Lassen Volcanic National Park Family Camp-out
Thursday, July 24
Start: Roseburg, OR
Finish: Fowler campground (USFS) on CA 89, SE of McCloud, CA
Didn't leave Roseburg until noon, a variety of housekeeping items kept us in town. Back on I-5 S, but today was dry and clear! Our only diversion was to plant a letterbox I had carved before we left home. It was a Western Bluebird, in honor of friend's business in Oregon. I had intended to plant it earlier in our travels through Oregon, but some of the cool and wet weather earlier in June prevented that. I had researched the BLM National Monument on the California-Oregon border, Cascade-Siskiyou NM as a possibility.
Near the stateline, at Ashland, an old section of US 99 runs along I-5 and there are 3 exits; exit 1, 6 & 14 that allow you access off I-5. For real roadies I highly recommend this stretch of 'Blue Highway' we drove from exit 14 to exit 6, and a bit beyond, until we entered the monument. The road is paved, a bit narrow and windy, but we were fine in our Chevy Express van.
Exit 6, OR I-5 to US 99
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Once the task at hand was done it was back on I-5 into California. At Mount Shasta City we exited onto CA 89, heading south. This section of road is part of the Volcanic Legacy Byway.
CA 89 - Volcanic Legacy
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We drove through McCloud, too late for the post office, but enjoyed the quaint, logging town that is a center for recreational activities in the area.
Further up the road we luckily found a campsite at Fowlers Campground. At 3400 feet it was comfortably warm, with a promise of good sleeping weather. The forecast was for the days to get hotter. The only site we found open, #10 was very large. Too bad we won't have this over the weekend when our son and his family will be joining us at Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Fowlers Campground - site #10
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Friday, July 25
Start: Fowlers Campground
Finish: Manzanita Lake Campground, Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA
Mt. Shasta - looking north from CA 89
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Continued on CA 89 S, with a short side trip into Burney for groceries. Back on 89 to Old Station Visitor Center, managed by the USFS. This center is a favorite stop. The outside has a well-maintained Discovery Garden, interpretative signs and a Discovery Log for kids. The small area inside has interesting displays and a bookstore. We ate our picnic lunch while there then continued a short distance on 89 to a Vista Point with a good view of Mount Lassen. While there we found a couple of letterboxes.
Old Station Visitor Center
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In a short distance we entered Lassen Volcanic National Park at the north entrance. We had reservations at the Manzanita Lake campground for 3 nights. Our son, daughter-in-law and. 2 grandchildren were meeting us there. Our reserved site, only 3 were available when I reserved in April, was too small to park both of our vehicles. When entering the park I saw that the campground was not full. After checking our site and talking with the host I was told to check for empty, and bigger sites in Loop B, as it is non-reservable. In a short time I was able to find a site better suited for us, almost as large as the one the one the night before, and made the transfer with the hosts.
Manzanita Campsite
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Mid-afternoon the kids arrived and we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon at camp. The kids are old enough, 7 and 9, to ride their bikes around on their own. We had a traditional first-night spaghetti dinner. As the sun was setting our grandson pointed out a Great-horned Owl as it perched at the top of a tree across from our campsite. We all saw him fly off into the evening.
Saturday, July 26
Start & Finish: Manzanita Lake Campground
Lazy morning in camp. Late morning we drove across the park to the south entrance, Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center. We stopped at Sulphur Works to view a large mud pot. While at the visitor center the kids worked on their Junior Ranger booklets. I picked up the adult-level, Lassen Volcano Club activity sheet. Upon completion you receive a certificate and you can purchase a patch at their bookstore. Purchasing the patch I think is what all parks should do for the adult activities. We can afford the expense.
Son and grandson on Mt. Lassen trail
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Admiring mud pot at Sulphur Works
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Back at camp some took a nap, some went to the lake and I got caught up on this posting and started working on the Volcano Club activities. The weather was perfect, probably upper 70s and our site was fully-shaded throughout the day with a gentle breeze.
Sunday, July 27
Start & Finish: Manzanita Campground
First stop of the day was outside the park, near Old Station, was Subway Cave. The is a cave formed by lava oozing through a fissure in the ground. You walk down some stairs to enter, then walk through it to an opening at the other end, about 1/4 mile. It is managed by the USFS, there is no entrance fee.
