Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway Overview

Published on Sep 24, 2003

Explore the wonder and beauty of a dramatic volcanic landscape on Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, which stretches from Crater Lake in Oregon to Mount Lassen in California, making this byway America's Volcano to Volcano highway. The volcanic activity of the past has created unique geological formations such as wavy lava flows and lava tube caves. Surrounding this volcanic landscape is a wide diversity of scenery. On this byway you can travel through or near dense forests, broad wetlands and habitat areas, pastoral grasslands, farms and ranches, and well-managed timber resource lands.

The byway offers even more benefits than just the fascinating volcanic geology and scenery. Each season offers a different array of outdoor recreational opportunities for everyone. The beautiful green forests and mountains along the byway are home to hiking trails, including the nationally recognized Pacific Crest Trail; ski slopes; and great fishing and kayaking in clear, cool mountain streams and lakes. You can also enjoy viewing the hundreds of species of wildlife along the byway, including over one million birds at Klamath Lake during peak migration in the fall.

Enjoy the beauty of Pelican Bay which inspired John Muir (naturalist, writer, conservationist, and founder of the Sierra Club) to write The Story of My Boyhood and Youth, or dangle a line in one of the six national wildlife refuges in the Klamath Basin, reported to be favorite fishing spots of President Roosevelt. Search for your own treasured hideaway along the 500 miles of diverse landscapes which make up the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway.

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