Lassen Volcanic Park

Lassen Volcanic Park is Northern California’s under-the-radar gem. The park has every outdoor activity a nature lover could dream of, from gorgeous mountains and alpine lakes to boiling geothermal areas and beautiful, flower-filled meadows. The park offers visitors countless natural wonders and adventures without the crowds and expensive entrance fees of more well-known destinations like Shasta or Yosemite. Come to Lassen Volcanic park for unparalleled opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, fishing, camping, nature photography, geocaching, stargazing, and so much more. It also boasts some of the best Ranger Programs in the entire country. Best of all, St. Bernard Lodge is located just 20 minutes away from the SW entrance. With so much to do and see within the park, many of our guests come back to this area year after year just so they can experience it all.

Visitor Center

The park’s new and improved Visitor Center is located at the south entrance of Lassen Volcanic National Park. It is named Kohm Yah-mah-nee, which is the Mt. Maidu name for Snowy Mountain (Lassen Peak). The Visitor Center features an auditorium showing a short film about the park’s history and sights. There are also hands-on interpretive exhibits and displays for all ages. The Visitor Center is open seven days a week from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm and will give you an excellent overview of the Park. The Park Rangers are available to give you up-to-date information on trail conditions. This building is believed to be the first LEED-certified visitor center in the National Park Services.

Volcanoes & Geothermal Areas

Lassen Park is the only National Park with all four types of volcanoes–Shield, Composite, Cinder Cone, and Plug Dome–within park boundaries. In fact, Lassen Peak is the largest Plug Dome volcano in the world. Lassen Volcanic Park’s fascinating eruptive history has dramatically shaped the area’s landscape, creating a variety of geothermal areas like roiling fumaroles, mud pots, boiling pools, and steaming ground.

To view the park’s best geothermal areas, we recommend combining one or two of the following day hikes: Devil’s Kitchen, Boiling Springs Lake, and/or Terminal. All three hikes can be completed in one day by serious hikers. With its low elevation and flat surface, Devil’s Kitchen is one of the easier hikes in the park. This 4.2-mile hike is the second-largest geothermal area in the park and rewards you with some very interesting mud pots at the end.

Boiling Springs Lake is an easy 1.8 miles hike that takes you through the largest active geothermal feature in Lassen Park. In addition, it is one of the largest hot-water lakes in the world. Many visitors to the lake are surprised by its interesting sea-green color. Steam vents heat the water beneath the lake, which keeps it at an impressive 125 degrees.

Other unique geothermal areas include Terminal Geyser, about 4.4 miles round trip from the Willow Lake Campground

Bumpass Hell is the largest geothermal area west of Yellowstone. This hike is from the main park Highway. The Bumpass Hell parking lot is also an excellent place to stargaze after dark.

If you visit the Northeast corner of the park, consider hiking Cinder Cone, a 350-year-old volcano. You’ll get a chance to view the gorgeous painted dunes and look down into an actual volcano. The serious hiker can add in Prospect Peak, a shield volcano that looks down on Cinder Cone.

Drakesbad

You’ll find the charming and historic Drakesbad Guest Ranch at the South East corner of Lassen Volcanic Park. This is an excellent spot for hiking and horseback riding. Advanced reservations are required for horseback, but with a reservation, you can enjoy lunch and dinner as well as a refreshing soak in their mineral hot spring pool.

Other Hikes

• Brokeoff
• Mill Creek Falls
• King Creek Falls
• Lassen Peak
• Hat Creek Rim Overlook
• Subway Caves
• Spattercone

Free Entrance Days

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• First Day of National Park Week
• National Park Service Anniversary
• National Public Lands Day
• Veteran’s Day
• Ranger-Led Programs For Kids! Junior Ranger Program
• Ranger-led Snowshoe Walks
• Cross Country Ski Tours
• Astronomy Guides