Subway Cave
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As we went back through Old Station we stopped at the visitor center I mentioned on Friday. The kids enjoyed the displays and each received a goodie bag from the ranger on duty. On our way back into camp we stopped at one of the letterboxes we had found on Friday for the kids to find. The grandkids love to letterbox, it is like a treasure hunt for them. We also stopped at a box planted in 2010 by my husband for them to find and for us to check on.
Letterboxing with grandkids
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After lunch we rented kayaks at Manzanita Lake. It was a perfect afternoon to explore the small lake, upper 70s and a very light breeze. The views from the lake were spectacular, we saw a bald eagle fly from the shoreline, around the end of the lake. We also saw a muskrat swimming across the lake into a group of bushes in the water.
Kayaking on Manzanita Lake
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Even though it was late July and the campgrounds were almost full you never have the feeling the park is crowded. This a park is a sleeper; lots of trails (short & long), lakes shallow enough to swim in temperate water and gorgeous views.
Weekly Stats - 7/20 to 7/26
Miles: 1200
Expenses: $767.14
Expense total to date
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Passport Stamps
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Kohm Yah-mah-nee
Loomis Museum
California
Bonus
Volcano
Collectible Tokens
Letterboxes
Thursday - 1 planted
Friday - 2
Wildlife Sightings
Ground squirrel
Pine squirrel
White-tailed Deer
Common Muskrat
Turkey Vultures
American Crow
Steller's Jay
Canada Goose
Dark-eyed Junco
Great horned Owl
American Bald Eagle
American Coot
Scrub Jay
Crossing Nevada and into Utah
Monday, July 28
Start: Manzanita Lake Campground, Lassen Volcanic NP
Finish: Fallon, NV
Enjoyed the morning in camp with the family before leaving around 10:30 AM. Drove back south through the park stopping at several areas to finish the Volcano Club activity. Back at the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center I turned in my completed information which was reviewed by a ranger who issued me a certificate of completion. With that I could purchase a patch in the bookstore.
Mount Lassen
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Volcano Club patch
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Once out of the park we headed to Chester on CA 36 where we stopped for lunch, a tasty Mexican meal at Mi Casita. Once east of Susanville on CA 36 we headed south on US 395. We stopped in a few small towns along the way for postal cancellations for my husband's California postal history collection.
In Reno we went east on I-80 to Fernley. This had the cheapest gas between Reno and Fallon, $3.59. Stopped for the day in Fallon at Motel 6, our go to place for a traveling motel. They are giving WiFi free, if they charge, to AARP members.
Tuesday, July 29
Start: Fallon, NV
Finish: Kershaw-Ryan State Park, Caliente, NV
Yes, we are finally heading back to Tucson. Before leaving on this trip we had discussed our general route, but left open what we would do once we left Lassen. As we headed towards Reno yesterday we began the discussion of our route home. Three were discussed at length before we decided on covering some new territory. We have made numerous trips between Tucson and Central California, even before our son moved to the area.
Obviously Fallon was on our route, but from there we could have continued on US 50 - been there and done that many times. A fun drive, and NOT the loneliest highway. If you remember back to the beginning of this trip, at the end of May, we left Great Basin NP and came across US 6 to Bishop, CA. That qualifies for the loneliest stretch of highway.
We chose to head down US 95, then pick up US 6 in Tonopah to Warm Springs. Neither of us remember driving this stretch of US 95. Definitely Basin and Range country, but with more water features than you typically see in Nevada. We enjoyed a nice cloud cover which cooled the air and made driving more enjoyable.
Basin and Range
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35 years ago, on our way to get married at South Lake Tahoe, we stopped in Tonopah and ate at the Mizpah Hotel. It was memorable because while we ate the condensation from the tin ceiling in the dining room dripped into my meal - yum! Three years ago the Mizpah re-opened after extensive renovation. We had lunch there today and I am happy to report that the tin ceiling is gone and the food was delicious. I had the Senior (55+) portion of the Marinara Fettucini, it was very tasty and the sauce lasted to the very end. My husband had a hamburger which was good, but the fries were exceptional. We were very glad we stopped and enjoyed the new ambiance that the Mizpah Hotel has to offer.
