Located in a remote corner of Northern California, many hours from famous parks like Mount Rainier and Yosemite, Lassen Volcanic National Park is often overlooked by West Coast travelers.
Yet, it offers some of the national park system’s greatest attractions—including the presence of all four volcano types in the world. And there are some phenomenal hikes in Lassen Volcanic National Park, too.
In fact, this park is a hiker’s paradise, offering everything from lakeshore strolls to summit hikes to multi-day backcountry adventures.
We spent several days and nights exploring Lassen Volcanic—mainly along the park’s highway—and did nearly a dozen Lassen Volcanic National Park hikes.
These are our favorites, listed from north to south on the Lassen Volcanic Highway.
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7 Best Day Hikes in Lassen Volcanic National Park
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Manzanita Lake Loop
From the Loomis Museum in the park’s northwestern corner, you can access the Manzanita Lake Trail, which loops all the way around this stunning lake.
On clear days, you can enjoy spectacular views of Lassen Peak and Chaos Crags. This easy 1.5-mile trail is ideal for families and visitors who aren’t able to do more strenuous hikes.
As it meanders along the Manzanita Lake shore, you can see lots of birds along the trail, such as ducks, geese and woodpeckers. Mammals that are sometimes spotted include deer, muskrats, beavers and river otters. Mountain lions are also occasionally seen in this area.
The largest campground in Lassen Volcanic National Park is also in this area, featuring campsites, cabins, the park’s only grocery store and gas station, showers and a deli.
- Distance: 1.5 miles
- Duration: 1 hour
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead: Loomis Museum or Manzanita Lake Picnic Area
Devastated Area Interpretive Loop
The wheelchair-accessible Devastated Area Interpretive Trail showcases in detail the aftermath of the massive 1915 eruption of Lassen Peak.
While walking along this 0.5-mile paved loop trail, you can see both the devastation and the recovery of the forest. Thousands of gray and pink lava rocks are scattered throughout the area.
Several interpretive panels talk about what happened here more than 100 years ago and offer information about the different types of rocks.
It’s a nice little area to learn more about the destructive power of the park’s centerpiece volcano.
- Distance: 0.5 miles
- Duration: 20 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead: Devastated Area Parking Lot
Summit Lake Loop
When camping at one of the Summit Lake Campgrounds, which I highly recommend, a sunrise walk around Summit Lake is a must-do activity.
Get up at dawn and enjoy the perfect reflection of both Reading Peak and Lassen Peak in the lake’s crystal-clear water.
The easy and flat Summit Lake Loop Trail is about a mile long and starts at either campground, respective on the lake’s north and south shore.
- Distance: 1 mile
- Duration: 30 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead: Summit Lake North and South Campgrounds
Additionally, Summit Lake is also the starting point for several hikes east into the Lassen Volcanic Wilderness. Day hikes and backpacking trips to Echo Lake, Twin Lakes and/or Cluster Lakes are quite popular.
Kings Creek Falls Trail
One of the best hikes in Lassen Volcanic National Park, Kings Creek Falls is a beautiful 30-foot waterfall in a spectacular canyon. This circuit hike is 3 miles long, starting from a parking lot on the Lassen Volcanic Highway.
The first half mile takes you along scenic Lower Kings Creek Meadows, after which the trail descends gradually toward Kings Creek Falls.
There are a couple of viewing platforms at the top, but it’s also possible to scramble down to the base of the waterfall for up-close views.
As amazing as the waterfall itself is, the route back up is even more impressive. On this Cascades Foot Trail section, you climb through a stunning canyon on a gravel path and stone staircases.
Kings Creek tumbles and cascades down the canyon, flanked by sheer rock walls on both sides. Depending on the time of year, this area may feature colorful wildflowers. Typical wildlife you can encounter includes mule deer and Clark’s nutcrackers.
- Distance: 3 miles
- Duration: 1.5 hours
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Trailhead: Kings Creek Trailhead Parking Lot
Bumpass Hell via Cold Boiling Lake
The park’s largest and best-known hydrothermal area, Bumpass Hell is one of the top attractions in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
This colorful area of bubbling mud pots and boiling pools, hissing steam vents and fumaroles is one of greatest natural highlights of the national parks of the West.
You can get to Bumpass Hell on the 3-mile Bumpass Hell Trail, which starts at the large and well-marked Bumpass Hell parking lot. However, I would recommend hiking to Bumpass Hell via Cold Boiling Lake.
While this hike is a bit longer—a 5.2-mile roundtrip—and more strenuous, it does bring you to another hydrothermal area. As the name implies, Cold Boiling Lake is a cool and bubbling mountain lake.
The trailhead is at the Kings Creek Picnic Area. It’s only 0.8 easy miles from the trailhead to Cold Boiling Lake, and another 1.8 steeper miles up to Bumpass Hell.
