Lassen National Forest
Encyclopedia
Lassen National Forest is a national forest of 1,700 square miles (4,300 km2) in northeastern California
. It is named after pioneer Peter Lassen
, who mined, ranched and promoted the area to emigrant parties in the 1850s.
. It is generally bounded by Sierra Nevada mountain range to the south, the Modoc Plateau to the east and California's Central Valley to the west. The forest is in parts of Lassen
, Shasta
, Tehama
, Plumas
, and Butte
counties. Forest headquarters is located in Susanville, California
. There are local ranger
district offices in Chester
, Fall River Mills
, and Susanville.
The forest was formed in 1905 when it was named one of the National Forest Reserves, which evolved into the National Forest system.
The forest was first named the Lassen Peak Forest Reserve because of Lassen Peak
, a volcano
which is in the southernmost portion of the Cascade Range volcanoes. Mt. Lassen erupted with explosive force in 1915. The forest surrounds Lassen Volcanic National Park
. The forest has two major river systems as well as many lakes, cinder cones and lava flows.
Surveys estimate the forest contains 92000 acres (372.3 km²) of old growth. Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forests (Coast Douglas-fir
(Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii), Ponderosa Pine
(Pinus ponderosa), and White Fir
(Abies concolor)), Jeffrey Pine
(Pinus jeffreyi) forests, Red Fir
(Abies magnifica) forests, and Lodgepole Pine
(Pinus contorta) forests are the most common types. It is a major source of lumber products.
was the refuge of the "last wild Indian", Caribou Wilderness
was one of first protected "primitive areas" decades before the federal wilderness system was established, and the volcanic explosion of Mt. Lassen was the first eruption to be witnessed and photographed in the history of the continental United States.
On Labor Day 1911, a Native American was discovered outside the slaughterhouse in Oroville, California
. Ishi
, as he came to be known, became a celebrity. He lived his remaining years at the University of California's Anthropology Museum on Parnassus Heights in San Francisco, under the sponsorship of anthropologist Alfred Kroeber. The university had no protocol for keeping a living museum exhibit, so Kroeber arranged for Ishi's employment as assistant janitor.
Ishi was Yahi, the southern-most division of the Yana
and had spent the majority of his life in hiding in the rugged Deer Creek territory north of Oroville. After his discovery, he would not disclose his name. Ishi, the name given by Kroeber, was the Yahi word for man. Kroeber believed that cultural etiquette prevented Ishi from disclosing his name.
In 1908, a utility company crew surprised the small band of survivors in their camp. Ishi and the three others fled. When Ishi was discovered outside the slaughterhouse, he was alone, his hair burned short in mourning.
Ishi died in Berkeley in 1916 of tuberculosis
. In 1984 Congress established the 41100 acres (16,632.6 ha) Ishi Wilderness in the dry, rugged, volcanic terrain, where the last band of Southern Yanas had sought refuge.
(Visitors to this wilderness are advised by the United States Forest Service to visit only during cooler months because of a lack of water during the summer.)
A year before Ishi's death, Mt. Lassen exploded. Mt. Lassen is officially recognized as Lassen Peak by the United States Board on Geographic Names
. Before the eruption on May 22, 1915, the smoking volcano became a tourist draw. Today, within Lassen Volcanic National Park, the area surrounding the volcano is known as the Devastated Area.
An ancient volcano, known as Mount Tehama
is believed to have been much larger than Lassen Peak. Its explosion is responsible for the topography of the national forest and the national park: a volcanic rim, with elevations beginning at 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) above sea level.
The third historical resource is the 20000 acres (8,093.7 ha) Caribou Wilderness immediately east of the National Park. Caribou Wilderness received protection as a Primitive Area beginning in 1932.
In the 1920s, the managers of the Forest Service engaged in both an internal and external struggle regarding the agency's mission. Aldo Leopold
and Bob Marshall
, forest service employees, each advocated setting aside some forest areas as wilderness off-limits to mining, logging, road construction and grazing.
The first primitive area was created in 1924 in New Mexico and is now named the Aldo Leopold Wilderness. But creation of primitive areas did not become a forest agency policy until 1929.