Mizpah Hotel
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At Tonopah we headed east on US 6, this was a repeat, in reverse, of our trip across Nevada in May. However, part way across, at Warm Springs we turned south on NV 375. There were no bighorn sheep at Warm Springs, in May we had seen two very large herds near the highway. NV 375 is known as the Extraterrestrial Highway. We saw no aliens or operating flying saucers. In Rachel, about half way across is a famous roadside stop.
Rachel, NV
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Beyond Rachel, and closer to Area 51, we found a letterbox dedicated to Area 51. A nice break during a long drive. Shortly after that we met up with US 93 and headed north to Caliente. Before reaching Caliente I saw a badger walking down a wash on the side of the road - a first for me.
As you drive across Nevada you see signs along the road warning you of " Low Flying Aircraft". Nothing can prepare you for an Air Force jet coming up from behind you on the highway at low altitude. We both were instantly imagining horrific car failure and/or destruction from the initial sound until it passed over us and banked left. Sorry, no pictures for you plane buffs.
At Caliente we took a side road out of town to the Kershaw-Ryan State Park to camp. What a delightful campground, besides the camp host trailer no one else was there. The sites are big, with a covered ramada, water near by and excellent, modern restrooms, and showers.
Campground at Kershaw-Ryan SP
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It was great to be back in the Southwest! Blue skies, with a few puffy clouds and moderate temperatures, even at 4600 ft. Besides the campground there is a day use area with 2 short trails. One of the trail features a CCC restroom. Back in non-national park campgrounds we could hang up our hummingbird feeder and fairly quickly had Black-chinned hummingbirds visit.
Wednesday, July 30
Start: Caliente, NV
Finish: Duck Creek Campground (USFS), Duck Creek, UT
No other campers in the campground all night long, very quiet. The cows in the pasture below stayed quiet until after we woke up and only heard one train in the distance. We were at 4600 ft, the night cooled off nicely.
As we drove through Caliente the train station caught our eye. The size compared to the town seemed odd. From the size of the train yard you could tell this was a major location.
Caliente Train Station
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The drive from Caliente, NV to Cedar City, UT, from US 93 N, NV 319 E, then UT 56 E was new road for us, and very enjoyable. Easy drive with increasing scenic value. In Cedar City we filled up and then took UT 14 E, a favorite road. Soon you get a first glimpse of Cedar Breaks National Monument.
First view
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UT 14 climbs quickly up to the top of the Grand Staircase, a prominent geologic feature throughout Southern Utah. It tops out at over 11,000 ft when you take the short side road to Cedar Breaks National Monument. As we entered the monument the variety of wildflowers exploded. This monument is known for their wildflower displays and in mid-July each year they have a Wildflower Festival, it was last week.
The geologic features are very similar to Bryce Canyon National Park, which is near by. I enjoy this park more because of its wildflowers and simplicity. No commercial visitor services, just a small visitor center, picnic area and campground. As soon as we arrived I picked up the Junior Ranger booklet which had recently been redone and had an upper level, Ages 13 and above. I also walked out to the rim and got the initial pictures - always breathtaking.
Cedar Breaks National Monument
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While enjoying our picnic lunch I worked on the Junior Ranger activities. At 2:00 I went on the Ranger Walk. It was myself, the Volunteer Intern, who led the walk, and another couple. The Intern, Chris Begay, provided a wealth of flower information as we walked along the rim towards Spectra Point.
Ranger Walk
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Once back at the Visitor Center I turned in my completed booklet, had it reviewed and received my badge. It was a nice variety of activities that were well-suited for adults.
Junior Ranger booklet
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Heading east on UT 14 you pass Navajo Lake which was formed by a lava flow. As you continue across the highway you are driving through a massive lava flow with mature trees creating a fairly dense forest.
Navajo Lake
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Lava Flow
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We stopped at Duck Lake campground, USFS. The hummingbird feeder immediately attracted Broad-billed hummingbirds. We had a very nice variety of birds move through the area, as well as squirrels. At 8600 ft it was warm when the sun was out, but cooled when thunderheads moved over. Luckily no rain developed and the skies cleared by evening and the temperature cooled for great sleeping weather.
