"Lassen Volcanic National Park" Lassen Volcanic National Park by Tom_Fields

This spectacular national park has as much to offer as any, without the huge crowds. In fact, few people outside of Northern California have ever even heard of it. I suspect that's exactly the way many folks here like it. You could spend a week exploring this park.

The area is dotted with beautiful lakes--Manzanita Lake, Hat Lake, Helen Lake, Snag Lake, Butte Lake, Juniper Lake, Emerald Lake, and Ridge Lake, to name a few. The hiking trails stretch for miles. Wildlife is abundant. And the park has some fascinating geological features. There is so much to see here, it took me several visits to cover the main attractions.

Lassen Peak

This is the highest point in the park, and the world's largest plug volcano. It's visible for many miles.

Photo of the 1915 eruption

The last major eruption at Lassen Volcanic National Park occurred in 1915. Another took place sometime around 300 years ago. So this is a dormant volcano, not an extinct one. This photo, displayed at a nearby historical plaque, is among the very few showing the 1915 eruption. Someday, this will happen again.

• Pros:Beautiful area, not crowded
• Cons:Many parts are served only by gravel roads
• In a nutshell:The best thing in the Cascades