Externally, the National Park Service
, sought to expand parks from existing public lands, primarily national forest lands. The forest service responded by creating primitive areas. Initially these new wilderness areas received no special protections other than the official designation. Caribou Primitive area became a likely candidate for primitive status as it shares the length of its western border with the national park.
Caribou Primitive Area received greater protection in 1939, when Interior Secretary Harold Ickes
sought to convince President Franklin D. Roosevelt
to combine the national forests and the National Park Service into a new agency under the management of the United States Department of Interior. Roosevelt declined to act, but the threat of moving the Forest Service out of the United States Department of Agriculture
resulted in greater protections for national forest wilderness areas. A congressional bill had earlier given the President authority to act on this new Department of Conservation.
In 1964, Caribou was among the first group of federally protected wildernesses created by the first Wilderness Act
. The Lassen forest also contains the 16335 acres (6,610.5 ha) Thousand Lakes Wilderness
, also created in 1964.
, and many campgrounds and hiking trails. The forest is easily accessible from San Francisco, Sacramento and Redding.
The Pacific Crest Trail
passes through the Forest and Park.
Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail follows the rugged Susan River
canyon for 16 of the trail's 25 miles (40.2 km) length . Built on what was once the roadbed of Southern Pacific's 130 miles (209.2 km) Fernley and Lassen Branch Railway, it has been converted to a riding and hiking trail . There are 12 river crossings and two tunnels along the trail with the Susan River segment being the most scenic with views of the canyon, river and mountains. Some camping is allowed on portions of the trail but some areas have camping restrictions.
The railroad operated from 1914 to 1956 and was officially abandoned by Southern Pacific Railroad
in 1978.
The trail has four distinct seasons because of the elevation changes. The trail begins at 4200 feet (1,280.2 m) on the east side of the Sierra and Cascade Ranges in Susanville, rises to a high point of 5500 feet (1,676.4 m) at Westwood Junction then descends to the trails' end in the town of Westwood at 5100 feet (1,554.5 m) elevation.
Spencer Meadows National Recreation Trail is a six-mile (10 km) path through aspen
groves, meadow areas, incense cedar, and bubbling springs. Beginning at the junction of state routes 36 and 89, it goes through the forest and the Park, then connects with other trails inside the Park.
Heart Lake National Recreation Trail is more than three miles (5 km) in length and follows Martin Creek with views of Lassen Peak and Brokeoff Mountain within the national park.
An historic emigrant trail established in 1852 is the Nobles Emigrant Trail
. A prospecting party led by William Nobles crossed from Indian Valley to Honey Lake Valley. Nobles was later hired to shift the stream of emigrants to the town of Shasta in hopes of increasing settlers' traffic into the town. The trail goes through Susanville
and past the north side of Lassen Volcanic National Park.
The Hat Creek Recreational Area of the forest has seven campgrounds scattered along the creek as well as large lava flows, lava tubes, hiking trails and views of Mount Lassen. Highway 89 follows Hat Creek through much of the forest.
Lake Almanor
is just south of the forest with forest service land and campgrounds on the west shore. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) operate the 28257 acres (114.4 km²) lake which was acquired from Great Western Power Company in 1930 when they merged with P.G. and E.
The North Fork of the Feather River is the primary source for Lake Almanor, as well as a number of freshwater springs and smaller rivers. The name of the lake is derived from the Great Western Power Company's Vice President, Guy C. Earl, who combined the names of his three daughters, Alice, Martha and Elanor.
The Forest Service maintains 63 developed recreational sites and an indeterminate number of primitive campgrounds.
, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.
Lassen was murdered by an unknown person in the Black Rock Desert
, Nevada Territory, two months after being profiled by Hutching's California Magazine.
The profile is contained in the February, 1859 edition of Hutching's. Lassen was murdered April 29, 1859. The murderer was never found, but the list of suspects is long: Disgruntled clients of the Lassen Trail or various business associates were among those suspected.
The conclusion of the magazine profile includes this quote from Lassen: "Beware of bad partners, and nine-tenths of the lawyers, and if need be, add the other tenth, and thus eschew law and lawyers altogether." Apparently his killer heeded the advice.