Once at Bumpass Hell, you can enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the rising steam and colorful rock formations from an overlook.
A short way down, a boardwalk takes you across this stunning area. Retrace your steps to the Kings Creek Parking Area.
- Distance: 5.2 miles
- Duration: 2 hours
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Trailhead: Kings Creek Picnic Area
Lassen Peak Trail
Just after crossing the highest point on the Lassen Volcanic Highway (8,512 feet), you’ll find yourself at the base of the national park’s namesake volcano.
A plug dome volcano, Lassen Peak is an active volcano that erupted as recently as 1915. The surrounding landscape is rocky and barren, with some pockets of trees and shrubs trying to make a living in this rugged high-elevation location.
Lassen Peak is the southernmost of the numerous Cascades volcanoes—other famous ones are nearby Mount Shasta, Oregon’s Mt. Hood, and Washington’s Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens. It is the southern end of a highly recommended Cascade volcanoes national parks road trip.
Of all the region’s fire mountains, Lassen Peak is essentially the only one that most visitors can relatively summit.
Between the 8,500-foot-high trailhead and the 10,457-foot-high summit lie 2.5 miles of steep trail and switchbacks. On the way up, you get to enjoy increasingly breathtaking views of the volcanic wilderness below.
The best view, however, awaits at the summit. There, a 360-degree panorama takes in the entire park and beyond, including other landmarks like the Devastated Area, Lake Helen and Brokeoff Mountain.
If it’s not too windy, you might notice a rotten-egg smell at the top, indicating that Lassen Peak is still very much an active—although dormant—volcano.
Wind is something you should prepare for, though. The Lassen Peak Trail is exposed the entire way. Make sure to (re)apply sunscreen, wear sunglasses and bring a warm jacket.
Lassen Peak is arguably the most iconic hike in Lassen Volcanic National Park. It’s definitely one of the most popular Lassen Volcanic National Park trails. Count on about 4 hours to complete this 5-mile return trip to the highest peak in the park.
- Distance: 5 miles (out and back)
- Duration: 4 hours
- Difficulty: Strenuous
- Trailhead: Lassen Peak Trailhead Parking Area
Brokeoff Mountain Trail
One of our favorite strenuous day hikes in America’s national parks, the hike to the summit of Brokeoff Mountain is long, challenging, varied and, above all else, spectacular.
If you’re looking for a day hike that offers solitude, a sense of adventure and remoteness, and wild mountain scenery, this is the best hike in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
The trailhead is a quarter-mile south of the Southwest Entrance, across the road from a small roadside parking lot.
Note that, although it’s outside of the park’s entrance, you’re still technically within the park’s boundaries and still have to pay the entry fee—or display your America the Beautiful Pass.
The 3.7-mile trek to the top of Brokeoff Mountain comes with an elevation change of 2,600 feet. The total roundtrip distance is 7.4 miles.
On the way, you’ll hike through wonderful woodland scenery, across gorgeous meadows, underneath steep slopes and, finally, on an exposed section above the timberline.
The top of Brokeoff Mountain, which is part of a composite volcano, one of the park’s four types of volcanoes, offers sensational views of Lassen Peak and the rest of the national park to the northeast.
Various birds and deer are common sights on the trail, while black bears are occasionally seen as well. So, be aware, know what to do when you see a black bear.
If you’re up for a long and challenging yet super-rewarding day hike, I couldn’t recommend the Brokeoff Mountain Trail more.
- Distance: 7.4 miles (out and back)
- Duration: 5 hours
- Difficulty: Strenuous
- Trailhead: Quarter-mile south of the Southwest Entrance Station
Wildlife Safety While Hiking Lassen Volcanic National Park
Located at the meeting point of the Sierra Nevada, Great Basin Desert and Cascade Range in Northern California, the park’s diverse habitats offer a home to a wide variety of animals.
From mule deer, American pikas, snowshoe hares and woodpeckers to garter snakes, Sierra Nevada red foxes, black bears and mountain lions, Lassen Volcanic is a wildlife paradise.
Recreating and hiking in Lassen Volcanic is generally pretty safe. You should, however, be aware of the presence of animals that are potentially dangerous.
Black bears are the most common large predator in the park. Sightings on Lassen Volcanic National Park trails are not uncommon. Mountain lions also call the park home, but are rarely seen. Check out the following black bear and mountain lion safety guides for more information.
Note that bear spray is not allowed in Lassen Volcanic National Park, though!
Will
Thursday 6th of April 2023
Bear spray is not permitted in Lassen National Park. You should update the section regarding Brokeoff Mountain
Bram
Friday 21st of April 2023
Thank you so much for pointing that out, Will! The section and post have been updated with that information.