Lassen National Forest

Surrounding Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California, Lassen National Forest covers 1.2 million acres of volcanic terrain at the southern end of the Cascade Range, where it meets the northern Sierra Nevada and the Great Basin. The landscape is shaped by volcanism, with cinder cones, lava tubes, hot springs, and lava flows scattered across the forest, reflecting the region's position within the active Cascade volcanic arc. Eagle Lake, the second largest natural lake entirely within California, anchors the forest's eastern district and supports a unique subspecies of rainbow trout -- the Eagle Lake trout -- found nowhere else in the world. The headwaters of the Sacramento River, California's longest river, originate within the forest, making it a critical watershed for the state's water supply. Extensive old-growth ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forests provide habitat for black bear, mule deer, northern goshawk, and the American marten, while the Ishi Wilderness preserves rugged canyon country associated with Ishi, the last known member of the Yahi people. Recreation opportunities include fishing, hunting, OHV riding on designated trail systems, camping at numerous developed sites, and winter snowmobiling across the forest's high-elevation plateaus.