Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park

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. 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 it is extremely rugged lava rock. Visitors should prepare adequately for their visit. While there are over twenty miles of park trails by which to explore this beautiful geographical wonder, please be advised that travel off the trails requires proper preparation and equipment. Be sure someone knows where you are going and when you expect to return.

Location - Directions

Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park is located in remote northeastern Shasta County and can only be reached by boat. Power boats are allowed to access Ahjumawi, but larger power boats are not recommended due to shallow access points to the park. 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 3-miles north on a graded dirt road ending at a dirt launch ramp.

Seasons/Climate/Recommended Clothing

Summer and spring are warm; fall and winter can be cool. Layered clothing is advised.

More about the Park

"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 throughout 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.

^{(Photograph by Michael Wopat)}

Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park
“Ahjumawi” means “where the waters come together” in the Ajumawi language. This is a particularly appropriate description for Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park, since the waters of Big Lake, Tule River, Ja She Creek, and Fall River all come together at this location. The springs at the park comprise one of the largest fresh water spring systems in the country. They discharge into Big Lake, Horr Pond, and Ja She Creek, which together form the headwaters of the East Fork of the Tule River (a major tributary to the Fall River).

The full Geo Gems report  |  Geological Gems of State Parks