Bumpass Hell and Kings Creek Falls
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Lassen Volcanic National Park in California is a place where volcanoes, alpine lakes, and rugged peaks all share the same landscape. Our home base was North Summit Lake Campground, roughly in the center of the park’s main road, which runs about an hour drive from one end to the other.
Lake Helen and Lassen Peak
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We kicked off our first day heading south towards the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center, which means “Snow Mountain” in the native Maidu language. On the way, we were met with a perfect reflection of Lassen Peak on Lake Helen. Next roadside stop was at Sulphur Works, where steaming vents and bubbling mud pots give a quick taste of the park’s volcanic energy. Driving the Lassen Highway also took us past wide swaths of burn scars, and it was disheartening to see how much of the forest has been lost to wildfire.
At the visitor center we learned that Lassen is home to all four types of volcanoes: shield, plug dome, cinder cone, and composite. From there we set out on the Bumpass Hell Trail. At the trailhead we saw a GPS receiver, a device that tracks tiny ground shifts caused by magma moving miles below the surface. Looking out from here, we could also see the remains of Brokeoff Volcano, once a massive composite volcano that collapsed and eroded away, leaving only fragments of its ridges behind.
The Bumpass Hell trail winds three miles over open ridges before dropping into the park’s largest hydrothermal basin. Boardwalks lead past boiling springs and fumaroles. Kendall Vanhook Bumpass, a guide in the 1860s showcased this steamy landscape to two reporters. He warned them to be extra careful not to break through the fragile crust. Well, he didn't follow his own advice, and his foot plunged through the thin crust, badly burning his leg. So bad, it had to be amputated, and he later remarked that “The descent to Hell is easy”, thus giving the trail it's name of Bumpass Hell. Thankfully, the boardwalks kept us safe from this hellish landscape, and we had a much more pleasant experience than poor Mr. Bumpass.
We ended the day on the Kings Creek Falls Trail, a one way loop trail. The hike led us to a 40 foot cascade that spilled into a gorge. On the return we stopped to watch a doe and her two fawns by the creek. That is until some people came strolling by with their dog, despite the clear no dogs signs at the trailhead. The fawns sprinted across the creek. Mom looks up confused, looking around for her young ones, before following suit after them. Our climb out turned into an unexpected highlight, with a steep staircase of stone steps running beside another rushing cascade.
It was a full day that gave us Lassen in a nutshell — reflective lakes, steaming hydrothermal basins, crashing waterfalls, and even a bit of wildlife drama along the trail.
At the visitor center we learned that Lassen is home to all four types of volcanoes: shield, plug dome, cinder cone, and composite. From there we set out on the Bumpass Hell Trail. At the trailhead we saw a GPS receiver, a device that tracks tiny ground shifts caused by magma moving miles below the surface. Looking out from here, we could also see the remains of Brokeoff Volcano, once a massive composite volcano that collapsed and eroded away, leaving only fragments of its ridges behind.
The Bumpass Hell trail winds three miles over open ridges before dropping into the park’s largest hydrothermal basin. Boardwalks lead past boiling springs and fumaroles. Kendall Vanhook Bumpass, a guide in the 1860s showcased this steamy landscape to two reporters. He warned them to be extra careful not to break through the fragile crust. Well, he didn't follow his own advice, and his foot plunged through the thin crust, badly burning his leg. So bad, it had to be amputated, and he later remarked that “The descent to Hell is easy”, thus giving the trail it's name of Bumpass Hell. Thankfully, the boardwalks kept us safe from this hellish landscape, and we had a much more pleasant experience than poor Mr. Bumpass.
We ended the day on the Kings Creek Falls Trail, a one way loop trail. The hike led us to a 40 foot cascade that spilled into a gorge. On the return we stopped to watch a doe and her two fawns by the creek. That is until some people came strolling by with their dog, despite the clear no dogs signs at the trailhead. The fawns sprinted across the creek. Mom looks up confused, looking around for her young ones, before following suit after them. Our climb out turned into an unexpected highlight, with a steep staircase of stone steps running beside another rushing cascade.
It was a full day that gave us Lassen in a nutshell — reflective lakes, steaming hydrothermal basins, crashing waterfalls, and even a bit of wildlife drama along the trail.