Lassen Volcanic National Park From Chico: Fees, Roads

Water And Ice Safety: read this before you go

Lassen Volcanic National Park charges $30 for a 7-day vehicle pass, takes cards only at its entrance stations, and is open 24 hours a day all year, according to the National Park Service. In the snowy season, approximately November to June, the park highway is closed at both entrances, so this is a summer and fall trip.

Checked November 3, 2026

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$307-day vehicle pass, card only
24 hrPark open every day of the year
Nov-JunApproximate road closure season
30+ ftAnnual snowfall, per NPS

Read this first: the hours, fees, rules and closures on this page were taken from the sources named beside them; we read those sources on November 3, 2026. The National Park Service pages for fees, operating hours, directions and alerts and conditions. This is not legal, medical or safety advice. They change, so check the agency or business named before you rely on them. Anything we could not read is marked Not Confirmed where it appears. The NPS conditions page showed snow-depth rows dated May 2026, so we do not use them.

Getting in and What It Costs

Entrance passes as the NPS prints them
Pass	Price	Note
Standard pass	$10.00 to $30.00	The 7-day vehicle fee is $30, payable by card
Annual pass	$55.00	Park pass
America the Beautiful pass	Free to $250.00	Includes senior passes; the only pass needed if you hold one

The NPS says all entrance stations are cashless and no cash is accepted there. Its page says the Lassen Association, a park partner, sells the $30 7-day vehicle pass for cash or card at the bookstore inside Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center (southwest entrance) and at Loomis Plaza (northwest entrance). Passes can also be bought ahead on recreation.gov. The park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and needs no reservation to enter.

The Winter Road

Road Access Is Limited November to June

The NPS says: “During the snowy season (approximately November – June), park roads are closed and/or impassible due to heavy snowfall. Lassen Park Highway (Hwy 89) is closed at Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center (southwest entrance) and Loomis Plaza (northwest entrance).” Roads to Butte Lake, Juniper Lake and Warner Valley “are not plowed or maintained in winter.” Read the live status on the NPS alerts and conditions page and Caltrans QuickMap before you drive.

Getting There and Getting Fuel

The Two Entrances
The NPS lists State Route 44/89 to the Northwest Entrance and Manzanita Lake area, and State Route 36/89 to the Southwest Entrance. Navigation addresses it prints: Loomis Museum, 29489 Lassen National Park Hwy, Shingletown; Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center, 21820 Lassen National Park Hwy, Mineral.
Fuel
“Fuel stations are limited in this remote area; we strongly advise filling up your gas tank before entering the park.” The closest fuel is in Shingletown and Old Station for the northwest entrance, and Chester and Red Bluff for the southwest entrance. Rangers cannot supply fuel. Two level 2 electric vehicle chargers are listed year-round at Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center.
No Bus
The NPS states there is no public transportation to or within the park.
Chester on The Way
Chester is the fuel town for the southwest entrance; see our Chester page and, for food, eat near Chester and Lake Almanor.

Visitor Centers and Hours

Visitor contact stations, NPS operating hours page
Place	Days	Hours
Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center	Open 7 days a week	9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Loomis Museum	2026 season May 21 to November 2; Thursday to Monday	9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The NPS notes all facility hours are subject to change for weather, road status or public safety. Its operating-hours page lists a campground table with dates that ended in 2026, so check it for next season. On the trails side, the NPS home page says a 3-mile round-trip trail leads to Bumpass Hell, the park’s largest hydrothermal area, and that the park has over 150 miles of trails.

Smoke and Wildfire

Wildfire Smoke

The NPS conditions page says: “Wildfires often occur between July and October” and that “Smoke impacts in the park vary from day to day.” It links current wildfire activity and air quality pages. For the national air quality index see AirNow; our own air quality note is on Chico weather by month. This is not medical advice; follow the guidance on those official pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lassen Volcanic National Park open in winter?

The park is open 24 hours a day all year, but the NPS says park roads are closed or impassable from approximately November to June, and Lassen Park Highway is closed at both entrances.

How much does it cost to enter Lassen Volcanic National Park?

The NPS lists a $30 7-day vehicle entrance fee, payable by card, and a $55 annual pass. An America the Beautiful pass waives the fee.

Can I pay cash at Lassen?

No cash is accepted at the entrance stations, according to the NPS. Cash buys the pass from the Lassen Association bookstores at Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center and Loomis Plaza.

