Located on the western end of Lassen Volcanic National Park in California, the Lassen ski area was around an hour and a half east of Redding and 36 minutes north of the town of Chester.

Downhill skiing at Lassen Volcanic National Park dates all the way back to the early 1930s. In 1932, the Mount Lassen Ski Club was founded and began organizing skiing activities around the vicinity of Mineral. A small ski area was cleared near Mineral, though the low elevation really hurt the club's season. By 1934, the ski club announced plans for the development of a designated winter sports area directly in Lassen Volcanic National Park. This first ski area was installed adjacent to Diamond Peak, utilizing a single rope tow. An old Civilian Conservation Corps barracks was used as the day lodge.

By 1937, the ski club incorporated as a not-for-profit organization. In 1938, the club acquired a log cabin which had been previously used as a boy's camp for a clubhouse. Another ski area dubbed Mount Christie was cleared and a rope tow was installed. In 1939, the Civilian Conservation Corps youth built a clubhouse for the Mount Christie area and cleared two trails. Both ski areas ceased operation during World War II.

In 1946, the Sulphur Works ski area moved to a new location closer to the entrance of the park, and parts of the original Civilian Conservation Corps hut were moved to the new location. In the early 1950s, a private concessionaire acquired the Sulphur Works ski area and installed an Austrian-built platter lift in 1956. It was around this time that the ski area on Mount Christie was closed. George Perkins took the reins on the Lassen ski area and operated it until 1966.

Though the Lassen ski area began to gain popularity, the old Civilian Conservation Corps barracks was beginning to show its age, deemed a fire hazard by virtually everyone, and a new lodge was proposed. Despite this, construction funds were denied several times by both Congress and the Senate. However, by 1962 the president's budget included $330,000 for the development and upgrading of the Lassen Park ski area facilities. Of this money, $78,000 was allotted for the construction of a new lodge, which finally opened in 1966 along with a new Poma platter replacing the 1956 installation.

The new chalet really was a game changer for the Lassen ski area, featuring a cafeteria, ski shop, and fully functioning indoor washrooms. The new building propelled the Lassen ski area into a new era. By 1966, the ski area had been leased out to the Lassen National Park Company under Ken Tibbits. With the new improvements, Lassen experienced much growth in visitation numbers.

By 1967, the small size of the Lassen ski area had many calling for expanding the skiable terrain. Despite this, the US Park Service stated that no further development would be undertaken within the park boundaries. Despite Lassen's limited terrain variety, the ski area began marketing itself as a small, family-friendly mountain with no lift lines.

In 1974, the US Park Service ordered all facilities in Lassen Volcanic National Park at the Manzanita Lake area closed until further notice, due to fears of a potential rock slide at the park. While the ski area was not in danger from the rock slide, the corporation that owned it also owned all the other closed facilities, and citing a loss in almost all their revenue, they announced that the ski area would close. The Lassen ski area did not close, however, as the US Park Service leased it to a different company called Lassen Hospitality Services. John Cobar, who had operated several other tours and related businesses in the area, came on as the new general manager.

By May of 1975, plans were underway to further develop the Lassen ski area in several phases. Phase one would have seen the installation of a chairlift replacing the Poma lift, which in turn would have opened up expanded terrain above the existing skiable footprint. Phase two would see the installation of a second chairlift and the realignment of the Poma lift. Additionally, the parking lot would be enlarged, sewage facilities would be improved, and the ski lodge would be upgraded. The US National Park Service began to hold a series of public meetings concerning the future of the entire Lassen Volcanic National Park, which included the ski area. During this period of time, the Lassen ski area was struggling financially and closure had been hinted at several times by the concessionaire.

In 1978, the Mount Shasta ski bowl permanently closed. The untimely closure of the ski bowl left Lassen as one of the only public ski areas open in northern California. In light of this, Lassen began operating Wednesday through Sunday and upgraded all of their rental equipment.

By August of 1979, the National Park Service had indicated that a long-range master plan for Lassen Volcanic National Park would be released soon. According to the National Park Service, around half the public favored expansion of the Lassen area and half opposed any development in National Parks. Then suddenly, in October of 1979, three members of the National Park Service Advisory Board recommended that the Lassen ski area be phased out within five years and the long-closed visitor center in Manzanita Lake be reopened. This recommendation caused much outrage among the local community. Multiple Redding businessmen and the Shasta County Recreation Commission banded together in protesting against the advisory board's recommendation, and by November of 1979 the director of the US Park Service stated that the Lassen ski area would not be phased out as had been previously recommended.

