Chester sits on the shores of Lake Almanor and the Feather River. The 29-mile Mineral–Chester segment of the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway also ends here; it begins at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Other highlights include a trail starting at Chester Park, two museums with different focuses, and the habitats around Olsen Barn designated by Audubon. If you’re looking for a hotel in Chester, these features offer a concrete basis for deciding whether the town suits your trip and what you’d like to focus on.
Scenery and Trails
The Mineral–Chester segment of the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway is 29 miles long. It begins at Lassen Volcanic National Park and ends in Chester. If you’re including this route in your drive, check road conditions before setting out, as they can change.
Chester Park is the starting point for the Collins Pine Trail. The park has picnic tables, a playground, ball fields, a bandstand and public restrooms. If these amenities are important for your visit, check what’s currently available in advance, as park facilities may change.
Two Museums with Different Focuses
The Collins Pine Museum is located on the grounds of the Collins sawmill and opened to the public in May 2007. Its exhibits cover logging, forestry and sustainability principles. Outdoor exhibits include trucks, equipment and a cross-section of a 400-year-old sugar pine. The cross-section brings a long-term perspective to the forestry topics.
The Chester Museum presents a photographic history of the original pioneer communities and settlers in the Big Meadows area from before Lake Almanor. Topics range from Indigenous peoples to dairy and cattle ranching, early logging, gold mining and early tourism. The museum shares the original 1929 log cabin with the library; the cabin was built for the Chester branch of the Plumas County Library. In this way, the cabin brings together the history of the museum and the library in one place. By contrast, the Collins Pine Museum focuses on forestry and sustainability, while the Chester Museum uses photographs to explore the history of settlements and regional livelihoods.
Nature and Seasonal Events
Olsen Barn is east of downtown, at the corner of Melissa Street and Highway 36. The fields, creekside forests and wetlands around the barn are part of an area designated by Audubon as an “Important Bird Area.”
The Chester Farmers Market takes place at Chester Park from June through October, on Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m. If your trip falls within this period, check the current schedule in advance, as seasonal dates and times may change.
Explore more destinations: Quincy, Johnsville, Graeagle, Spring Garden, Lake Almanor Country Club, Lake Almanor Peninsula, Cromberg, Belden.
For the broader travel overview: Plumas.
