The 30-mile park highway is closed at Lassen Volcanic: what applies in 2026?

Exact conditions

Status

Not required; the stated access rule still applies

Applies to

vehicles

Place or corridor

Lassen Park Highway (Highway 89) between the Southwest Entrance at Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center and the Northwest Entrance at Loomis Plaza

Effective dates

January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026

Release model

unpublished

Release detail: There is no reservation and no fixed opening date. NPS says opening depends on snowpack and can be as late as early July. For 2026 the park's spring clearing page said only that it ANTICIPATED the road being fully open by Memorial Day weekend — that is a forecast, not a confirmed opening date.

Fee detail: No separate fee; the park entrance fee still applies when the road is open.

Exceptions and limits

• The park itself never closes: 'Lassen Volcanic National Park is open 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.'
• Both entrance areas stay reachable in winter — the highway is gated at Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center and at Loomis Plaza, so you can still drive to those points.
• During spring clearing the road opens to hiking and biking before it opens to vehicles.
• Roads to Butte Lake, Juniper Lake and Warner Valley are not plowed or maintained in winter and become impassible.