic National Park is proud to be a member of this community and contributes more than $15,800,000 to the local economy each year. The economic impact of closing this park for 16 days has been extremely tough on our gateway communities, local businesses, neighbors, and park partners. We look forward to working with you on ways to lessen that impact.

For more information please visit the park website, www.nps.gov/lavo or contact park staff at [phone] daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.