Getting here, once
Chain control on Highway 36 and 89, explained
What R1, R2 and R3 mean on the two highways that reach us. And what happens if you show up without chains.
Photo: E mln e, CC BY 4.0
- R1: chains required unless snow tires
- R2: chains required unless 4WD and snow tires
- R3: chains required on every vehicle
- Caltrans does not post R1, R2 or R3 on signs
The three levels, as the CHP explains them
On R1 you must carry chains, but need not fit them if your vehicle has snow tires on at least two drive wheels. On R2 you can leave them off if you have both snow tires and four wheel drive. On R3 there is no exception: every vehicle needs chains fitted. R1 and R2 are the common conditions, and a road is frequently closed outright rather than pushed to R3.
What a citation costs
Follow posted chain control signs and any instruction from Caltrans or CHP at a checkpoint. You can be cited and fined by the California Highway Patrol for driving past a posted chain requirement without chains. The rules sit in the California Vehicle Code, sections 605 and 27450 through 27503.
On our two highways
Highway 36 and Highway 89 meet at our corner, and both are maintained through winter. Check Caltrans QuickMap the morning you leave, and see our winter guide.
When it is most likely
Snow season usually runs January through March, with December often joining in. The park highway has closed between 21 October and 6 December in the last six years and not reopened before May. See when the Lassen park highway opens.
If you are towing
Try your chains in the driveway before the trip. For turning a truck and trailer in snow, email info@stayatcedarlodge.com with your rig length and dates.
Rooms, the home and RV sites are on our stay page.
More from the area
Season calendar
ReadLast checked 24 September 2026.
Area photographs from Wikimedia Commons: E mln e (CC BY 4.0). Photographs of Cedar Lodge are our own.