Regardless of whether you’re visiting for one day or a week, here are 8 beautiful hikes in Lassen Volcanic National Park absolutely worth doing. If you don’t have time for all 8, consider at least the first 4. Since this was our second time in the park, we had a general idea of what the park was about. Still, we decided to stay here for 3 days to do some hiking. We stayed at the Manzanita Lake campground and loved it. Our site, B 22, was particularly spacious and had wonderful pine trees to look at. If you are considering camping here, this is a great site.
Here are 8 beautiful hikes in Lassen Volcanic National Park you will love:
I am listing the 8 beautiful hikes in Lassen Volcanic National Park based on how much I liked them. If you don’t have time for all 8, consider doing the first 4. They will expose you both to the beauty and history of the park.
Bampass Hell Trail
By far my favorite, Bampass Hell Trail offers spectacular views of the mountains, valleys, as well as hydrothermal activity. The trail is moderate in its degree of difficulty and is 2.6 miles round trip. You basically hike along a cliff with beautiful mountain views and a verdant valley to the west. The trail eventually takes you to an interesting area of steaming vents and pretty pools resembling what you see in Yellowstone National Park. The trail descends 300 feet into a boardwalk, which takes you close to the geothermal activity. Even if you are not a fan of geysers and sulphar smell, you will still enjoy the hike. Just turn around once you have a view of the boardwalk. The hike is certainly beautiful. It is a particularly popular trail and parking may be difficult, so take that into account when planning your day.
Manzanita Lake Loop
This is a lovely and easy 1.5 mile loop trail that wraps around Manzanita Lake. You will have beautiful views of Lassen Peak and Chaos Crags from here. The lake is great for kayaking and fly fishing as well, so if you have a kayak, bring it. We even saw some people going for a swim. If you prefer, you could take a shorter trail around Reflection Lake. The trailhead is located just across the road from Manzanita Lake (see map). The trail also offers pretty views of Lassen Peak and is only 0.5 mile. We enjoyed both trails but Manzanita Lake was definitely more scenic.
Devastated Area Interpretive Trail
Even though this is only a 0.5 mile loop, you will learn quite a bit about the park. The trail introduces you to the 1915 Lassen Peak eruptions. The trail also offers a brief geology lesson on the different types of rocks that were hurled into the air during the explosion. Interestingly, some of the rocks are 27,000 years old and others were just created in May of 1915. Evidently, some of the rocks present along the trail were first photographed only 3 days after the eruption by B.F. Loomis who came to see the devastated area. His pictures helped ensure that Lassen became a national park in 1916.
Sulphar Works
This is more of a stop than a hike but definitely check it out. If you’ve never been to Yellowstone and have never witnessed hydrothermal activity, you wi ll certainly be awed. The steam vents and boiling mud pools are quite interesting. The colorful soil is also very pretty. You will smell the sulphar before you even get out of the car. It’s a pretty cool place to see.
Summit Lake Loop Trail
This is an easy and popular trail around Summit Lake. It is about a mile long with a picnic area next to the parking lot. Lots of kids in the water, some kayaking, some swimming, some just splashing. Muddy bottom, so you may opt for water shoes.
Lassen Peak Trail
Now, let me start by saying that we did not climb up all the way to the top of Lassen Peak. The trail is about 2.5 miles each way and it is steep and exposed. You essentially gain 2,000 feet in elevation, so it may not be everybody’s cup of tea. It is, however, fun to hike up for a little bit to see spectacular views of the crags and little ponds. The views of the area from above are also quite scenic. This is certainly one of the most popular hikes in the park, so be prepared for company.
Kings Creek Trails
There are several different trails originating at Kings Creek. We opted for a mile long back and forth trail to Cold Boiling Lake. It was a pleasant stroll through dry ground pine forest to a lake that showed just a little bit of hydrothermal activity. Even though I was hoping for more ‘boiling action’, the green grass around the lake made it look very pretty and well worth it. Alternatively, you could choose another popular hike to Kings Creek Falls. We didn’t do it but lots of people were hiking it. If you are a fan of waterfalls, you should probably opt for it.
Lake Helen and Emerald Lake
Those two lakes, rather close to each other, are the most picturesque lakes in the park. The scenery around them is spectacular and their water color will awe you. I’m not sure if you can hike all the way around them but you can definitely walk around a section. There is a nice picnic area by Lake Helen, so if you want to stop for lunch, this might be the nicest spot.
What else to do in the park? Watch the stars
Similarly to Bryce Canyon, Big Bend, and Theodore Roosevelt National Parks, the stars here look amazing. Stay up until they come out and look deep into the Milky Way. The sky is amazing!
