Lassen Volcanic National Park
I’m on a mission. It’s nothing ground-breaking, or even terribly original, but I dream of someday being able to say that I’ve visited every national park in the United States. With 10 under my belt so far, I’ve got 52 left. That’s not even counting the numerous other national monuments, historic sites, memorials, seashores...I could keep going, but long story short, there are 422 units in all. I think it’s fair to say that I’ve got my work cut out for me. Thankfully, I’ve got a family that shares my same curiosity and passion for exploration. Either that, or they’re really good at humoring my vacation schemes.
It’s no secret that Yosemite is the paramount national park of California, but did you know that our state has the highest number of national parks in the country? It’s true! This led us to Lassen Volcanic National Park. Over the last few years, we’d talked about visiting, but it was always shuffled to the “some day” pile. Well, some day had finally arrived, and Lassen ticked off all the boxes. It was a new (to us) national park site, within driving distance (roughly 4 hours), had an open campground, and enough trails, landmarks, and interesting geology to keep my family of five interested. It’s also one of the lesser visited national parks, so we were confident that crowds wouldn’t be an issue. We booked a spot for late September and began planning. While we knew that many precautions would still be in place, due to the ongoing pandemic, what we hadn’t taken into account was 2020’s wildfire season becoming one of the largest and most destructive in California’s modern history. It’s always something with this year, right? Thankfully, Lassen remained unscathed, but the air quality took an unfortunate turn while we were there. As someone who considers themself a silver-lining finder, this just means we’ll have to visit again in the future!
History
Lassen Volcanic National Park consists of over 100,000 acres, located about 130 miles north of Sacramento, at the very southern end of the Cascade Mountain Range. Before being declared a national park by President Theodore Roosevelt on August 9, 1916, the area was home to the Astsugewi, Maidu, Yana and Yahi tribes. While the area’s harsh winters made year-round living difficult, the Native American groups would move into the higher elevations in spring and summer in order to benefit from the cooler temperatures and the abundant hunting, fishing, and gathering opportunities. Tribal descendents have been instrumental in helping park visitors understand the culture and history of the area by holding demonstrations, serving as interpreters, and documenting park collections. In 2008, the park’s main visitor center was named Kohm Yah-mah-nee, Mountain Maidu for Snow Mountain, becoming the first park facility to receive its name from an American Indian language.
Geography & Geology
Lassen Peak, at 10,457 feet, is one of the world’s largest plug dome volcanoes, and yes, since it last erupted just over 100 years ago, it’s still considered active. Going even further back, Mount Lassen, along with Mt. Conard, Diamond Peak, Brokeoff Mountain, Mt. Diller, and Pilot Pinnacle, were part of a much larger stratovolcano -- Mount Tehama. Geologists have determined that Mount Tehama stood 1,000 ft higher than Lassen Peak, and was 11-15 miles wide at its base. After a particularly violent eruption and the erosion that ensued, it formed a two-mile wide caldera, and left behind the park’s numerous geothermal features, some of the more well-known being Sulphur Works and Bumpass Hell. The eastern part of the park consists of a vast lava plateau and cinder cones, including the Painted Dunes and Fantastic Lava Beds. Along the park’s southern edge, you’ll find Warner Valley, which is home to Boiling Springs Lake, Devil’s Kitchen, and Terminal Geyser. Manzanita Lake lies just within Lassen Volcanic NP’s northwestern boundary.
Hiking in Lassen
With the vast majority of the hiking trails at Lassen Volcanic NP being moderate to difficult, lengthy, or both, trying to plan family-friendly treks was not for the faint of heart. We’re all at varying degrees of experience, and throwing back to our 2019 trip to Yellowstone, my youngest child made it halfway through the trip before deciding he’d had enough hiking, and locked himself in the bathroom of our condo. Obviously, no one would be locking themselves in a tent, but I wanted to be sure we avoided the trail burnout, but furthermore, I wanted to make sure everyone would have a good time.
After setting up camp, we wandered over to the Manzanita Lake Loop (easy, 1.9m, 45 ft elev. gain), which was easily accessible from the campground. Manzanita Lake is home to river otters, and during our visit, it was actually closed to recreational activity, due to an otter attack. The female river otter was protecting her pups from a tourist who got a bit too close for comfort. We didn’t spot any otters, but there were plenty of golden-mantled ground squirrels and mule deer, and during dinner prep, we could hear owls hooting back and forth. Lassen is home to five varieties of owl.
