Lassen Volcanic National Park- an NPS Hidden Gem

Lassen Volcanic National Park is a hidden gem of the National Parks system. Within its 106,000 acres are some diverse landscapes, from towering volcanic mountain peaks to hydrothermal areas. I found Lassen on a list of lesser visited locations that you shouldn’t miss. They couldn’t have been more correct!  If you are looking for an awesome national park without big crowds, visiting Lassen National Park should be on your list!  So, I put together this Lassen Volcanic National Park trip planner, which includes all the best things to do in Lassen National Park, to help you plan your own Lassen National Park itinerary.

“Nature is ever at work building and pulling down, creating and destroying, keeping everything whirling and flowing … out of one beautiful form into another” – John Muir

The Lassen Volcanic National Park has a surprising breadth of activity offerings, from hiking and climbing mountain peaks, swimming or non-motorized water sports in one of the many glacial lakes, to exploring the steaming mud pots and vents in the park’s hydrothermal areas.  I’ll tell you a little more about all of the sights and activities that make visiting Lassen a great plan for a holiday weekend. 

On a side note, if you are in to the hydrothermal parks, you may also want to head to Yellowstone National Park too, or if you like the volcanic remnants, Craters of the Moon should be in your plans too. If you are staying in California, you’ll may want to head to the Redwoods Park, take a Redwoods road trip, or spend a day in Yosemite, where you can get some epic photos.

By the way, I’m Tori, I’m an Aussie living in the USA, and an avid traveler. I recently took 6 months off work to travel, which started with a 3-month road trip across the US with the express purpose of visiting as many National Parks as possible!

I am about to get into our Lassen Volcanic National Park itinerary, but first, because this is Gypsy With a Day Job, let me tell you a little more about Lassen’s history.  

Lassen Volcanic National Park History

Lassen Volcanic National Park contains the southernmost volcano of the Cascade Range, a major mountain range in western North America. You might have heard of some of the more notable volcanoes in the range – Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens? The Cascades are part of the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire, and the volcanoes in these mountain ranges are the only ones in the contiguous US to have erupted in the last 200 years.

Lassen Volcanic National Park was designated as a National Park in 1916. For nine years prior to this, Cinder Cone and Lassen Peak had been designated as two separate national monuments. The park is unique in that it contains all four types of volcanoes within its boundaries – shield, composite, plug dome and cinder cone volcanoes.

One of the most prominent features of the park is Lassen Peak, a dormant volcano, and the largest plug dome volcano in the world. Lassen Peak last erupted in the early 1900’s, and scientists continue to keep a close watch to monitor when the volcano might erupt again.

So, are you ready to visit this unique natural landscape? Do you want to know exactly what there is to do there?

A Lassen Volcanic National Park Trip Planner

First, let’s discuss getting there, and getting around:

Lassen Volcanic National Park is in Northern California, at the lower end of the Cascade Mountains that stretch from British Columbia to Northern California. Access to the park is available from Hwy 44 from the North, and Hwy 36 to the South. The Butte Lake, Warner Valley and Juniper Lake areas of the park are all accessed via external highways surrounding the park.

Lassen is the perfect road trip destination. You really need to have your own vehicle to visit the park, as there is no public transport nearby, and no park shuttles to get you around once you’re in the park. If you’re not local enough to drive out to Lassen, then your best option would be to fly in and rent a vehicle, the nearest airports are Redding, Sacramento and Reno, Nevada.

The Best Time to Visit Lassen Volcanic National Park

If you want to enjoy the best of the park’s sights and trails, then you’ll need to visit in summer. While the park is open year-round, many of the roads and facilities are closed during the winter season. Access to the park in the winter season is limited to the Manzanita Lake area (to the North) and Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center (to the South).

The Kohm Yah-mah-nee visitor center in the park is open year-round, but only opens daily from May 1 – October 31. NPS recommends checking current conditions if you’re planning to visit any time between October and June.

Now, here’s what you’re going to see and do while you’re visiting the park. I’d recommend a three-night stay, longer if you’re going to go backcountry, or do some of the longer day hikes on offer.

