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Roads in the Park

Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway and other park roads are closed for the winter snow season, typically November through May. Road snow clearing operations begin at the Manzanita Lake Area in late March. View snow clearing progress and historic road opening dates.

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Road Section	Status	Detail
Lassen National Park Highway A 30-mile section of Highway 89 between Highway 36 and Highway 44.	Highway Closed to through traffic for the Winter Snow Season. Road is plowed, but closed to vehicles between Loomis Plaza and Devastated Area (10 miles).	The park highway is closed to through traffic for the snow season (November - May). The road is closed to vehicles between the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center and the Loomis Plaza. Visitors can still access the Loomis Plaza (one mile inside the Northwest Entrance) and the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center (one mile inside the Southwest Entrance). The highway winds through mountainous terrain and reaches an elevation of 8,500 feet. It is 30 miles in length. RVs and trailers need to be less than 45 feet in total length.
Butte Lake	Snow-Covered	Road is unpaved/gravel, 6 miles in length and begins off of Hwy 44. 3/6 - Deep ruts in snow prevent vehicle travel beyond the park boundary.
Warner Valley (access to Drakesbad Guest Ranch)	Closed for the Winter Snow Season	Road is not recommended for RVs, trailers, and low clearance vehicles. It is 17 miles in length and begins off of Hwy 36 in Chester. The last 3-mile section is unpaved/dirt. 3/6 - 1.5 feet of ice/snow on road
Juniper Lake	Closed for the Winter Snow Season	Road is not advised for RVs, trailers or vehicles with very low clearance. The road is 13 miles long. It is paved for the first 6 miles north of Chester (Hwy 36), then rough gravel and dirt for the remaining 7 miles.

 

Roads to the Park

Check conditions for area roads (map of the area) on the CalTrans QuickMap or view current conditions on CalTrans webcams.

Highway 44/89 provides access to the Northwest Entrance/Manzanita Lake Area
Highway 36/89 provides access to the Southwest Entrance / Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center

Check Chain Requirements Before You Travel

California state law requires all vehicles to carry chains when entering a chain control area. View current chain restrictions on the CalTrans QuickMap. Select Options->Chain Controls and/or other items to view real-time information.

 

Weather, Webcams & Snow Depths

Snow depths are updated when there is a significant change. Call [phone] for the most up-to-date information.

Weather Forecast	Webcam	Approximate Snow Depth Last Updated: 2/28/2020
Manzanita Lake (5800 feet)	Facing southeast with view of Manzanita Lake and Lassen Peak	0 inches with areas of ice
Southwest Entrance (6700 feet)	Facing north from back of Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center	3 feet
Lassen Peak (8250 feet)		Measured manually January - April
Northern California Area	View area webcams

California Cooperative Snow Surveys

New Manzanita Lake Course | Elev. – 5900 feet (1798 meters) | Latest Survey Date – Jan. 27, 2020
Snow depth – 5.2 inches | 40% of average

Lower Lassen Peak Course | Elev. – 8250 feet (2515 meters) | Latest Survey Date – Feb. 24, 2020
Snow depth – 80 inches | 47% of average

 

Trail Conditions

View a list of day hiking trails for condition updates, which are generally provided between April and November.

Are you wondering what trails are like at different times of the year? Most hiking trails are snow-covered and not accessible during winter and early spring. Find out what it's like to hike at Lassen Volcanic National Park if you're Visiting in Spring or Visiting in Winter.

Winter Snow Season Routes

• Trails are usually snow-covered during the winter snow season, approximately November through April.
• View winter routes in the Winter Guide for over-the-snow travel with snowshoes or skis.
• Trails at higher elevation including Lassen Peak and Bumpass are often snow-covered into June or July.
• Trails at lower elevation (Manzanita Lake, Butte Lake, and Warner Valley Areas) are the first to become snow-free.

 

Wildland Fire and Air Quality Conditions

Air quality conditions can change rapidly due to weather and other variables. Learn more about air quality and smoke impacts in the park.

• Lassen Volcanic National Park Current Fire Information
• Northern California Highway Information Hotline: [phone]
• California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
• Air Quality Measurements and Forecasts for Northern California