Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park

Ahjumawi State Park is a place of exceptional, even primeval, beauty. Brilliant aqua bays and tree-studded islets only a few yards long dot the shoreline of Ja-She Creek, Crystal Springs, and Horr Pond. Of the park's 6000 acres, over two-thirds of the area is covered by recent lava flows, including vast areas of jagged black basalt.

Preserved within the park are lava flows broken by great faults and deep cracks, lava tubes and craters. Freshwater spring flowing from the lava are prominent along the shoreline.

Oak, pine, and juniper forests and slopes of rabbit brush and sagebrush are part of the great variety of vegetation in the area. Abundant wildlife populations are evident all seasons. A great variety of birds, including bald eagles, ospreys, and great blue herons, nest or travel through the park. Herds of mule deer forage here. Visitors may be inspired by magnificent vistas of Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen, and other nearby peaks.

The park can only be reached by boat. 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 three miles north on a graded dirt road.