Things to Do in Lassen Volcanic National Park

Lassen Volcanic Scenic Byway

A great way to start your visit and familiarize yourself with the area is to travel the Lassen Volcanic Scenic Byway, which runs through the Western section of the park, and has many interesting stops along the route. You could easily spend an entire day driving the road, especially if you choose to stop and do a couple of the short hikes along the way.

Traveling from North to South, the Devastated Area is the first stop you’ll likely make. This section of the park was highly impacted by the last eruption of the Lassen Volcano. A short walk along the trails in this area leads you through a field of huge volcanic rocks that were carried here from the rim of the crater during the last eruption. Looking west from any part of the trail, you can see the craggy towers of Lassen Peak, which was the cause of the initial devastation.

The next stops along the road are Summit Lake, which is a beautiful location for a picnic and swim, and then Kings Creek Meadow, where stunning panoramic views of the surrounding ranges can be had.

On my drive along the Scenic Byway, just before the meadow, I was lucky enough to see a Female Black Bear and her cubs crossing the road – great for me, not so lucky for the hikers who were about to head off down the trail to Kings Creek Falls.

If you’re ready to stretch your legs, you might like to park the car, and hike up to the Kings Creek Falls. The park guide says it’s a 3-mile round trip hike and going by the images I see online, the falls look gorgeous, but I didn’t hike it because of those bears I just mentioned!

From here, the road climbs in elevation, until it reaches its highest point – at the Lassen Peak trailhead. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll mention that I only stopped for a photo. The trail from the parking lot to summit ascends 2000 feet (to 10,457 ft), so, after watching the exhausted hikers making their way back to their cars, I decided that I wouldn’t attempt the hike. If you’re keen to hike the peak, it’s 5 miles round trip, allow most of the day, and spend time at the peak enjoying the spectacular panoramic views of the area.

Continuing south on the byway, the next major stop is the Bumpass Hell viewpoint, which offers panoramic scenery of the surrounding peaks, which are all remnants of an enormous volcano that once filled the valley. There’s a hiking trail to the Bumpass Hell thermal area, but unfortunately, it was closed for renovations and improvements during my visit. The NPS website indicates that it will remain closed for the duration of the 2019 summer season but check their site for any updates to the closure dates.

Further south, towards the park entrance, is another of the park’s prominent hydrothermal features, known as Sulphur Works, seen in the cover photo.  This region of steaming vents, mud pots and boiling springs is in the southern-most region of the park. In the 1860’s sulphur was extracted from this area by Matthias Supan, and he developed various medicinal products that he dispensed from a pharmacy nearby. The Supan family also operated a bathhouse and accommodation complex on the site. The Sulphur Works Inn operated until the 1950’s when the National Parks service purchased the land and the infrastructure was removed to restore the area back to its natural state.

If you really enjoy hiking, there are many trails along the scenic byway – check out the day hiking page on the NPS website for more information on these hikes.

Outer regions of the park

Some people choose to end their Lassen Volcanic National Park itinerary after they make the scenic byway drive.  But, I would totally recommend heading to some of the outer regions of the park as well. The Butte Lake, and Warner Valley regions were highlights for me. These areas are accessible via external highways. Do note that the access roads to these two regions I’m going to talk about were both dirt roads, something you’d need to consider if you’re in a rental vehicle.

Cinder Cone

The Cinder Cone is located within the northeast area of the park, accessed via the Butte Lake parking area. This, approximately a 24-mile drive along Hwy 44 from Manzanita Lake.

The Cinder Cone volcano is made up of the ash, rock and cinders that accumulated around the single vent. The cinder cone in Lassen Volcanic National Park last erupted in the mid 1600’s, and now the cone stands upright amongst a field of lava beds and painted desert.

Beginning from the trailhead on the shores of Butte Lake, the 4-mile round trip hike to Cinder Cone seems easy to begin with. The first mile or so of the trail leads over undulating volcanic sand (my shoes will never be the same again). Once at the base of the Cinder Cone, it becomes apparent that the trail that looks like a gentle meander up the side of the cone is nothing like that indeed. Instead, it’s a challenging walk/scramble up the volcanic cinder, ascending approximately 700 feet in half a mile.

Once you’ve reached the top, and have caught your breath again, you are rewarded with panoramic views of the surrounding peaks and the nearby painted dunes. There’s also an option to follow a separate trail right inside the cone – full disclosure, I didn’t do that, getting to the top of the Cinder Cone volcano was enough for me.

