On the way to Lassen, we detoured into classic roadside weirdness with a stop at a Bigfoot museum. Then Lassen shifted the story into full volcanic mode: the Bumpass Hell hike with geothermal features, the tough climb up Cinder Cone volcano, and a quieter northern loop around Manzanita Lake.
Pick a stop to see its story and photos.
The Willow Creek–China Flat Museum covers local history and the region's Bigfoot lore. Displays include footprint casts, photographs, reported sightings, and material connected to the nearby Patterson–Gimlin film site.
The main park highway crosses Lassen's volcanic landscape from alpine lakes to burn scars and roadside hydrothermal features. Lake Helen reflects Lassen Peak, while Sulphur Works provides immediate access to steam vents and bubbling mud pots.
Bumpass Hell Trail crosses exposed ridges before descending into the park's largest hydrothermal basin. Boardwalks pass boiling springs, fumaroles, and thin mineral crust across a three-mile round trip.
Kings Creek Falls Trail loops through meadow and forest to a 40-foot waterfall. Our return followed steep stone steps beside a cascade and included deer along Kings Creek.
Subway Cave is an accessible lava tube north of the park formed when the surface of a lava flow hardened around molten rock. A short self-guided route passes through the dark tunnel over uneven volcanic ground.
The Cinder Cone route begins beside Butte Lake and crosses loose volcanic sand past the Fantastic Lava Beds. A very steep climb reaches the crater rim and views over the Painted Dunes, lava fields, Lassen Peak, and the surrounding lakes.
The northern park road links Summit Lake, the Devastated Area, Manzanita Lake, Chaos Jumbles, and Hot Rock. Together these stops show wildlife-rich alpine water and the debris left by Lassen Peak's 1915 eruption and later rock avalanches.
The Willow Creek–China Flat Museum covers local history and the region's Bigfoot lore. Displays include footprint casts, photographs, reported sightings, and material connected to the nearby Patterson–Gimlin film site.
The main park highway crosses Lassen's volcanic landscape from alpine lakes to burn scars and roadside hydrothermal features. Lake Helen reflects Lassen Peak, while Sulphur Works provides immediate access to steam vents and bubbling mud pots.
Bumpass Hell Trail crosses exposed ridges before descending into the park's largest hydrothermal basin. Boardwalks pass boiling springs, fumaroles, and thin mineral crust across a three-mile round trip.
Kings Creek Falls Trail loops through meadow and forest to a 40-foot waterfall. Our return followed steep stone steps beside a cascade and included deer along Kings Creek.
Subway Cave is an accessible lava tube north of the park formed when the surface of a lava flow hardened around molten rock. A short self-guided route passes through the dark tunnel over uneven volcanic ground.
The Cinder Cone route begins beside Butte Lake and crosses loose volcanic sand past the Fantastic Lava Beds. A very steep climb reaches the crater rim and views over the Painted Dunes, lava fields, Lassen Peak, and the surrounding lakes.
The northern park road links Summit Lake, the Devastated Area, Manzanita Lake, Chaos Jumbles, and Hot Rock. Together these stops show wildlife-rich alpine water and the debris left by Lassen Peak's 1915 eruption and later rock avalanches.
Leaving the coastal Redwoods behind, we headed inland toward Lassen National Volcanic Park. On the way, we…
Lassen Volcanic National Park in California is a place where volcanoes, alpine lakes, and rugged peaks all…
Day Two in Lassen was all about the Cinder Cone volcano. From our campground it would have been a 7 mile…
Our final day in Lassen Volcanic National Park started with a quiet stroll around Summit Lake at our…
