Mount Lassen And Chaos Crags Postcard

When traveling on State Route 44 and I come to the area known as the Hat Creek Rim a few miles from the community of Old Station, I always pay attention to this view of Mount Lassen and Chaos Crags. On this January evening I arrived as the golden hour was giving way to the blue hour and the sky had some nice pastel tones above the snowcapped ridges. Mount Lassen, located in Northern California, is the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range and last erupted in 1915, leaving a dramatic legacy of lava flows and unique geological formations. Nearby, the Chaos Crags are a series of rugged, dacite domes formed from explosive volcanic activity about 1,100 years ago, offering a stark contrast to the surrounding landscape. These peaks are part of Lassen Volcanic National Park, which is home to all four types of volcanoes—shield, composite, cinder cone, and plug dome—making it a geologist's paradise. The park is also renowned for its geothermal wonders, including bubbling mud pots, steaming fumaroles, and boiling lakes, remnants of Lassen's fiery past. Visitors can enjoy diverse landscapes, from dense forests and alpine meadows to serene mountain lakes, making it a haven for hikers, photographers, and nature lovers alike.