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Come On Man, It’s Manzanita!

Manzanita Lake, Lassen Volcanic NP (10/24/21) Shanda Ochs

If President Biden were asked for his favorite place to see fall color, we’d like to think he’d say, “Come on man, it’s Manzanita!”

Manzanita Lake, Lassen Volcanic NP (10/24/21) Shanda Ochs

On that point, we’d have no quibble with the President. Manzanita Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park is always beautiful.

This past Sunday evening, I pestered perennial Lassen Volcanic color spotter Shanda Ochs to send photos of her beautiful corner of California. I figured it was past ripe for picking. She didn’t disappoint.

Lassen Volcanic NP has been at peak for a little while. Shanda and the park staff had, however, been dealing with Dixie Fire aftermath recovery. As, it burned about two-thirds of the national park’s 106,452 acres and destroyed the historic Mount Harkness Lookout in the Juniper Lake Area. So, scouting fall color wasn’t top of mind.

Black cottonwood, Manzanita Lake, Lassen Volcanic NP (10/24/21) Shanda Ochs

Fortunately, the fire side-stepped many of the park’s most beautiful areas, including Manzanita Lake. There, towering black cottonwood are at peak, as are the willow surrounding the lake. Shanda described the scene as “stunningly beautiful.”

  • Manzanita Lake (5,900′) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, You Almost Missed It.
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