Everything you should know about Lassen Volcanic National Park

Rather than granite canyons or giant trees like California’s other mountain parks, Lassen Volcanic National Park revolves around another natural wonder—the twisted topography that results from massive eruptions and lava flows over many centuries. 

Rising high above the Cascade Range of Northern California, Lassen Peak was formed around 27,000 years ago as it pushed up through the remains of an older volcano. Though its last series of eruptions occurred between 1915 and 1917, it’s still an active volcano and is constantly monitored for seismic activity by the U.S. Geological Survey. 

Whether you are hiking to the summit or admiring from afar, Lassen Peak remains the park’s main attraction. Flanking the mountain are eight hydrothermal fields with steaming fumaroles and bubbling mud pots stoked by water heated by molten rock beneath the peak. 

Lassen Volcanic National Park’s landscape also includes alpine lakes and flower-filled meadows, groves of aspens, pines, and old-growth red fir trees, and the lush Warner Valley.

A 40- to 50-minute drive from the closest city and major interstate highway (Interstate 5), Lassen Volcanic has fewer visitors compared to most national parks in the western part of the U.S. That’s especially true in the winter when snow closes the main road and many visitor facilities. 

Best times to visit Lassen Volcanic National Park

The park’s main road (Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway) and many visitor facilities are closed from September or October to the end of May, when snow covers the park. Which means summer is the ideal time to visit Lassen Volcanic for those who want the full park experience. 

With an average daytime temperature of 82°F (28°C), summer also offers ideal weather for hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities. 

During late spring and early summer, the park’s meadows burst with colorful wildflowers.  By mid-September, temperatures drop, and the trees don their autumn colors. 

Due to the seasonal closures, winter is the park’s quiet season. Vehicle touring is limited, but there are dedicated winter routes for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the park’s Southwest and Manzanita Lake areas. Visitors can also go backcountry ski camping, but a wilderness permit is required.  

Where to find the best views in the park

As it meanders between the park’s Southwest Entrance and the Summit Lakes, Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway (also the 30-mile stretch of California State Route 89)  offers several lofty viewpoints, including the Diamond Peak Scenic Vista with its panoramic view of Lassen Peak and the turnoff at Lake Helen near the base of the southernmost active plug dome volcano. 

In the park’s northwest corner near Manzanita Lake, the Chaos Crags Viewpoint, off the main park road, overlooks a bizarre, boulder-dotted landscape created around 1660 by a massive rock avalanche. 

Of course, the ultimate view is from the summit of Lassen Peak (10,457 feet/3,187 meters), a vista that’s only achievable via the Lassen Peak Trail.

Where to find the best hiking trails 

The Lassen Peak Trail isn’t especially long (5 miles/8 km), but reaching the summit, visitors will hike several switchbacks and rocky ground to ascend an elevation gain of nearly 2,000 feet (600 meters). From the top, you can see almost the entire national park, and to the west, the colossal, snowcapped Mount Shasta.

The best route for exploring the park’s most active thermal area is the Bumpass Hell Trail, a three-mile (4.8-km) out-and-back hike to a hot springs field, accessible by an elevated wooden boardwalk. Both Summit Lake and Manzanita Lake are ringed by short, easy trails with almost no elevation gain. 

For those who take the time to visit the park’s remote northeast corner—reached from State Highway 44—the Cinder Cone Trail (4 miles/6.4 km out and back) runs along the ragged edge of the Fantastic Lava Beds to the summit of a volcanic ash mound with a view over the colorful Painted Dunes. The modern trail overlays a section of the 19th-century Nobles Emigrant Trail. 

The best spots to see wildlife

With more than 300 species, Lassen Volcanic National Park is home to a wide array of creatures, from top-of-the-food-pyramid animals like black bears and mountain lions to three different types of amphibians (Pacific tree frog, Western toad, and long-toed salamander) and nine fish species that thrive in alpine lakes. 

Marmots and pikas are often spotted scurrying through the rocky terrain around scenic vistas along the main road and on trails leading away from those parking areas. Bushy-tailed Douglas squirrels inhabit the woodlands around Summit Lake and Manzanita Lake. 

At dawn and dusk, mule deer and other creatures come out of the forest to feed at Kings Creek Meadow, Hat Creek Meadow, Warner Valley, and the meadows near Drakesbad Guest Ranch. 

Expert recommendations and tips

Karin O’Coy, executive director of the Lassen Park Foundation, recommends exploring the Juniper Lake area on the southeast side of the park, which has a much more remote feel and beautiful lakeside scenery. Butte Lake offers access to the Fantastic Lava Beds and the Cinder Cone Trail. 

“Bumpass Hell Trail is great because it gives visitors such a unique look at Lassen’s features with bubbling mud pots, steam vents, and colorful geothermal areas. It really showcases the volcanic landscape that makes the park so special,” says O’Coy. “For something a little quieter, the Kings Creek Falls Trail is also nice, especially the lower falls section because it combines forest, meadow, creek, and waterfall scenery all in one hike.” 

