AHJUMAWI LAVA SPRINGS STATE PARK
AHJUMAWI LAVA SPRINGS STATE PARKP.O. Box 2430 Shasta, California 96087-2430
Phone: 530-335-2777
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Ahjumawi 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 (three to five thousand years) lava flows including vast areas of jagged black basalt.
The park is a wilderness area and most of the it is extremely rugged lava rock. Be sure someone knows where you are going and when you expect to return. Visitors should prepare adequately for their visit. Travel off the trails requires proper preparation and equipment.
"Where the waters come together...." is a translation of the word Ahjumawi, which is also the self describing word used by the band of Pit River Native Americans who inhabit the area. The waters which come together are Big Lake, Tule River, Ja-She Creek, Lava Creek, and Fall River. Together they form one of the largest systems of fresh water springs in the country.
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 through much of the park.
Visitors may be inspired by magnificent vistas of Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen, and other nearby peaks.