Sources

NPS, Lassen Volcanic home: https://www.nps.gov/lavo/index.htm (read November 3, 2026)
NPS, Fees and passes: https://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/fees.htm (read November 3, 2026)
NPS, Operating hours and seasons: https://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/hours.htm (read November 3, 2026)
NPS, Directions and transportation: https://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/directions.htm (read November 3, 2026)
NPS, Alerts and conditions: https://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/conditions.htm (read November 3, 2026, snow-depth table dated May 2026)

Keep Planning

Safety Notice

Water And Ice Safety: Read This Before You Go

Lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks, beaches and ice can kill, quickly and without warning. Conditions change by the hour and we cannot see them from here. This page is general information only. It is not a safety assessment, and it does not say or promise that any place, water, ice or activity is safe.

We do not inspect, test, measure or monitor water, ice, currents, depth, water quality, algae, wildlife, access, closures or lifeguard staffing at any place we list.
Posted signs, closures, advisories, flags and the directions of rangers, lifeguards and the land owner or managing agency always override anything here. A place being listed does not mean it is open, legal to enter, or permitted for swimming, wading, boating or fishing, and does not give you permission to be on private land or private water.
Children and weak swimmers: the CDC says to assign a responsible adult to watch children closely and constantly in or near water, with no phone, reading, alcohol or drugs, and to use life jackets for children in and around natural water. It also says inflatable or foam toys are not safety devices.
Open water hides hazards. The CDC names currents, waves, rocks, vegetation and poor visibility. As general guidance (not from a named source), also expect sudden drop-offs, very cold water even on a warm day, submerged objects, boat traffic and changing weather. Never swim alone, and never mix alcohol with water or boats.

Thin Ice: No Ice Is Guaranteed Safe

If you cannot be sure the ice is safe, stay off it. Ice thickness is not even. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says a lake can be "two feet thick in one place and one inch thick a few yards away", and that it does not measure ice thickness on lakes: "Your safety is your responsibility."
The Minnesota DNR's published guidelines are for new, clear ice only: under 4 inches, stay off; about 4 inches for people on foot, such as ice fishing. It says to double those numbers on white ice and to allow more for loads that sit longer than two hours. Those figures are one state's general guidance for average conditions. They are not a guarantee, may not fit this place or this winter, and a measurement in one spot says nothing about the next.
As general guidance (not from a named source): moving water, inlets and outlets, springs, docks, pressure ridges, snow cover, recent thaws and ice that is cloudy, gray or slushy are all warning signs. Another person saying the ice is safe, a social media post, or old footprints and tracks are not proof. Ponds and small lakes can freeze unevenly and can have thin spots near shore.
If you choose to go anyway, you do so at your own risk: tell someone where you are going, never go alone, and keep children and pets off. Ice rescue is dangerous even for professionals. Call 911 instead of going out after someone.

Emergency in the United States: call 911. Learn CPR, as the CDC recommends.

Not ConfirmedWe have not verified current water or ice conditions, water quality, access, swimming or boating permission, lifeguard hours, fees, rules or closures for any place on this page. The land owner or managing agency (a park, city, county, state or federal office, or the property owner) is the one who can confirm them. Ask them before you go.

Sources read on 8 November 2026: the Minnesota DNR ice thickness guidelines (dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/thickness.html, no page date shown) and the CDC drowning prevention page (cdc.gov/drowning/prevention, page dated 29 September 2025). Guidance can change and can differ by state and by place: check the current text and your local agency before relying on it. This notice is general guidance only. It is not legal, medical, rescue or professional safety advice, and nobody on this site is a lifeguard or safety professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for any children and pets with you, and you use this information at your own risk. Water, ice, weather and local rules change quickly and differ by state, county and property. To the fullest extent the law allows, this site, its owner and its contributors are not responsible for any injury, death, loss or damage that results from using this information or from visiting any place, water or ice mentioned here. If you do not accept that, do not rely on this page (see the Limits Of Liability in our Terms Of Use).

Cite this page: It's Chico, “Lassen Volcanic National Park From Chico: Fees and Winter Road”, itschico.com/visit/tours-and-day-trips/lassen-volcanic-national-park-from-chico/ (updated 2026-11-06). By the It's Chico editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.

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Lassen Volcanic National Park From Chico: Fees and Winter Road