Lassen, Edward Clapper and Americus Wyatt, were on a silver mining expedition, camped in the Black Rock Desert north of Virginia City, Nevada
Territory. This was the beginning of the Comstock silver excitement in northern Nevada. Clapper and Lassen were shot and killed as the trio was breaking camp. Wyatt survived and was the only witness. Officially a band of Paiute Native Americans received blame but few pioneers believed the story.
Lassen's body was recovered and buried near his cabin at Honey Lake Valley. Clapper's remains remained in what is now known as Clapper Canyon. A partial skeleton was discovered there by hikers in 1991, and Clapper's remains have since been interred near Lassen's grave. Susanville, the seat of Lassen County is in the Honey Lake Valley.
Lassen was born on October 31, 1800 in Farum, Denmark and emigrated to Mexican California around 1840 from the Oregon Territory. Like Sutter, he acquired Mexican citizenship (1844) and applied for a land grant (1843) of 5 square leagues on the south bank of Deer Creek in what is now Butte County, California
. This grant provided access to the Sacramento River
, an important issue during the pioneer period for transportation of goods and people.
Lassen lost his estate around 1851 by mortgaging the land to further his business interests. He then migrated to the Honey Lake Valley where he attempted mining, and which is in modern-day Lassen County.
Lassen County was established on April 1, 1864, five years after his death.
The first federal forest reserves were created soon after President William Henry Harrison
signed the repeal into law. Section 24 of the act authorized the President of the United States to set aside public land
s as forest reserves without further permission from Congress.
In addition to Harrison, President William McKinley
set aside forest lands, as did President Theodore Roosevelt
, until Congress put a stop to the practice in 1907, by banning additional set asides in six western states.
California was not among those six states but was later added to the ban.
Lassen Peak Reserve was not created until 1905, less than a month before Congress approved the Transfer Act, which took the reserves away from the General Land Office
and the Department of Interior. Instead, the newly created U.S. Forest Service managed the lands under the Department of Agriculture. The reserves then became the National Forests. In 1908 Lassen absorbed portions of Diamond Mountain National Forest
and exchanged lands with Plumas National Forest
and Shasta National Forest.
Lassen National Park was carved from the Lassen National Forest in 1916, when Congress approved the creation of the National Park Service, administered by the Interior department. Lassen Peak already enjoyed protection as a National Monument
, set aside by Roosevelt in 1907.
The uneasy relationship between the US Forest Service and the National Park Service
continued for several decades, perhaps culminating in 1931 when Congress forbade Lassen National Park from expanding its boundaries.
Earlier, in 1906, Gifford Pinchot
, Chief Forester in the Department of Agriculture, sought to move the national parks into the forest service. Pinchot was thwarted by Congressman John F. Lacey
, an ardent preservationist
. Pinchot's goal was to subject the Parks to logging
and other aspects of his scientific management philosophy.
Later, in 1939, Interior Secretary Harold Ickes
proposed the opposite-of combining the national parks and forests into an agency that would take a preservationist approach.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is named after pioneer Peter Lassen
Peter Lassen
Peter Lassen was a Danish-American blacksmith, rancher, prospector and Freemason.-Early life:Peter Lassen was born on October 31, 1800 in Farum, Denmark and immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts in 1830...
, who mined, ranched and promoted the area to emigrant parties in the 1850s.
Overview
Lassen National Forest is located about 80 miles (128.7 km) east of Red Bluff, CaliforniaRed Bluff, California
Red Bluff is a city in and the county seat of Tehama County, California, United States. The population was 14,076 at the 2010 census, up from 13,147 at the 2000 census....
. It is generally bounded by Sierra Nevada mountain range to the south, the Modoc Plateau to the east and California's Central Valley to the west. The forest is in parts of Lassen
Lassen County, California
Lassen County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 34,895, up from 33,828 at the 2000 census...
, Shasta
Shasta County, California
Shasta County is a county located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The county occupies the northern reaches of the Sacramento Valley, with portions extending into the southern reaches of the Cascade Range. As of the 2010 census, the population was 177,223, up from 163,256...