Devil’s Kitchen

Warner Valley is one of the most remote regions of the park and is home to one of the parks thermal areas known as Devil’s Kitchen. The last 6 miles of the drive to the trailhead travel along a narrow bumpy dirt road.

From the trailhead, a reasonable 2-mile (one way) hike leads to Devil’s Kitchen, where you can check out evidence of some of the thermal activity in the region. From the parking lot, the trail heads slightly downhill and across a meadow. From the meadow, you can admire the towering peaks in the distance, before you enter the tree line, and head uphill for a while.

Upon the final descent towards the thermal area, the olfactory senses kick in, and you can smell the pungent sulphurous odors, indicating that you have arrived at Devil’s Kitchen. The thermal area here is in a small valley, and is compact, but interesting. A short trail winds through the active region of steam vents, bubbling springs, and some dried-up mud pots, which share the same magma system with the other thermal areas in the park.

Some of the other activities you might enjoy in the park include:

Swimming, or non-motorized watersports on the park’s lakes. Manzanita Lake is suitable for swimming. Kayak rentals are available from the Camp Store. Summit Lake is suitable for swimming. Butte Lake and Juniper Lake are suitable for swimming and have boat ramps for owners to launch their own kayaks.

Stargazing and Astronomy. The park is one of the best places to view the night skies. Lassen hosts a Dark Sky Festival, held in late July or early August each year – check the NPS website for festival dates.

Ranger guided programs are available throughout the summer – hikes, junior ranger programs and evening presentations at Manzanita Lake Campground run throughout the summer season. During the winter, ranger led snowshoeing programs begin from the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center.

Entrance Fees to Lasse Volcanic National Park

An entry pass is required for all vehicles entering the park. The cost for a pass, valid for 1-7 days entry is $25. For those who anticipate visiting multiple national parks during the year, I’d recommend purchasing an annual pass. The annual pass provides access to all Federal recreational areas, and costs $80 for one year – it’s great value.

Camping and Accommodations for Lassen Volcanic National Park

Within the park, there are seven public campgrounds available to accommodate campers in RV’s and tents. All campsites in the established campgrounds have a picnic table, fire ring, and a bear box for food storage.

I’d recommend Manzanita Lake Campground. It’s the largest campground (with 179 sites) in the park and opens from late May through early October, they have camping cabins, sites with modern amenities including flush toilets, and a camp store and shower and laundry facilities nearby. This campground is family friendly, located on the shore of Manzanita Lake, with walking trails nearby, and kayak hire available from the camp store. Some sites here are reservable, the rest are first come, first served.

Summit Lake Campgrounds are in two separate areas surrounding the lake, with basic amenities. Some sites here are reservable, the rest are first come, first served.

More remote campgrounds in the park include Butte Lake, Warner Valley and Juniper Lake. These campgrounds are not accessible from the main park road. Each of these campgrounds have limited facilities, and open late June through late September/Early October.

Check the Lassen Volcanic National Park website (https://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/camping-in-campgrounds.htm) for a comprehensive list of opening dates and amenities at each of the campgrounds.

Outside of the park, for those who prefer not to camp, Drakesbad Guest Ranch hosts visitors from June through October. Bookings for this accommodation should be made well in advance.

Tips for your Lassen Volcanic National Park Trip:

• Ensure your vehicle is in good repair and fill up with gas as often as possible. There are no gas stations in the park, so start with a full tank, and fill up outside the park if you head out to one of the outer regions for the day.
• Always carry lots of water. At least a gallon per person is recommended if you are planning any type of outdoor exploration. If it is hot, or hiking is planned, carry even more.

• Pack in layers – always carry a warm layer & a waterproof layer. You’re at altitude, so expect it to get cold at night.
• Always carry a map, and practice safe hiking – be bear aware, and don’t hike to the peaks when storms are expected. Let someone know where you’re going, and when you should be back.
• Don’t rely on your phone and download offline maps. I found there were only a few locations in the park that I could even get a signal.

Ready to visit Lassen Volcanic National Park?

We hope we have inspired you to plan your trip and see all the wonders of this quieter US National Park! 

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