Lassen Volcanic National Park is a National Park in California. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and 30 photo locations inside or next to the park.
Best photo spots in Lassen Volcanic
We matched 30 named overlooks, waterfalls, peaks and other features to Lassen Volcanic. Each has its own page with sun directions and a monthly golden hour table.
Scenic Viewpoints (2)
Waterfalls (3)
Mountain Peaks (4)
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakLakes (8)
Lake
Lake
Lake
Lake
Lake
Lake
Lake
LakeHot Springs (5)
Hot Spring
Hot Spring
Hot SpringHot SpringHot SpringMountain Passes (1)
Volcanoes (4)
Fire Lookouts (2)
Wilderness Areas (1)
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Lassen Volcanic the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:28 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:04 PM | 243° | 9h 36m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:41 PM | 254° | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 268° | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 284° | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 296° | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:35 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:39 PM | 302° | 15h 03m |
| July | 5:49 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 300° | 14h 47m |
| August | 6:17 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:05 PM | 289° | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:16 PM | 275° | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:27 PM | 259° | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:49 PM | 246° | 9h 57m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:41 PM | 240° | 9h 18m |
Computed for the park's reference point (40.4935, -121.4076); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
From Lassen Volcanic, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | 5:23 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.0 | 11° |
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.2 | 17° |
| April | 2:33 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| May | 12:28 AM – 3:48 AM | 3.3 | 21° |
| June | 10:44 PM – 3:24 AM | 4.7 | 21° |
| July | 10:35 PM – 2:05 AM | 3.5 | 21° |
| August | 9:48 PM – 11:58 PM | 2.2 | 20° |
| September | 8:49 PM – 9:59 PM | 1.2 | 17° |
| October | 7:58 PM – 7:58 PM | 0.0 | 11° |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
2 Estimated Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars.
Weather & best time to visit
Weather at Lassen can vary dramatically throughout the year. Average January temperatures are a high of 40.4 °F (4.7 °C) and a low of 20.8 °F (-6.2 °C). Average July temperatures are a high of 88.4 °F and a low of 49.8 °F. Temperatures reach 90 °F or higher on an average of 36.9 days, and drop to 32 ° or lower on an average of 164 days days annually.
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
Average high (°F)
Photography permits, drones & fees
Permits. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones. Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
| Entrance fee | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Entrance - Private Vehicle | $30.00 |
| Entrance - Private Vehicle | $10.00 |
| Entrance - Motorcycle | $25.00 |
| Entrance - Per Person | $15.00 |
Fees as published by the NPS when this page was built — confirm on nps.gov before you go.
Getting there
From Interstate 5 (Redding), take Hwy 44 - 48 miles east to the junction of Hwy 89. Follow Hwy 89 south 1 mile to the north entrance of the park. From Interstate 5 (Red Bluff) take Hwy 36 E - 51 miles east to the junction of Hwy 89. Follow Hwy 89 north 6 miles to south entrance of the park.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Auto and ATV
- Scenic Driving
- Astronomy
- Stargazing
- Biking
- Road Biking
- Boating
- Camping
- Backcountry Camping
- Car or Front Country Camping
- Horse Camping (see also Horse/Stock Use)
- Group Camping
- RV Camping
- Compass and GPS
- Geocaching
- Fishing
- Freshwater Fishing
- Fly Fishing
- Food
- Dining
- Picnicking
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Auto
- Hiking