The next day, we set out for Mill Creek Falls (moderate, 3.8m, 780 ft elev. gain). This trail begins at the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center, sloping down for the first mile along a hillside dotted with Woolly Mullein, Ponderosa Pine, and California Red Fir. As the trail regained elevation, the surrounding conifers grew thicker, and we continued along the top of the ravine carved out by East Sulphur Creek. You could hear the waterfall before you could actually see it, and for the kids, the anticipation was almost too much to bear. Once we hit the viewpoint, we paused for some well deserved snacks, admired the view, and took in the sights, smells, and sounds of the nature surrounding us. There is a certain, indescribable magic in being able to share experiences like this with my children. Once we’d had our fill, we doubled back the way we came. By this point, smoke had started to blow in from the August Complex Fire, but we were still able to catch glimpses of Brokeoff Mountain through the pines.
Back at the visitors center, we grabbed a quick lunch, while we reassessed our plans for the remainder of the day. We’d planned to do a second, more popular waterfall hike, Kings Creek Falls, but with the air quality dropping rapidly, we decided to just head back to our campsite.
Our second full day took us to Bumpass Hell, because you can’t go to a place like Lassen and not check out the amazing geothermal features of the park. From the NPS website: “Bumpass Hell is the largest hydrothermal area in the park and marks the principal area of upflow of steam and discharge from the Lassen hydrothermal system. The temperature of high-velocity steam jetting from Big Boiler, the largest fumarole in the park, has been measured as high as 322°F (161°C), making it one of the hottest fumaroles in the world. The steam heated waters are typically acidic and are not safe, even for bathing.”
According to All Trails, the Bumpass Hell route is an out and back trail, 2.7 miles in length, with an elevation gain of 423 feet. It’s rated as easy, but if you’re looking for a longer hike, you can continue along the trail for another 1.7 miles to Cold Boiling Springs Lake. Luckily, the kids remembered the dire warnings from our Yellowstone visit, about what could happen if they strayed off the trail or stepped off the boardwalk. As our hike progressed, we quickly saw why this trail is considered the most popular in the park. Even with smoke creating nuisance for a second day, we were treated to views of Lassen Peak towering above Lake Helen and an overlook that allowed us a stunning vista of the valley 1,000 feet below us, with Brokeoff and Diller Mountains beyond that. My favorite part of the overlook was the interpretive plaque showing where Mount Tehama once stood. The massiveness of it is truly mind boggling.
Once we reached the main boardwalk section of Bumpass Hell, we explored the steaming cauldron of bubbling mud pots, hissing fumaroles, and boiling pools of turquoise water. I couldn’t help but feel like I was standing on the surface of a different planet.
We enjoyed a trail lunch, while overlooking the hydrothermal basin, before heading back to the car. Initially, I had planned on taking a solo hike up Lassen Peak (hard, 5.1m, 1968 ft elev. gain), but the smoke once again thwarted my plans. My list of hikes for the next visit was growing by the day. We already knew that this was a park we’d be re-visiting in the future.
On the way back to our campsite, we did make a final stop at the Devastated Area Interpretive Trail. This 0.5 mile loop trail is a perfect opportunity to learn about the varied geology of the park and the effects of the Lassen Peak eruptions. Wandering through pink and gray lava rocks, interpretive plaques along the trail describe the creation of the devastated area and the remnants it left behind. This short, informative trail is an excellent choice for families or those unable to take longer trails, and is wheelchair accessible.
Lassen Volcanic National Park At A Glance
Entrance Fees: Vehicle - $30, Motorcycle - $25, Individual - $15
Best time to visit: May through October
Visitor Centers: Kohm Yah-mah-nee - year round, located 1 mile from Southwest Entrance; Loomis Museum - Summer, located 1 mile from Northwest Entrance, near Manzanita Lake
Campgrounds: Butte Lake, Juniper Lake, Lost Creek Group, Manzanita Lake, Summit Lake (North and South), Southwest Walk-in, Warner Valley. Backcountry permits are also available.
Pets are welcome in the campgrounds, but aren’t permitted on park trails.
For more info, visit https://www.nps.gov/lavo/index.htm