Volcanic National Parks

We have seen two National Parks that have a volcanic past. The first one was Lassen Volcanic National Park in Mineral, California.

Despite the fact that the temperatures were in the mid 70 to lower 80s, this parks still had snow! Lots of snow! In fact, the scenic route through the park, had only been completely cleared of snow about 15 days before we arrived, on July 4th!

We stopped at the Lassen Peak trailhead parking area to check out the snow. Cole had a blast. It was his first time in the snow.

This park offered many diverse features. From boiling mud pots to half frozen lakes, to views of the Lassen Volcanic peak.

We also visited Crater Lake National Park in Crater Lake, Oregon. Here, the lake takes the place of the volcano peak. The water was so blue it was amazing! Crater Lake is deepest lake (1943 ft) in the United States. Fed by rain and snow (but no rivers or streams), the lake is considered to be the cleanest large body of water in the world. The lake rests inside a caldera formed 7,700 years ago when a 12,000-foot tall volcano collapsed following a major eruption.

These parks were both volcanic in nature, but the landscape and views are completely different.