Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Lassen is a small park full of volcanic surprises: boiling mud pots, hissing steam vents, a lava-dome summit you can hike, and a perfect cinder cone ringed by painted dunes. All four types of volcanoes found in the world are here. The highway through the park is usually fully open from about June to October, and the high trails often don't melt out until July. Two days is plenty. Get to Bumpass Hell early, since its lot fills by mid-morning.
TRAILS
1 OF 7
Bumpass Hell
Difficulty
Moderate
Length
3 mi
Elevation gain
300 ft
Highway 89 · Bumpass Hell parking — The park's largest hydrothermal area, and its most memorable walk. A wide trail traverses a mountainside with views of old volcanic peaks, then drops into a basin of boiling pools, roaring vents and steaming turquoise water, crossed on a boardwalk. The smell of sulfur comes with it. The climb back out of the basin is the steepest part.
⚠︎ Usually open about July through October. Stay on the boardwalk; the ground can be a thin crust over boiling acid.
Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
2 OF 7
Lassen Peak
Difficulty
Hard
Length
5 mi
Elevation gain
1,950 ft
Highway 89 · Lassen Peak trailhead — Climb one of the largest lava-dome volcanoes in the world. Switchbacks wind up loose, rocky slopes to a summit at 10,457 feet, with views to Mount Shasta on clear days and a look into the craters from the 1915 eruptions. The air is thin and the sun is strong. Start early, carry layers, and head down if storms build.
⚠︎ Snow can cover the trail into summer, and lightning is a real risk on the exposed summit.
Photo: Victoria Stauffenberg, public domain, Wikimedia Commons
3 OF 7
Kings Creek Falls
Difficulty
Moderate
Length
2.3 mi loop
Elevation gain
500 ft
Highway 89 · Kings Creek Falls trailhead — A walk past a wildflower meadow and down to a 30-foot waterfall, seen from a fenced overlook. Loop back on the Cascades section, a narrow stone staircase beside a series of tumbling cascades; it is one-way uphill only. The return is the work, so pace yourself at this elevation.
⚠︎ Parts of the trail have been under repair. Check trail status at nps.gov/lavo.
Photo: NPS photo, public domain, Wikimedia Commons
4 OF 7
Cinder Cone
Difficulty
Hard
Length
4 mi
Elevation gain
850 ft
Butte Lake · Butte Lake parking — A near-perfect volcanic cone in the remote northeast corner of the park. The trail follows the edge of the jagged Fantastic Lava Beds, then climbs a steep path of loose cinders to the rim, where you look down on the Painted Dunes, swirled orange and gray. Walk around the crater for views of Lassen Peak. Expect one step back for every two up on the climb.
⚠︎ Butte Lake is reached by a dirt road from outside the park and is closed in winter.
Photo: DimiTalen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
5 OF 7
Manzanita Lake
Difficulty
Easy
Length
1.7 mi loop
Elevation gain
Flat
Northwest · Manzanita Lake day use area — A level loop around a calm lake with Lassen Peak and Chaos Crags reflected on the water. It is the easiest walk in the park and one of the prettiest, with deer and waterbirds along the shore. Come at sunset, when alpenglow lights up the peak. Park at the boat launch for the quickest view from the western shore.
Photo: DimiTalen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
6 OF 7
Brokeoff Mountain
Difficulty
Strenuous
Length
7.4 mi
Elevation gain
2,600 ft
Southwest · Brokeoff Mountain parking — One of the toughest and most rewarding hikes in the park. The trail climbs through meadows and forest, then above treeline to the top of a remnant of the ancient volcano Mount Tehama, with Lassen Peak, Mount Shasta and the old caldera in view. It's quieter than Lassen Peak. Wildflowers peak in July down low and in August near the top.
⚠︎ Usually too snowy before mid-July.
Photo: LassenNPS, public domain, Wikimedia Commons
7 OF 7
Mill Creek Falls
Difficulty
Moderate
Length
3.8 mi
Elevation gain
900 ft
Southwest · Southwest parking area — A trail that dips in and out of gullies to the park's tallest waterfall, a 75-foot drop where two creeks meet. Mule ears cover the open hillside in early summer, and the 2021 Dixie Fire opened up wide views along the way. You lose and regain elevation both ways, so it's harder than the distance suggests. Watch for burned trees in the wind.
Photo: DimiTalen, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Plan your Lassen Volcanic trip
The Nova Bound app builds the whole trip around these trails: where to stay, where to charge, and what to see each day. Coming soon to the App Store.
Distances are round trip unless noted, from NPS.gov and rounded. Trails, permits and road openings change; always check nps.gov before you go. Trail write-ups by Nova Bound.