When Lassen Volcanic National Park was established in 1916, some of its most notable features—Supan Sulfur Works, Drakesbad and Juniper Lake—were privately owned. It would take nearly four decades to acquire these properties. It made the park rangers job very difficult when those owners did something that went against park policy, yet there was nothing they could do.
In 1923, the Sifford family owners of Drakesbad began charging a twenty-five cent access fee to non-guests who visited the property. After all they owned such features as Boiling Springs Lake and Devils Kitchen. In addition, the park had not developed a road into the park, making Drakesbad one of the easiest places to access Lassen Peak. This generated numerous complaints for the park to contend with. As Roy Sifford later recalled, it was a bargain, since for this nominal amount one could gain access to the park, without having to pay the standard park entrance fee. The admission fee remained in place until 1952, when Sifford’s leased Drakesbad.