Location: Runs from Mount Lassen in northern California (near Redding) north to Crater Lake in Oregon Length: 500 miles (805 km) Time To Allow: 1 to 3 days Description/Highlights/Points of Interest Come, experience America's Volcanic Legacy: Explore the wonder and beauty of a dramatic volcanic landscape, from Crater Lake in Oregon to Mount Lassen in California. You'll encounter the ancient natural forces that shaped exquisite mountain lakes and snow-capped peaks throughout this "volcano to volcano" driving adventure. Along with spectacular scenery, you'll enjoy legendary history, charming towns and extraordinary recreational and cultural opportunities. A once-in-a-lifetime experience awaits you here, where the ever-changing worlds of past and present unite in harmony. Note: Winter road closure in National Parks. Suggested Itinerary For travelers who are looking for a break from the Interstate 5 corridor, the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway is just the ticket. The highways that make up the byway allow to you make the trip in only slightly more time while enjoying a fresh flow of scenery in a unique setting. Lovely small towns and vista points provide nice areas to get out to stretch your legs and you can choose from fast food to sit down gourmet meals. Join the byway from these gateway cities in California: from Chico on Highway 32; from Red Bluff on Highway 36; and from Susanville, continue on Highway 36. Drivers entering from the south end of the byway can plan for a midmorning stop at the Mount Lassen Visitors Center. Here you will get a peek at Mount Lassen, which last erupted in the early 1900s. As the byway continues north through Old Station and Hat Creek Rim, there are plenty of views of the basalt blocks and flows left from past geologic activity. McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park offers another chance for a quick break and a view of the falls from the top of the trail. Back on the road the sites continue with a view of Lake Britton as you head north on Highway 89. McCloud River Falls offer another point of distraction just east of the town of McCloud, a historic mill town with an ice cream at the soda shop. From McCloud, you can admire the oldest of the four magma vents on Mount Shasta. Just over the hill in the city of Mount Shasta, you can see Avalanche Gulch, a popular climbing route, and choose from a wide array of restaurants, cafés, and diners. After lunch, the byway will take you northeast through the historic lumber town of Weed. You'll pass the Living Memorial Sculpture Garden, a tribute to America's veterans, then climb the hill to drop down into Butte Valley. Highway 97 will take you past the Butte Valley National Grasslands. North of Dorris, Highway 97 crosses the California-Oregon line and heads towards the Klamath Basin Wildlife Refuges and Crater Lake National Park. Near the border you can take Highway 161 east to the agricultural town of Tulelake and the southernmost refuges in the Klamath Basin Refuge complex. This area is also home to the Lava Beds National Monument and Petroglyph Point.