In 1980, the US National Park Service released the new general management plan for Lassen Volcanic National Park. In this new general management plan, it was decided that the operation of a ski area was not in the long-term interest of operating a national park. To quote from the general management plan: "The long-range objective of the National Park Service will be the removal of downhill ski facilities when comparable or better facilities are developed in the area." However, despite this wording, a 20-year lease extension was awarded to John Cobar and a T-bar replacement was approved. The plan also stipulated that the lodge could be upgraded with a more efficient structure.

By March of 1982, a contract was signed with the lift manufacturer C-C Incorporated for the construction of a triple chairlift at Lassen. This process was subject to a last-minute lawsuit brought in by the National Parks and Conservation Association, which resulted in a federal judge halting all work for 60 days. However, after that initial delay and with the lawsuit settled, work began on the construction of the triple. By November of 1982, the C-C triple was in operation. The addition of the triple chairlift was completely instrumental for the Lassen ski area. Over 3,000 skiers turned out on opening day and the ski area experienced a doubling of skier visits over the previous year. While the Poma lift was still standing for the first two years of the chairlift's operation, it was never run again and was removed later on.

By January of 1984, the US Forest Service announced that a new site further down on Mount Shasta was under serious consideration for possible ski development. By March, the Forest Service awarded a 30-year contract to Mount Shasta Ski Area Incorporated, who announced the construction of ski runs, a ski lodge, and two triple chairlifts for a 1985 opening. By 1985, the new Mount Shasta Ski Park opened to a banner season. An additional ski area on the southern side of Mount Shasta was also proposed to be built, and things were just generally looking up for the skiing community.

In 1989, Lassen ski area celebrated its 50th anniversary as a ski area, featuring the slogan "Ski a Volcano." Lassen was very popular with families who wanted a more affordable, smaller ski hill that offered something for the entire family.

In 1990, under the direction of John Cobar, the Lassen ski area announced a new management team featuring Marshall Pike at the reins. Unfortunately, the 1990-91 ski season would go on to be one of the worst ever in California. Everywhere across the state, the severe lack of snow brought about the grim reality of the ski business. By February of 1991, Marshall Pike announced that the ski area would not open at all, choosing to rather cut their losses and move on to the next season.

Because the ski area was located on a national park, summer slope maintenance was not permitted, which meant that lots of snow was required to fill in everything. Additionally, there was no snowmaking and no hope for snowmaking. This meant that Lassen's competitors such as Mount Shasta Ski Park would open much earlier, leaving Lassen still waiting on natural snow.

Lassen did operate for the 1991-92 ski season and the 1992-93 ski season, having its final day of operations on Sunday, April 11th, 1993.

On April 21st, Marshall Pike announced that continuing financial losses may force the permanent closure of the ski area. The parent company, California Guest Services Incorporated, was unable to profit off the Lassen ski area over the past six years and wanted to stop subsidizing the consistent losses year after year. The company indicated that a viable sub-concession interest would be the only way to keep the ski area open.

A new organization was immediately launched called Friends of Lassen Ski Area. They formally requested an investigation from the office of the Inspector General on the closure. Tom Battenberg, a Fountain Valley resident, offered to sub-lease the ski area from California Guest Services. However, company president John Cobar stated that the ski area's bad financial position would place the liability on California Guest Services. Cobar stated that he wanted his company completely out of the ski business. The US National Park Service was not in favor of the ski area reopening, pointing again to the 1980 general management plan which stated that once comparable or better facilities opened up, skiing on Lassen would be discontinued.

By August of 1993, California Guest Services announced that they had sold the chairlifts to Detroit Lakes ski area in Minnesota. As part of the contract, the US National Park Service funded the removal of the chairlift completely. A restaurant continued to operate in the old chalet for several years before finally closing. Trail restoration and revegetation was undertaken, which has made the old ski runs harder to spot year after year. The Lassen chalet was finally condemned and demolished in 2005. Nowadays a visitor center stands in the approximate location of the former ski lodge.