Lassen Volcanic National Park (Wildlife)
Mineral / Chester / Old Station · near Mineral · Shasta Cascade
Wildlife Watching
At a glance
- Best season
- Summer through early fall (the high park road is snowbound roughly Nov-Jun)
- Open year round
- No
What is here
- Wildlife
- land-mammals · birds
- Species
- Black bears, mule deer, coyotes, yellow-bellied marmots, pikas, Clark's nutcracker & mountain birds, waterfowl & otters at Manzanita Lake
- Amenities
- Roadside meadows & lakes · Easy Manzanita Lake loop · High-country trails for alpine species · Park visitor centers
- Best for
- Montane and alpine wildlife - the one 'climb for your sightings' spot in the region
- Features
- Bears, deer & coyotes in the forests · Marmots & pikas in the high talus · Manzanita Lake at dawn · Alpine-bird country
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Main park road (Hwy 89) closed by snow ~Nov-Jun · High elevation - weather changes fast · Store food properly (bears) · Dogs not allowed on trails (NPS rule)
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Wildlife Watching detail
- Viewing
- trail
- Effort
- moderate
- Habitat
- mountain
- Sighting
- 3
- Viewing notes
- The volcanic north's alpine wildlife counterpoint - black bears and mule deer in the forests, marmots and pikas in the high talus, and waterfowl and otters at Manzanita Lake
- Intl tip
- Visit summer or early fall - the high road is snowbound the rest of the year. Walk the Manzanita Lake loop at dawn for deer, waterfowl, and reflected Lassen Peak, and store your food properly in bear country. Dogs aren't allowed on trails.
The guide
Lassen is the volcanic north's alpine counterpoint - a national park of steaming fumaroles and glacier-carved peaks where the w…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Lassen Volcanic National Park (Wildlife) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 40.49, -121.51