, Tehama
Tehama County, California
Tehama County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of California. It is bisected by the Sacramento River. As of 2010 its population was 63,463, up from 56,039 as of 2000. The county seat is Red Bluff.-History:...
, Plumas
Plumas County, California
Plumas County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California. The county gets its name from the Spanish words for the Feather River , which flows through the county. As of the 2010 census, the population 20,007, down from 20,824 at the 2000 census...
, and Butte
Butte County, California
Butte County is a county located in the Central Valley of the US state of California, north of the state capital of Sacramento. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 220,000. The county seat is Oroville. Butte County is the "Land of Natural Wealth and Beauty."Butte County is watered by the...
counties. Forest headquarters is located in Susanville, California
Susanville, California
Susanville is the county seat of Lassen County, California, United States. Susanville is located on the Susan River in the south-central part of the county, at an elevation of 4186 feet . The population was 17,974 at the 2010 census, up from 13,541 at the 2000 census...
. There are local ranger
National Park Ranger
National Park Service Rangers are among the uniformed employees charged with protecting and preserving areas set aside in the National Park System by the United States Congress and/or the President of the United States...
district offices in Chester
Chester, California
Chester is a census-designated place in Plumas County, California, United States. Chester is located on Lake Almanor, north-northwest of Quincy. The town is located along State Route 36. The US Postal Service ZIP code for the community is 96020...
, Fall River Mills
Fall River Mills, California
Fall River Mills is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in Shasta County, California, United States. The population was 573 as of the 2010 census.-Production & Industry:The community is known for its agriculture...
, and Susanville.
The forest was formed in 1905 when it was named one of the National Forest Reserves, which evolved into the National Forest system.
The forest was first named the Lassen Peak Forest Reserve because of Lassen Peak
Lassen Peak
Lassen Peak is the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range. It is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc which is an arc that stretches from northern California to southwestern British Columbia...
, a volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
which is in the southernmost portion of the Cascade Range volcanoes. Mt. Lassen erupted with explosive force in 1915. The forest surrounds Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park is a United States National Park in northeastern California. The dominant feature of the park is Lassen Peak; the largest plug dome volcano in the world and the southern-most volcano in the Cascade Range...
. The forest has two major river systems as well as many lakes, cinder cones and lava flows.
Surveys estimate the forest contains 92000 acres (372.3 km²) of old growth. Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forests (Coast Douglas-fir
Coast Douglas-fir
Pseudotsuga menziesii, known as Douglas-fir, Oregon Pine, or Douglas spruce, is an evergreen conifer species native to western North America. Its variety Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii, also known as coast Douglas-fir grows in the coastal regions, from west-central British Columbia, Canada...
(Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii), Ponderosa Pine
Ponderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...
(Pinus ponderosa), and White Fir
White Fir
White Fir is a fir native to the mountains of western North America, occurring at altitudes of 900-3,400 m. It is a medium to large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 25–60 m tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 2 m . It is popular as an ornamental landscaping tree and as a Christmas Tree...
(Abies concolor)), Jeffrey Pine
Jeffrey Pine
The Jeffrey Pine, Pinus jeffreyi, named in honor of its botanist documenter John Jeffrey, is a North American pine related to Ponderosa Pine.-Distribution and habitat:...
(Pinus jeffreyi) forests, Red Fir
Red Fir
Abies magnifica, the Red Fir or Silvertip fir, is a western North American fir, native to the mountains of southwest Oregon and California in the United States. It is a high altitude tree, typically occurring at altitude, though only rarely reaching tree line...
(Abies magnifica) forests, and Lodgepole Pine
Lodgepole Pine
Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta, also known as Shore Pine, is a common tree in western North America. Like all pines, it is evergreen.-Subspecies:...
(Pinus contorta) forests are the most common types. It is a major source of lumber products.
