The northern end of Lassen Volcanic National Park has reopened/Kurt Repanshek file

With the Park Fire's northeastern edge relatively static, the northern entrance to Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California has reopened.

As of Saturday morning traffic was being allowed to enter the park via Highway 89 at Manzanita Lake and drive as far south as the parking lot at Devastated Area. From there, the highway is open only to bicycles and pedestrians to Summit Lake. The highway will be closed to all traffic from Summit Lake to the southwestern park boundary due to ongoing evacuation orders and warnings.   

The outlying areas of the park, such as Butte Lake, Juniper Lake, and Warner Valley, will remain closed until normal park operations resume, a park release said.

The standard $30 entrance fee is in effect. Visitors should be prepared for limited services as park employees work to resume operations. Loomis Museum will be open for information Saturday through Tuesday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. The Lassen Association store also was to resume normal operations on Saturday

The Manzanita Lake Camper Store will be open for retail, “grab and go” food, laundry, and showers. Gasoline will be made available as soon as possible. It’s yet to be determined if or when the Manzanita Lake Cabins will reopen.  

Manzanita Lake Campground is scheduled to to reopen to reservations beginning Monday, August 26. Fires, including campfires and charcoal grills, are prohibited. Devices for cooking and lighting with ignition sources that can be turned off and that do not produce ash are permitted.

Summit Lake Campground remains closed. The entire park remains closed to backcountry camping as long as any park closures are in place. 

Open hiking trails include Manzanita Lake, Nobles Emigrant, Chaos Crags, and Echo Lake/Twin Lakes. Trails that remain closed include Bumpass Hell, Lassen Peak, and Mill Creek Falls. 

The 2024 Park Fire has burned more than 425,000 acres in Butte, Plumas, Tehama, and Shasta counties and is the fourth largest fire in California’s history. Park staff was evacuated and are now in the process of returning. While the fire itself has not entered the park boundaries, the threat of fire remains on the park’s south side and in the local communities of Mineral and Mill Creek. The fire danger has dropped to safe levels in the areas of the park that are reopening, but visitors should expect that smoke may linger in the area and affect air quality and views. 

More than 6,000 personnel from several different agencies across the country have been assigned to the Park Fire incident. Recent cooler temperatures and higher humidity have assisted fire fighters in their containment efforts.  

The national park staff will communicate additional changes to operations, openings, and other park-specific information via the Lassen Volcanic NATional Park website and social media platforms.

For the latest information regarding evacuation orders, check the local sheriff’s office’s communication channels or call 211. For information about the fire itself and management of firefighting operations, visit https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/7/24/park-fire. Information about the Park Fire is also available on InciWeb at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/calnf-park-fire.