Motorcycle riding through volcanoes

I love reading about all the scenic byways in the U.S.A. One of them especially stood out, the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway.  This byway is 500 miles long and takes you from one active volcano to another. If you like discovering geological wonders while riding, this may be the trip for you.

The byway begins at the southern end of California at Lake Almanor.  This point is only a few miles from many active geological wonders at Lassen Volcanic National Park and takes you to the northern end at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon.

As you ride this byway, you will see the great Cascade range, known for its chain of tall active volcanoes, and deep evergreen forests that stretch from the Canadian border to northern California. Cascade volcanoes erupt with fierce explosions which occur on the average of 2 eruptions per century. The most recent was Mount St. Helen in Washington State.

You will pass by many small volcanoes as you drive the byway. The Cascades are mostly made up of hundreds, even thousands of small shield volcanoes that lie between the large stratovolcanoes like Mount Shasta and Crater Lake (the former Mount Mazama).


The major volcanoes that you will pass along your travels of this byway are Crater Lake, Medicine Lake, Mount Shasta and Mount Lassen. The 6 mile wide caldera, which Crater Lake now fills is a 4 thousand foot deep hole that has filled up with rain and snowmelt to a depth of about 1,900 ft.


This byway also contains some of the most abundant wildlife habitat in the western part of the United States. Many unique and diverse landscapes also come together through this area.



Depending on whether or not you have just 1 day or a week, there is a travel plan along this byway that will fit your schedule.

Check out my other blogs for more motorcycle adventures and ride safe.