Cultural significance
Lassen National Forest is also the site of significant events in California history: Ishi WildernessIshi Wilderness
The Ishi Wilderness is a 41,339 acre wilderness area located on the Lassen National Forest in the Shasta Cascade foothills of northern California, United States. The Ishi Wilderness is located approximately twenty miles east of Red Bluff, California. The wilderness was created when the US Congress...
was the refuge of the "last wild Indian", Caribou Wilderness
Caribou Wilderness
The Caribou Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area created by the Wilderness Act of 1964 and is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. It is located east of Redding in the state of California, USA. The Caribou Wilderness comprises and is adjacent to the east side of...
was one of first protected "primitive areas" decades before the federal wilderness system was established, and the volcanic explosion of Mt. Lassen was the first eruption to be witnessed and photographed in the history of the continental United States.
On Labor Day 1911, a Native American was discovered outside the slaughterhouse in Oroville, California
Oroville, California
Oroville is the county seat of Butte County, California. The population was 15,506 at the 2010 census, up from 13,004 at the 2000 census...
. Ishi
Ishi
Ishi was the last member of the Yahi, the last surviving group of the Yana people of the U.S. state of California. Ishi is believed to have been the last Native American in Northern California to have lived most of his life completely outside the European American culture...
, as he came to be known, became a celebrity. He lived his remaining years at the University of California's Anthropology Museum on Parnassus Heights in San Francisco, under the sponsorship of anthropologist Alfred Kroeber. The university had no protocol for keeping a living museum exhibit, so Kroeber arranged for Ishi's employment as assistant janitor.
Ishi was Yahi, the southern-most division of the Yana
Yana people
The Yana people were a group of Native Americans indigenous to Northern California in the central Sierra Nevada Mountains, on the western side of the range. The Yana-speaking people comprised four groups: the Northern Yana, the Central Yana, the Southern Yana, and the Yahi...
and had spent the majority of his life in hiding in the rugged Deer Creek territory north of Oroville. After his discovery, he would not disclose his name. Ishi, the name given by Kroeber, was the Yahi word for man. Kroeber believed that cultural etiquette prevented Ishi from disclosing his name.
In 1908, a utility company crew surprised the small band of survivors in their camp. Ishi and the three others fled. When Ishi was discovered outside the slaughterhouse, he was alone, his hair burned short in mourning.
Ishi died in Berkeley in 1916 of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. In 1984 Congress established the 41100 acres (16,632.6 ha) Ishi Wilderness in the dry, rugged, volcanic terrain, where the last band of Southern Yanas had sought refuge.
(Visitors to this wilderness are advised by the United States Forest Service to visit only during cooler months because of a lack of water during the summer.)
A year before Ishi's death, Mt. Lassen exploded. Mt. Lassen is officially recognized as Lassen Peak by the United States Board on Geographic Names
United States Board on Geographic Names
The United States Board on Geographic Names is a United States federal body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the U.S. government.-Overview:...
. Before the eruption on May 22, 1915, the smoking volcano became a tourist draw. Today, within Lassen Volcanic National Park, the area surrounding the volcano is known as the Devastated Area.
An ancient volcano, known as Mount Tehama
Mount Tehama
Mount Tehama is an eroded andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascade Range in Northern California. Part of the Lassen volcanic center, its highest remaining remnant, Brokeoff Mountain, is itself the second highest peak in Lassen Volcanic National Park and connects to the...
is believed to have been much larger than Lassen Peak. Its explosion is responsible for the topography of the national forest and the national park: a volcanic rim, with elevations beginning at 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) above sea level.
The third historical resource is the 20000 acres (8,093.7 ha) Caribou Wilderness immediately east of the National Park. Caribou Wilderness received protection as a Primitive Area beginning in 1932.
In the 1920s, the managers of the Forest Service engaged in both an internal and external struggle regarding the agency's mission. Aldo Leopold
Aldo Leopold
Aldo Leopold was an American author, scientist, ecologist, forester, and environmentalist. He was a professor at the University of Wisconsin and is best known for his book A Sand County Almanac , which has sold over two million copies...
and Bob Marshall
Bob Marshall (wilderness activist)
Robert "Bob" Marshall was an American forester, writer and wilderness activist. The son of wealthy constitutional lawyer and conservationist Louis Marshall, Bob Marshall developed a love for the outdoors as a young child...
