Dales Station is nestled in the heart of a lush valley at . el. on the approach to Lassen Volcanic National Park. The natural environment of this riparian landscape is home to a variety of wildlife, large and small. Bald eagles, hawks, osprey, owls, geese, swans, egrets and heron, duck, doves, quail, turkey, woodpeckers, vultures, jays, and many other birds live in or travel through Dales daily. Payne's Creek behind Dales Station flows year round and spawns trout, salmon, smallmouth bass, Sacramento suckers, squawfish, crayfish, and more. Fox, coyote, raccoon, skunk, and deer are also plentiful in this area. The cottonwood trees and live oak trees towering above Dales Station provide a home and nourishment for many of the local fauna and are a vital part of the local ecosystem. While the landscape of Dales is lush, it is an ancient yet active volcanic terrain, covered with lava boulders, lava beds, volcanic buttes, and climbing hills filled with springs. Dales is on the climb from the northeastern tip of California's Central Valley to the mountainous region where the Sierra Nevada meets the actively volcanic Cascade Mountains. Prior to Mount St. Helens, Mount Lassen was the last volcano to erupt in the United States in 1914 continuing for over 2 years.