Lassen National Forest — Attraction in Chester

Have been going to national parks for years and it was my third trip here to Lassen National Park, first trip here with the family. July 2018... We went through nearby Mt. Shasta and decided to check out Lassen as it is off most people's radar for some unknown reasons as this is in the top 5 most beautiful places and parks that I have ever been to. There are lava tubes and an awesome forested area that covers thousands of hectares of the park. Caves and caverns are in wide abundance too. Have had my share of weird sightings here at night, but none more than this for sure and it was an 11am walk, no where near dark, even involved another family that we never knew before this trip. They entered one of the cave systems and we stayed outside to the left and walked for about 20minutes more and entered the caves there. We came to a very smooth surface on the ground after venturing inside and tried to see what it was as it was almost slippery to the touch. A few moments later the family that entered the caves earlier than us was now in front of us with 3 other people and their teenage girl was visibly upset. One man said if you belong on the surface stay on the surface and don't come back in here. Our two families left together and the 3 men just started at us until we were out of sight behind some embankment. Very bizarre indeed, we all talked after we felt we were a safe distance away. Spent a very uneasy night and packed up in the morning all still wondering if it was real...we even exchanged info and...

Subway Cave Lava Tube, Old Station, CA is really unique and a must see on your family vacation. You will take a self-guided trail that is approximately 1/3 mile long. The cave is completely dark, so don't forget to bring a flashlight.

The floor is rough and jagged so wear sturdy shoes. A light jacket will ward off the chill as the cave remains a cool 46 degrees F. Neither hardhats nor crawling is required!

This was our second visit to the lava tube and we really enjoyed it! We were the first ones to enter the cave that morning so there was plenty of parking. To make our drive quick and easy we camped at the KOA down the road.

The entire tour only takes about an hour. However, the location of the cave gives you the option of heading to the east entrance to Lassen National Park or to Burney Falls which are both about the same distance from the lava tube (approximately 20 miles).

A few days prior we attempted to tour the ice cave lava tube near Bend, OR. If you don't have reservations weeks in advance you will not be able to tour this cave, so that was a huge...

This was our first time up to Lassen and so we tried to see as much of the area as we could and get a feel for what a return visit might offer. We went in September and the summer traffic had gone back home and the roads were empty and the days were surprisingly warm and sunny. We went to the main lodge at Lassen park and really enjoyed the displays. They tell the story from several different levels and show a lot of the development of the area. We also did a little hiking down to a "boiling cold lake" and enjoyed the stroll through the woods. We chose one about a mile down and a mile back with very little elevation change, but there are many choices if you like to hike and see the countryside. We also found an old pioneer cemetery in Susanville that had graves dating back to 1840s in Susanville. It’s a great time of the year to go visit the Sierras because the weather is excellent and there’s not many people clogging up the roads. There’s also a lot to explore up here in Northern California that’s new and different than any other part of the Sierras I’ve...