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This Travel Season Take a Drive Through the Volcanoes

Posted by Keith Riggs, Office of Communication, U.S. Forest Service in Forestry
May 07, 2012

Welcome to the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway All American Road.

This 500-mile byway celebrates the spectacular scenery of the volcanic landscapes between Lake Almanor in California and Crater Lake, Oregon.

Along this journey from volcano to volcano you’ll find opportunities for adventure, exploration, communion with nature and an appreciation for the culture and history of the region. You’ll also find residents eager to share the beauty and mystery of this land that is dotted with evidence of an eruptive past.

Some of the crown jewels of the scenic byway have been shaped by a long history of fire and ice where geologic wonders remain as peaks, valleys and underground conduits today.

The route takes visitors through seven national forests.

 

A map of the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway.
A map of the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway.

Beginning at the northern end, the byway travels around Crater Lake and through the Umpqua and Fremont-Winema National Forests then heads south through the Rogue River- Siskiyou and Klamath National Forests.

A side trip east to the Lava Beds National Monument will take travelers through the Modoc National Forest.

Traveling further south, the byway passes through the Shasta-Trinity, Lassen and Plumas National Forests and ends at California's Lake Almanor, just miles from the active geothermal features at Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Along the byway you will see fantastic sites - the slopes of Mount Shasta jutting above the valley floor to the summit at 14,162 feet, curtains of water showering over basalt cliffs at McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park and lands riddled with remains of underground magma conduits at Lava Beds National Monument.

Whether you're taking a break from the interstate or planning to explore in depth, the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway offers plenty of adventure on your journey. Here’s a list of events along the byway this year.

The U.S. Forest Service manages over 9,000 miles of 150 Scenic Byways across America.

Category/Topic: Forestry