Ranger recommendation: While the big lakes get most of the credit in Lassen, you can experience a more tranquil excursion by hiking to one of its many small, high-elevation lakes. Find the right one for what you’re seeking by asking at the visitor center. 

Things to do in Lassen Volcanic National Park 

A key stop on the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, the main park road in Lassen stretches for around 30 miles (48 km) between the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center and Manzanita Lake. Information, maps, brochures, and souvenirs are available at the visitor center and Loomis Museum near Manzanita Lake. 

Visitors are encouraged to stop by the museum to see exhibits on the park's plants, animals, and volcanic geology, as well as dramatic photos of the 1914-1915 eruptions of Lassen Peak, taken by the museum's namesake, Benjamin F. Loomis. His vintage photography equipment and artifacts created by the local Atsugewi people are also on display for visitors to see. 

The drive across the park has plenty of viewpoints and overlooks, as well as trailheads for hikes to Lassen Peak, Bumpass Hell hydrothermal field, and Kings Creek Falls. Near the midpoint of the park road, the forested Summit Lake area offers shady picnic areas and campgrounds, plus an easy trail along the waterfront.  

Near Lost Creek Campground, the road crosses the Nobles Emigrant Trail, an overland wagon route blazed by William Nobles in the 1850s and used by thousands of settlers to reach the West Coast. 

Chaos Crags lava field and forest-flanked Manzanita Lake are farther along this route. Motorized vessels are forbidden, but canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards are allowed on the lake. The Manzanita Lake Camper Store rents all three types of watercrafts. In addition to campgrounds and cabins, the lake area also has the Loomis Museum, featuring exhibits on the park’s human and natural history. A waterfront day-use area has picnic tables and a beach for swimming, fishing, or boat launching.   

Although not located along the Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway, three other park areas are also reachable by vehicle. In the south, Warner Valley offers a wooded campground and the historic Drakesbad Guest Ranch. Juniper Lake in the southeast has remote waterfront camping. In the northeast, Butte Lake is another secluded campground near Cinder Cone and Fantastic Lava Beds.

Best things to do for families

“For families with kids, Manzanita Lake is always a great option,” says Karin O’Coy. “One of the best lakes we have, and such a beauty. The flat lakeshore trail is easy and scenic, and kids usually enjoy spotting fish and birds around the area.”

She also recommends the Sulphur Works area because it offers easy trails for kids to see hydrothermal features without a long hike.

Loomis Museum has exhibits on the park’s natural and human history, plus a short film about Lassen Volcanic. The museum and Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center are also the spots to obtain Junior Ranger Booklets (for ages 5 to 12). With all tasks completed, the booklets can be turned in at either location for a Lassen Volcanic Junior Ranger Badge. 

Younger visitors can also join the park’s Volcano Club by completing seven activities and submitting them to a ranger. 

Where to stay

Lassen Volcanic has seven developed campgrounds. Opening dates vary from late May or early June to early September or mid-October. All campsites have a picnic table, fire ring, and bear-proof food locker. Most campgrounds also have restrooms and potable water. 

Visitors arriving with self-contained vehicles (e.g., RVs and vehicles with trailers) can camp year-round in the Southwest Campground parking area near Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center. 

Founded in 1909, historic Drakesbad Guest Ranch offers horseback riding in the park’s backcountry and a naturally heated thermal swimming pool (open mid-June to mid-October). Manzanita Lake Camping Cabins is the only indoor option available for visitors—open mid-May to mid-October. 

What else you should know 

Access: The park’s Southwest Entrance lies along State Highway 89, around an hour’s drive from Red Bluff. The Manzanita Lake Entrance is on State Highway 44, about an hour from Redding, California. Other park areas accessible by road include Warner Valley/Drakesbad Guest Ranch and Juniper Lake in the south, and Butte Lake/Cinder Cone in the northeast.  

Visitor center: Located near the Southwest Entrance, Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center is open year-round. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Loomis Museum also serves as a visitor contact station. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and it is closed from mid-October to late May. 

Entrance fees: Fees for entry are $30 per vehicle (April 16 to November 30) or $10 per vehicle (December 1 to April 15); $25 per motorcycle (April 16 to November 30) and $10 per motorcycle (December 1 to April 15); $15 per person (April 16 to November 30) and $10 per person (December 1 to April 15).

Are pets allowed: Pets must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed on hiking trails, at the visitor center, in any public building, in any body of water, or anywhere in the backcountry.  

How accessible is the park? 

Fully accessible Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center features tactile exhibits, audio descriptions, accessible parking spaces, and an accessible restroom. 

Three campgrounds and some of the cabins at Manzanita Lake are accessible, and four picnic areas offer accessible parking, tables, and restrooms.

While most park trails are too rugged to be accessible, Sulphur Works and the Devastated Area have paved sidewalks or hard-surface trails. 

The Lassen Volcanic National Park brochure is available in audio and text-only versions.