, forest service employees, each advocated setting aside some forest areas as wilderness off-limits to mining, logging, road construction and grazing.
The first primitive area was created in 1924 in New Mexico and is now named the Aldo Leopold Wilderness. But creation of primitive areas did not become a forest agency policy until 1929.
Externally, the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, sought to expand parks from existing public lands, primarily national forest lands. The forest service responded by creating primitive areas. Initially these new wilderness areas received no special protections other than the official designation. Caribou Primitive area became a likely candidate for primitive status as it shares the length of its western border with the national park.
Caribou Primitive Area received greater protection in 1939, when Interior Secretary Harold Ickes
Harold L. Ickes
Harold LeClair Ickes was a United States administrator and politician. He served as United States Secretary of the Interior for 13 years, from 1933 to 1946, the longest tenure of anyone to hold the office, and the second longest serving Cabinet member in U.S. history next to James Wilson. Ickes...
sought to convince President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
to combine the national forests and the National Park Service into a new agency under the management of the United States Department of Interior. Roosevelt declined to act, but the threat of moving the Forest Service out of the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
resulted in greater protections for national forest wilderness areas. A congressional bill had earlier given the President authority to act on this new Department of Conservation.
In 1964, Caribou was among the first group of federally protected wildernesses created by the first Wilderness Act
Wilderness Act
The Wilderness Act of 1964 was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected some 9 million acres of federal land. The result of a long effort to protect federal wilderness, the Wilderness Act was signed...
. The Lassen forest also contains the 16335 acres (6,610.5 ha) Thousand Lakes Wilderness
Thousand Lakes Wilderness
The Thousand Lakes Wilderness is located within the southern portion of the Cascade Range in northeastern California. The wilderness was established in 1964 with the passage of the Wilderness Act and is administered by Lassen National Forest...
, also created in 1964.
Recreation
Lassen National Forest, encompassing a large area, has many recreational opportunities with two large lakes nearby, a National ParkLassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park is a United States National Park in northeastern California. The dominant feature of the park is Lassen Peak; the largest plug dome volcano in the world and the southern-most volcano in the Cascade Range...
, and many campgrounds and hiking trails. The forest is easily accessible from San Francisco, Sacramento and Redding.
The Pacific Crest Trail
Pacific Crest Trail
The Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance mountain hiking and equestrian trail on the Western Seaboard of the United States. The southern terminus is at the California border with Mexico...
passes through the Forest and Park.
Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail follows the rugged Susan River
Susan River (California)
The Susan River is a northeastern California river of approximately length that drains from an arid plateau of volcanic highlands along the Great Basin Divide to intermittent Honey Lake. The river flows from eastern Lassen County from east of Lassen Volcanic National Park generally east past...
canyon for 16 of the trail's 25 miles (40.2 km) length . Built on what was once the roadbed of Southern Pacific's 130 miles (209.2 km) Fernley and Lassen Branch Railway, it has been converted to a riding and hiking trail . There are 12 river crossings and two tunnels along the trail with the Susan River segment being the most scenic with views of the canyon, river and mountains. Some camping is allowed on portions of the trail but some areas have camping restrictions.
The railroad operated from 1914 to 1956 and was officially abandoned by Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
in 1978.
The trail has four distinct seasons because of the elevation changes. The trail begins at 4200 feet (1,280.2 m) on the east side of the Sierra and Cascade Ranges in Susanville, rises to a high point of 5500 feet (1,676.4 m) at Westwood Junction then descends to the trails' end in the town of Westwood at 5100 feet (1,554.5 m) elevation.
Spencer Meadows National Recreation Trail is a six-mile (10 km) path through aspen
Aspen
Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...
groves, meadow areas, incense cedar, and bubbling springs. Beginning at the junction of state routes 36 and 89, it goes through the forest and the Park, then connects with other trails inside the Park.
Heart Lake National Recreation Trail is more than three miles (5 km) in length and follows Martin Creek with views of Lassen Peak and Brokeoff Mountain within the national park.
