If You Only Have a Day

Lassen Volcanic National Park provides a wealth of fun activities that are as varied as the seasons of the park. Here is a sample of what the park has to offer based on your length of visit.

Several hours: The Main Park Road offers many scenic vistas and access to several of the most popular hiking trails. A one-way journey on the road will take approximately 1 hour without any stops in good weather. A short 2.5 mile (round-trip) hike to Bumpass Hell is a rewarding way to experience the park's largest hydrothermal (hot water) area. The Devastated Area interpretive trail is a 30 minute stop that offers amazing views of the destruction caused by Lassen Peak's eruptions of 1914-17. The Sulphur Works boardwalk is another quick stop showcasing an active hydrothermal area.

One day: Thousands of visitors hike Lassen Peak every year. This strenuous hike offers stunning views of the Cascade Mountains and the Sacramento Valley. At the top of the mountain it is easy to picture the devastation of the 1915 eruption. Here you can view the crater caused by the eruption and look down upon the Devastated Area from above. If a strenuous hike does not appeal to you, you could drive the Main Park Road at a leisurely pace, stopping at the Sulphur Works and Devastated Area interpretive exhibits, at Lake Helen or Kings Creek for a picnic, and at Manzanita Lake for a gentle 1.85 mile stroll around the picturesque mountain lake. At the end of your day you could pitch a tent under the bright stars in one of our eight campgrounds.

Two or more days: Lassen's backcountry is a wonderful place to find peace and quiet and a wilderness adventure any time of the year.

When planning which activities you want to enjoy while visiting the park, please keep one thing in mind. Access to specific trails, or even the park itself, is dependent on the weather and snow conditions. In heavy snow years the park road may open as late as July 4, but could open as early as May 28. Click here to visit the road opening status webpage for up-to-date information. For the same reasons, access to many trails may be restricted or limited to those with snowshoes. The Bumpass Hell trail usually does not open until early to mid-July. Call the park headquarters information desk at (530) 595-4444 for the current status of trails throughout the park.

Explore the Hydrothermal Areas

The remarkable hydrothermal features in Lassen Volcanic National Park include roaring fumaroles (steam and volcanic-gas vents), thumping mud pots, boiling pools, and steaming ground. Water from rain and snow that falls on the highlands of the park feed the hydrothermal system.  Once deep underground, the water is heated by a body of hot or molten rock beneath Lassen Peak.  Rising hot water boils to form boiling pools and mud pots.  Super-heated steam reaches the surface through fractures in the earth to form fumaroles such as those found at Bumpass Hell and Sulphur Works.  These features are related to active volcanism and are indications of the ongoing potential for further eruptions from the Lassen "volcanic center."

The areas of hydrothermal activity in Lassen Volcanic include:

• Bumpass Hell
• Little Hot Springs Valley
• Pilot Pinnacle
• Sulphur Works
• Devils Kitchen
• Boiling Springs Lake
• Terminal Geyser
• Fart Gulch

Outdoor Activities

When planning which activities you want to enjoy while visiting the park, please keep one thing in mind. Access to specific trails, or even the park itself, changes dramatically with the seasons.

Spring/Summer/Fall Activities (June - October, approximately)
Auto-touring
Backpacking
Birdwatching
Boating and Kayaking
Camping
Day Hiking
Fishing
Horseback Riding
Ranger-led Programs
Stargazing
Swimming
Wildflower Viewing
Wildlife Viewing

Winter Activities (November - May, approximately)
Cross-Country/Telemark Skiing
Family Snowplay
Snowshoeing
Winter Camping

Auto-Touring
Length: 29 miles
Time: 1 hour to drive, non-stop
The Main Park Road provides spectacular views of the Cascade and High Sierra Mountains. Running from the southeast to the northwest of the park, the road has direct access to high altitude mountain lakes, active hydrothermal areas, numerous hiking trails, and grand views of Lassen Peak, Brokeoff Mountain, and the Devastated Area.

Bird-Watching
Over 83 species of birds nest in the Park. Raptors and other birds-of-prey are frequently sighted soaring above the rocky peaks between Brokeoff Mountain and Lassen Peak. The Manzanita Lake loop trail hosts many migratory birds and summer residents and is a favorite spot among bird watchers. The Cluster Lakes loop starting at Summit Lake is another trail popular among bird watchers.

Boating and Kayaking
Whether kayaking or canoeing, exploring Lassen Volcanic National Park can be an exciting and rewarding experience. Non-motorized boats must access Manzanita, Butte, and Juniper Lakes at their designated boat launch areas.

The following lakes are closed to all vessels.
* Boiling Springs Lake
* Emerald Lake
* Lake Helen
* Reflection Lake
* Hat Lake

Camping
There are eight campgrounds in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Click here to visit the campground webpage for more information about each campground and how to make reservations.

Fishing
Whether fishing from shore with the kids, or fly-fishing Manzanita Lake from a float-tube, Lassen Volcanic National Park has plenty of opportunities to land the big one. Trout have not been stocked in the park since the 1980s, but a healthy population of these feisty fish still remain in many lakes and streams (though not in all of them). Manzanita Lake is famous for its large rainbow and brown trout, but keep in mind it is catch and release only and you must use single-hook, barbless, artificial lures only. Butte Lake and Horseshoe Lake both have healthy populations of trout. A valid California fishing license is required to fish in the park, and please keep the regulations below in mind before wetting your line in the park.

The following areas are closed to all fishing during the periods indicated:
* Manzanita Creek above Manzanita Lake - closed all year
* Manzanita Lake shore from the boat launch northwest to 150 feet west of the present inlet and 150 feet at the apex of a radius from the center of the inlet - closed all year
* Butte Lake boat launch - closed all year
* Juniper Lake boat launch - closed all year