Celebrate Lassen’s Birthday with 2-Day Event in the Park – Discover Lassen

Lassen Volcanic National Park turns 103-years-old this week and the only way to celebrate this milestone is to head up to the park for the Lassen Park Foundation’s annual event – Discover Lassen.

The event will be held on August 10th & 11th in Lassen Park, with the first day focusing on the north end of the park (near Mazanita Lake) and the second day focusing on the south end of the park (near the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center).

“Discover Lassen has old roots in the park,” said Jennifer Finnegan, Executive Director of the Lassen Park Foundation. “We brought the event back in 2016 for the centennial celebration and it became very clear that people wanted this event to come back for good.”

On Saturday, a family-friendly fair will be held at the Loomis Museum, where visitors can learn about trail and fire maintenance from park rangers, meet Lassen’s artists-in-residence and go on a guided tour around Manzanita Lake. The fair will also include a BBQ from the Anderson Rotary, with all proceeds benefiting the Lassen Park Foundation.

For the more active visitors, a Hike-A-Thon will be held on Sunday, which includes hikes to the top of Lassen Peak and to Mill Creek Falls. Registration for the Hike-A-Thon ranges from $20 – $50 per person and includes t-shirts, bibs, trail snacks, water, and a commemorative patch for each trail completed. 

Mill Creek Falls. Flickr/ray_explores

“Because participants will be hiking five miles to the 10,462’ summit of Lassen Peak, then back down along the Lassen Peak Trail, we’re not calling it a race,” explained Finnegan. “The trail is rated from moderate to strenuous, so we’re encouraging participants to hike at a comfortable pace, carry lots of water and take the time to enjoy the spectacular views of the national park Sacramento River Valley, and Mt. Shasta.”

The Lassen Park Foundation is the leading non-profit organization for Lassen Volcanic National Park. For the past 35 years, the foundation has raised funds for all sorts of projects in the park including half a million dollars for the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center and continuously funding trail and scientific work in Lassen. They also started the Volcano Adventure Camp and now provide grants to youth groups who want to make the trip to the park.

“We work with youth groups across the country to come visit Lassen. So far, we have 58 groups this year,” said Finnegan. “We even provided funding for a youth specialist in the park and it became so popular, that we now have two.”

Discover Lassen is one of the primary fundraisers for the Lassen Park Foundation, and subsequently these youth programs. The foundation plans to keep the event going for years to come, and will even expand the Hike-A-Thon next year to include the Bumpass Hell Trailhead.

For more information on Discover Lassen on August 10th & 11th, go here. To learn more about the Hike-A-Thon or to sign up for the event, go here.

Going to the event? Let everyone know by RSVPing on Facebook!

Zach O'Brien

Zach O'Brien is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief at Active NorCal

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