Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park

Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park, Northern California. Photo by Chris deRham / Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park is located in remote northeastern Shasta County. The park is reachable only by a 2.5-mile paddle in your own shallow-draft boat (check for rentals in nearby communities). Power boats are allowed to access Ahjumawi, but larger power boats are not recommended due to shallow access points to the park. There are no public roads to it and private motor vehicles are prohibited within.

Visitors can launch into Big Lake at a PG&E public boat launch known as “Rat Farm”. It is reached from McArthur by turning north off Highway 299 on to Main St., continuing past the Intermountain Fairgrounds, crossing over a canal and proceeding 3-miles north on a graded dirt road ending at a dirt launch ramp.

Activities

Ahjumawi is open year round, though winters can be very cold. Evenings can be chilly even in summer and spring can sometimes bring large numbers of mosquitoes.

• Camping—Three primitive camping areas sit near Ja She Creek, at Crystal Springs, and at the north shore of Horr Pond. To register, use the self-pay envelopes at each location.
• Boating—Explore waterways, pools, and lava flows from your canoe or kayak.
• Hiking—Twenty miles of trails vary from 1.5 miles to more than five miles long. Views along the way include Mount Shasta, Mount Lassen, and some Cascade Range peaks.
• Fishing—Licensed anglers will find good fishing spots at Ja She Creek, Horr Pond, Big Lake, and Crystal Springs.
• Hunting is strictly prohibited within the park boundaries, including waterways. For specific hunting and fishing license regulations, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov

Explore Nearby

• You can find one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the Sierra Nevada just northeast of Redding, California in McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park.
• Explore nearby Lassen National Forest.
• Lassen Volcanic National Park is home to steaming fumaroles, meadows freckled with wildflowers, clear mountain lakes, and numerous volcanoes.