Lassen Volcanic Wilderness
In May of 1914, Lassen Peak began a seven-year series of eruptions including a humdinger in 1915 when an enormous mushroom cloud reached seven miles in height. Today, the Lassen Volcanic National Park serves as a compact laboratory of volcanic phenomena and associated thermal features (mud pots, fumaroles, hot springs, sulfurous vents) with Lassen Peak (10,457 feet) near the center of the park's western half. Lassen Peak and its trail are non-Wilderness, but almost four-fifths of the park has been designated Wilderness, a land of gorgeous lakes teeming with fish, thick forests of pine and fir, many splendid creeks, and a fascinating hodgepodge of extinct and inactive volcanoes.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | National Park Service |
| State | California |
| Size | 79,061 acres |
| Designated | 1972, by Congress |
| Center point | 40.49° N, 121.39° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 11) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 20 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Show 4 moreHide
8 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trails
2 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 11 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Heart Lake NRT ↗ | 8.8 | |
| Triangle-Lvnp Caribou | 1.8 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedEcho Lake Pile 10/29/2026 Rx
13 mi from the center point
- PrescribedAlmanor South Cg 10/31/26 Rx
22 mi from the center point
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- under 0.1 miHorseshoe Lake Ranger Station ↗Chester, CA
- under 0.1 miProspect Peak Fire Lookout ↗Mineral, CA
- under 0.1 miTwin Lakes Fire Tool Cache ↗Mineral, CA
- 0.3 miSummit Lake Ranger Station ↗Mineral, CA
- 0.3 miWarner Valley Ranger Station ↗Chester, CA
- 0.9 miLoomis Vistor Center, Bldg. 43 ↗Manzanita Lake, CA
- 5.7 mi
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for California
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Lassen Volcanic Wilderness?
79,061 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Lassen Volcanic Wilderness?
The National Park Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Lassen Volcanic Wilderness in?
California.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Lassen Volcanic Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1972.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Lassen Volcanic Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Lassen Volcanic Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 40.492° N, 121.394° W. Lassen Volcanic National Park is adjacent. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Lassen Volcanic Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Echo Lake Pile 10/29/2026 Rx at 13 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Lassen Volcanic Wilderness?
Lassen Volcanic National Park (adjacent). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Lassen Volcanic Wilderness?
The National Register has 7 listings within 15 miles, including Horseshoe Lake Ranger Station and Prospect Peak Fire Lookout.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.