An historic emigrant trail established in 1852 is the Nobles Emigrant Trail
Nobles Emigrant Trail
The Nobles Emigrant Trail, also known as the Fort Kearney, South Pass and Honey Lake Wagon Road, is a trail in California that was used by emigrant parties from the east as a shortened route to northern California. It was pioneered in 1851 by William Nobes, who discovered an easy shortcut between...
. A prospecting party led by William Nobles crossed from Indian Valley to Honey Lake Valley. Nobles was later hired to shift the stream of emigrants to the town of Shasta in hopes of increasing settlers' traffic into the town. The trail goes through Susanville
Susanville, California
Susanville is the county seat of Lassen County, California, United States. Susanville is located on the Susan River in the south-central part of the county, at an elevation of 4186 feet . The population was 17,974 at the 2010 census, up from 13,541 at the 2000 census...
and past the north side of Lassen Volcanic National Park.
The Hat Creek Recreational Area of the forest has seven campgrounds scattered along the creek as well as large lava flows, lava tubes, hiking trails and views of Mount Lassen. Highway 89 follows Hat Creek through much of the forest.
Lake Almanor
Lake Almanor
Lake Almanor is a large artificial lake in northwestern Plumas County, northeastern California. The reservoir has a capacity of and a maximum depth of about 90 feet...
is just south of the forest with forest service land and campgrounds on the west shore. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) operate the 28257 acres (114.4 km²) lake which was acquired from Great Western Power Company in 1930 when they merged with P.G. and E.
The North Fork of the Feather River is the primary source for Lake Almanor, as well as a number of freshwater springs and smaller rivers. The name of the lake is derived from the Great Western Power Company's Vice President, Guy C. Earl, who combined the names of his three daughters, Alice, Martha and Elanor.
The Forest Service maintains 63 developed recreational sites and an indeterminate number of primitive campgrounds.
History
Peter Lassen
Peter Lassen will be long remembered with having a hospital, college, street, mountain, creek, national park, county, and national forest each carrying his name. He was ambitious, his timing was perfect, and, like his contemporary pioneer, Johann Augutus SutterJohn Sutter
Johann Augus Sutter was a Swiss pioneer of California known for his association with the California Gold Rush by the discovery of gold by James W. Marshall and the mill making team at Sutter's Mill, and for establishing Sutter's Fort in the area that would eventually become Sacramento, the...
, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.
Lassen was murdered by an unknown person in the Black Rock Desert
Black Rock Desert
The Black Rock Desert is an arid region in the northern Nevada section of the Great Basin with a lakebed that is a dry remnant of Pleistocene Lake Lahontan...
, Nevada Territory, two months after being profiled by Hutching's California Magazine.
The profile is contained in the February, 1859 edition of Hutching's. Lassen was murdered April 29, 1859. The murderer was never found, but the list of suspects is long: Disgruntled clients of the Lassen Trail or various business associates were among those suspected.
The conclusion of the magazine profile includes this quote from Lassen: "Beware of bad partners, and nine-tenths of the lawyers, and if need be, add the other tenth, and thus eschew law and lawyers altogether." Apparently his killer heeded the advice.
Lassen, Edward Clapper and Americus Wyatt, were on a silver mining expedition, camped in the Black Rock Desert north of Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 855 at the 2010 Census.- History :...
Territory. This was the beginning of the Comstock silver excitement in northern Nevada. Clapper and Lassen were shot and killed as the trio was breaking camp. Wyatt survived and was the only witness. Officially a band of Paiute Native Americans received blame but few pioneers believed the story.
Lassen's body was recovered and buried near his cabin at Honey Lake Valley. Clapper's remains remained in what is now known as Clapper Canyon. A partial skeleton was discovered there by hikers in 1991, and Clapper's remains have since been interred near Lassen's grave. Susanville, the seat of Lassen County is in the Honey Lake Valley.
