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Nearby Hotels
Lodging here caters to fishermen and is generally simple and inexpensive; many forest campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Bear in mind that this area is remote and does not offer many big-city facilities or supermarkets.
Clearwater Lodge at the Pit River 24500 Pit One Powerhouse Rd., in Fall River Mills. 11 rooms, 5 cottages. No TVs. Cookies 24/7; 3 meals/day. Originally built in 1921 as a retreat for PG&E executives during the building of the still-adjacent Pit One Powerhouse hydro electric power plant, this remote Craftsman-style lodge is situated on 44 acres of forested land. A full-service fly fishing destination, the lodge offers guides and instruction on northeastern California's five great wild-trout rivers and spring-fed stillwaters. Multi-day fly fishing schools for all ability levels and guided fly fishing trips with knowledgeable guides are a specialty. At meals it’s sort of like summer camp, except cold beer and the lodge’s own private-label wines are available at additional charge. Decor includes vintage furniture, antiques, and oriental rugs, while modern amenities include Wi-Fi and air conditioning. In the common room, a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace with cozy seating invites relaxing and lingering to spin fish tales and share stories of the day's adventures. A well-traveled guest from Madrid told me over dinner here, at one of the two long tables in the paneled dining room, that successful fly fishing is all about “the right time, the right fly, and the presentation you make to the fish.” Dinner that night was seared halibut with caramelized onion jus, penne with roasted butternut squash, asparagus with roasted lemon vinaigrette, mixed greens with hazel nuts and dried cranberries, and a ginger cheese tart with caramel pears for dessert. Guests can also relax in ample Adirondack chairs on the wide front porch and on the grounds shaded by magnificent old sycamores. Fishing excursions include most required equipment. Instead of tipping a service charge is added at the end of your stay, and you are sent off with a bag lunch.
Drakesbad Guest Ranch At end of Warner Valley Rd., 17 mi. from Chester. 19 units. Closed Oct-May. No TVs. Hot springs pool. Includes 3 meals. No pets. Located at the end of the road—the last 3 miles of which is dirt--in a secluded, scenic mountain valley within Lassen park, this rustic resort was a hot springs spa in the mid-1800s. It has been a guest ranch since the turn of the 19th century and is now the only one located within a national park. Most of the rustic cabins, bungalows, and lodge rooms have no electricity, so kerosene lanterns provide light. The ranch is within easy hiking distance of some of Lassen's hydrothermal sights: 1 mile from the steaming fumaroles at Boiling Springs Lake; 2 miles from the bubbling sulfurous mud pots at Devil's Kitchen. Guests can rent horses from the ranch stables for guided rides into these areas. All this and a good trout fishing stream, too! Day visitors should call ahead for horse or dining reservations, which include complimentary use of the 90- to 100-degree hot springs-fed pool.
image courtesy of venue
Fall River Hotel 24860 Main St., in Fall River Mills. 17 rooms. One mini-kitchen. They keep things simple in these parts. This inn provides cozy comfort, with antique furniture and handmade quilts, but it isn’t hard to tell the building dates to 1935. And we wouldn’t want it any other way. It will be clear that the world has gone to hell in a hand basket when a Ritz opens in this area.
Dinner in the restaurant includes a salad and a glass of house wine, making it quite a bargain. Seating is in either a small area with booths and counter stools, or in a more formal dining room with a fireplace built from river rock boulders.
Hat Creek Resort On Hwy. 89 just N of Hwy. 44, in Old Station, 11 mi. from N entrance to Lassen Park. 17 units. Cabins closed in winter. Some kitchens. These bargain motel rooms and old-time housekeeping cabins--with linoleum floors and homemade curtains--are located beside rushing Hat Creek, which is considered to be one of the finest fly-fishing streams in the western U.S. (the story of how the stream got its name is that while a couple of pioneers were crossing it, one person’s hat fell off and landed in the water—it’s as simple as that!). Guests can fish in the creek, roast marshmallows over an open fire, and check out the stars at night.
KOA Kampground 749 KOA Rd., in Shingletown, 5 mi. S of Hwy. 44, 21 mi. from Lassen. 44 campsites, 4 Kamping Kabins. Facilities include a playground, pool, petting zoo, and general store.
image courtesy of venue
St. Bernard Lodge 44801 Hwy. 36, 15 mi. E of Mineral, 10 mi. E of south entrance to Lassen park, 10 mi. W of Chester, in Mill Creek. 7 rooms; $. All shared baths. Continental breakfast; restaurant. No pets. Old World charm dresses up the cozy knotty-pine interior of this 1920s German inn situated at just under 5,000 feet. One of the two shared bathrooms sports a large clawfoot tub (all rooms have a sink), and antiques and historic memorabilia are displayed throughout. The owners maintain a crystal-clear pond filled with their pet rainbow trout, which guests may feed in the morning. Stables and horse boarding are available, but no horse rentals. Campsites are also available.
The dining room is illuminated by oil-burning lamps, and lace tablecloths cover the tables. The BLT and burger are exceptional and served on a housemade whole-wheat bun with a side of really good big fries; iced tea comes in a gigantic 16-ounce beer stein.
Wild Horse Sanctuary On Wilson Hill Rd., in Shingletown, 5 mi. S of Hwy. 44, 21 mi. from Lassen. 5 cabins; trips Apr-Oct only; viewing year-round, W & Sat 10-3. Unsuitable for children under 14. No TVs; shared bath house. All meals included. This protected preserve for wild mustangs and burros is the oldest wild horse sanctuary in the nation. Guests ride out of a base camp to observe the 300-plus population in their natural habitat. Meals are served by an open campfire, and overnight accommodations are in rustic new cabins overlooking Vernal Lake (which, being a springtime lake, is often dry by the end of June). The price includes everything. Note that cabins are available only as part of a trail ride package.
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