Campground entertainment
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Thursday, July 31
Start: Duck Creek, UT
Finish: DeMotte Campground (USFS), N of North Rim, Grand Canyon
What a fun morning in camp, great wildlife viewing. Overnight a Rufous Hummingbird had positioned himself as the bully of our feeder. They are beautiful, but unfortunately once they find your feeder they are aggressive to all others. A pair of Osprey soared overhead for quite a while, the small lake created by Duck Creek must be large enough to support them. The volunteer at the USFS visitor center, across from the campground, told us they appear to do a victory dance ( or flight) in front of the fishermen after they scoop up their meal. This visitor center has a wealth of information about the Dixie National Forest and a nice book/gift store.
Our next stop was in Kanab at the visitor center for the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, a BLM site. Besides getting permits for hike, etc it has very nice displays about this large and beautiful monument. It is located on US 89, at the east edge of town.
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitor Center, Kananb, UT
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Next stop was the Jacob Lake Inn on US 89A, the turn-off to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon AND home of the best bakery! I've written about this place before, in the Spring, when tourism is down they had a few delicious treats. Summer is here and . . .
Jacob Lake Bakery counter
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Outside of Grand Canyon NP - North Rim is a large herd of bison. They are actually a hybrid, bred with some cattle a long time ago. The bison portion of the hybrid are from bison brought down from Yellowstone by a rancher years ago. When a ranger was asked about the herd, she replied " want to take one home?".
Bison herd
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We continued south on AZ 67 to the North Rim. I think the drive to the North Rim is a beautiful drive, the meadows are vast and green. I picked up the Junior Ranger booklet for the North Rim. In January I had completed the one for Phantom Ranch, at the bottom of the canyon. So glad I went in January, today the temperature at Phantom Ranch was 106. The temperature on the rim was in the 70s, much nicer. I attended the ranger talk about Geology. It was held on the back porch of the lodge - what a view. About 15 people gathered around the benches in front of the outdoor fireplace for the talk. The talk was at 3 PM, a number of people had a pint of beer with them. That was a first for us! A bit early for us and saving it for after I completed the Junior Ranger activities.
View for back porch at North Rim Lodge
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After a beer and people watching from the porch we drove back towards Jacob Lake and stopped at DeMotte Campground (USFS), just a short distance from the park boundary. Great campsites, large and quiet. For years we preferred the campground across from the Jacob Lake Inn, but it was revamped a few years ago; made smaller and most of the sites are near the highway. DeMotte is up against the forest edge with meadow surrounding.
Passport Stamps
Cedar Breaks National Monument- Cedar City, UT
Old Spanish Trail- Kanab, UT
Grand Canyon National Park - North Rim, AZ
Bonus
Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge
Fallon National Wildlife Refuge
Grand Camyon National Park - North Rim, image of Brighty (mule)
Wilderness 50 years, 1964 - 2014, YOURS: To Enjoy To Protect
Collectible Tokens
Cedar Breaks National Monument - 1
Grand Canyon - North Rim -1
Letterboxes
Tuesday - 1
Wildlife Sightings
American Badger
Cottontail Rabbit
Toad
Bat
Mule Deer
Pine Squirrel
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Cliff Chipmunk
American Bison
American Crow
White Pelican
Steller's Jay
Canada Goose
Double-crested Cormorant
Brewer's Balckbird
Mourning Dove
American Kestrel
Common Raven
House Sparrow
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Rock Wren
Canyon Wren - sound only
Black-chinned hummingbird
Chipping Sparrow
Downy Woodpecker
Mountain Bluebird
Northern Flicker
Dark-eyed Junco, gray-head variety
Yellow-rumped Warbler
American Robin
Rufous Hummingbird
Osprey
American Coot
Black- headed Grosbeak
Northern Flicker - female
Wild Turkey
Mizpah to the North Rim -- What a report
Wow! What a post!
Yeah, Megan and I love staying at the refurbished Mizpah Hotel. Such a treat to see the family spend $$$ on the place.
Thanks for all of the photos and the good information.
Mark
...heading down the hill is the exceptional gas mileage you get
Quote:
Another good thing about heading down the hill is the exceptional gas mileage you get
Yeah, I've noticed that too!.
It has been great to be traveling along with you on this epic trip.
Mark
Copied to the research section
Great report -- I really enjoyed the scenic, flora and fauna photos. And the descriptions of what you found and experienced on the road were priceless.
I've copied your cost report for the 58 days on the road to the "Cost and Research" section of this site. That link may be found here.
Thanks again,
Mark