Lassen was born on October 31, 1800 in Farum, Denmark and emigrated to Mexican California around 1840 from the Oregon Territory. Like Sutter, he acquired Mexican citizenship (1844) and applied for a land grant (1843) of 5 square leagues on the south bank of Deer Creek in what is now Butte County, California
Butte County, California
Butte County is a county located in the Central Valley of the US state of California, north of the state capital of Sacramento. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 220,000. The county seat is Oroville. Butte County is the "Land of Natural Wealth and Beauty."Butte County is watered by the...
. This grant provided access to the Sacramento River
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
, an important issue during the pioneer period for transportation of goods and people.
Lassen lost his estate around 1851 by mortgaging the land to further his business interests. He then migrated to the Honey Lake Valley where he attempted mining, and which is in modern-day Lassen County.
Lassen County was established on April 1, 1864, five years after his death.
Lassen Peak Reserve
The beginnings of Lassen National Forest began in 1891 with congressional passage of what has become known as the Forest Reserve Act. This bill was actually entitled: "An Act To Repeal Timber Culture Laws And For Other Purposes.".The first federal forest reserves were created soon after President William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
signed the repeal into law. Section 24 of the act authorized the President of the United States to set aside public land
Public land
In all modern states, some land is held by central or local governments. This is called public land. The system of tenure of public land, and the terminology used, varies between countries...
s as forest reserves without further permission from Congress.
In addition to Harrison, President William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
set aside forest lands, as did President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, until Congress put a stop to the practice in 1907, by banning additional set asides in six western states.
California was not among those six states but was later added to the ban.
Lassen Peak Reserve was not created until 1905, less than a month before Congress approved the Transfer Act, which took the reserves away from the General Land Office
General Land Office
The General Land Office was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department of the Treasury...
and the Department of Interior. Instead, the newly created U.S. Forest Service managed the lands under the Department of Agriculture. The reserves then became the National Forests. In 1908 Lassen absorbed portions of Diamond Mountain National Forest
Diamond Mountain National Forest
Diamond Mountain National Forest was established as the Diamond Mountain Forest Reserve by the U.S. Forest Service in California on July 14, 1905 with . It became a National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1908 a portion of Diamond Mountain was transferred to Plumas National Forest and the...
and exchanged lands with Plumas National Forest
Plumas National Forest
Plumas National Forest is a 1,146,000-acre United States National Forest located in the Sierra Nevada, in northern California.-Geography:...
and Shasta National Forest.
Lassen National Park was carved from the Lassen National Forest in 1916, when Congress approved the creation of the National Park Service, administered by the Interior department. Lassen Peak already enjoyed protection as a National Monument
U.S. National Monument
A National Monument in the United States is a protected area that is similar to a National Park except that the President of the United States can quickly declare an area of the United States to be a National Monument without the approval of Congress. National monuments receive less funding and...
, set aside by Roosevelt in 1907.
The uneasy relationship between the US Forest Service and the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
continued for several decades, perhaps culminating in 1931 when Congress forbade Lassen National Park from expanding its boundaries.
Earlier, in 1906, Gifford Pinchot
Gifford Pinchot
Gifford Pinchot was the first Chief of the United States Forest Service and the 28th Governor of Pennsylvania...
, Chief Forester in the Department of Agriculture, sought to move the national parks into the forest service. Pinchot was thwarted by Congressman John F. Lacey
John F. Lacey
John Fletcher Lacey was an eight-term Republican United States congressman from Iowa's 6th congressional district. He was also the author of the Lacey Act of 1900, which made it a crime to ship illegal game across state lines, and the Lacey Act of 1907, which further regulated the handling of...
, an ardent preservationist
Preservationist
Preservationist is generally understood to mean historic preservationist: one who advocates to preserve architecturally or historically significant buildings, structures, objects or sites from demolition or degradation...
. Pinchot's goal was to subject the Parks to logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
and other aspects of his scientific management philosophy.
Later, in 1939, Interior Secretary Harold Ickes
Harold L. Ickes
Harold LeClair Ickes was a United States administrator and politician. He served as United States Secretary of the Interior for 13 years, from 1933 to 1946, the longest tenure of anyone to hold the office, and the second longest serving Cabinet member in U.S. history next to James Wilson. Ickes...
proposed the opposite-of combining the national parks and forests into an agency that would take a preservationist approach.