Four Types of Volcanos in One Park

Lassen Volcanic National Park‘s claim to fame is that it has all four types of volcanos in one place – plug dome, cinder cone, shield, and composite.  Lassen Volcano last erupted relatively recently, in 1915, after the area was designated as two national monuments in 1907.  The eruption continued on and off until 1921. Teddy Roosevelt created Lassen Volcanic National Park in 1916, a year and a half after the eruption.

The tallest mountain in the park is Lassen Peak, the largest plug dome volcano in the world. It is 10,457 feet high and has the highest known snowfall amount in California, averaging 660 inches per year.

Our Visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park

Tale of Two Seasons

We visited Lassen twice, once in the spring and once in the fall. The experiences were vastly different. Because Lassen gets so much snow, Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway is closed generally from late October until late June or July. In 2023, the road fully opened on July 1st.

Spring: Into the Snow We Go

The drive to the park was scenic with snow capped mountain peaks and pure blue sky with no clouds.  Mount Shasta loomed directly ahead as we headed north on I-5 before turning off near Red Bluff.  It was 90 degrees F (32 degrees C) at Red Bluff but by the time we got to the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center, it was 58 degrees F (14 degrees C).  The the vegetation transitioned from oak trees to tall pines to Western White Pines near the visitor center.  We saw snow on the side of the road at about 4000 feet of elevation.  At the visitor center, 6707 feet in elevation, snow banks were 15 feet tall.  Walls of snow 20 feet high flanked the path to the visitor center, taller than the orange poles meant to mark the walkway.  I’ve never seen snow banks that tall.

We knew snow covered most of the park well into June or July, so we were taking our chances to visit in mid-May.  The huge snowbanks were a “wow” sight for us southerners and an attraction in its own right.  Seeing is believing and we now appreciate why it takes so long to clear the road.

Hydrothermal at Sulphur Works

National Park Service cleared a mile of road by May to reach Sulphur Works and its thermal features.  It was open to foot traffic only so we walked up the road for a mile with a 300 foot elevation gain.

The area around the mud pool was very warm, and the mud pool was bubbling over with steam rising from the grey mud.  A small stream of 148 degree F (64 degree C) water flowed down from the mountain that carved a wide path in the snow.  The smell of sulfur was there but not overwhelmingly strong.

Pristine Snow

Being able to see the hydrothermal feature was a pleasant surprise since I didn’t expect to be able to see anything except the visitor center and get a stamp.  The road to Sulphur Works was dry with walls of snow 10 feet high on both sides of the road.  The warm wind blew past the snow, making the air cool.  The snow covered mountain in the distance with snow covered foreground and snow covered pine trees formed the iconic image of snow in the Cascades that made a perfect Christmas card.

We only heard the sound of melting snow and the occasional chirping bird and saw only six other people during our two mile long walk to Sulphur Works and back so we had this beautiful place on a warm sunny day nearly to ourselves.  The melting snow we heard formed a stream down the side of the road with a snow overhang that formed a canopy above the stream.    The pockets of snow had a blue tinge as it reflected the sun.

Manzenita Lake: The Iconic Picture

The next day, we entered through the Manzenita Lake entrance on the northwest side of the park.  There wasn’t a visitor center there and the museum was not yet open for the season.  The feel was very different than the day before.  No snow was on the ground, what a contrast with the southwest side of the park.  At 5,880 feet of elevation, it was nearly a thousand feet below Kohm Yah-mah-nee and that made all the difference in snow pack.  Manzenita Lake was very pretty, with clear water and a couple of ducks leisurely swimming about, ducking occasionally underwater to look for fish. 

Lily Pond

Reflection Lake Route and Lily Pond Trail were just on the other side of the road.  Lily Pond had lots of lily pads with bright yellow flowers blooming in the spring time.  The interpretive guide introduced the various pines along the way.  

Contrary to my expectation, the reflecting pond only reflected the tall pines, not the mountain range.  We had to climb our way up, over and under the trunks of the many fallen trees from the winter.  Parts of the paths were flooded and we had to scramble around them or gingerly stepping on the unstable rocks that cross them, playing hopscotch.  Loretta didn’t like the extra things we had to do but I thought it was fun to do a little more than walking in the woods.

Doesn’t Look Devastated Under the Snow

Next stop was the Devastated Area, elevation 6470 feet, about 10 miles up the road and the end of the snow removal operation.  As the road climbed, snow piled up the sides of the roads.  About a mile from Devastated Area, the meadows and the forest floor were covered with thick snow.  There were five other cars at the parking lot and people were getting ready or just came back from snowboarding, cross country skiing, or snowshoeing.  Since we didn’t want to go snowshoeing, there wasn’t much to do because the interpretive trail was closed.

Here is where we got our first look at Lassen Peak, which, of course, was snow covered. Because of the snow cover, Devastation Area didn’t look too devastated. This would be different for our fall visit.

A couple in their 50s pulled up in a big red pickup with a very happy and active black lab.  They were from Wisconsin and have been on the road for six months.  Their lab was very happy playing in the snow with pure joy on her face.  Three feet of unplowed snow greeted the end of the road.  We saw the beautiful, tranquil and snow covered Lassen Peak for the first time from here.

Past Chaos

We passed a little history on the way back with Nobles’ Road, which was used by gold prospectors to reach the coast.  Next was Chaos Crags and Chaos Jumbles, which was a whole mountain side covered by boulders of all sizes.  There was a rock avalanche about 300 years ago when, for unknown reason, the rocks from Chaos Crag came tumbling down at more than 100 miles per hour.  There was minimal vegetation, even now.

Fall: The Full Visit

Our visit to Lassen in May was amazing yet not satisfying because most of the park was closed so we had to come back when the park was fully open. This time, we visited in early September, well after the park was fully open but before the first snow fall.

We started our visit on a beautiful, cool, sunny day after a hearty breakfast at the St. Bernard Lodge B&B. We bypassed the visitor center and headed straight for Bumpass Hell because the parking lot may be full if we get there too late.

Bumpass Hell: The Best Hydrothermal Sight in the Park

The sky was blue and there was a bit of chill in the air, with temperature in the high 40 F (9 C). From the parking lot, we got a good view of Brokeoff Mountain, an example of remnants of a composite volcano.

The boardwalk at Bumpass Hell was brand new as of 2023 and gave a pretty nice view of the hydrothermal features. By walking all the way to the other side, and climbing up a 150 foot hill, we had a great view of the whole hydrothermal area from above.

I felt the power of the earth under my feet as steam bellowed up all around me. This area was clearly warmer than the rest of the park and the jackets came off. The reward was well worth the hike that was just our speed.

By the time we got back to the parking lot, around 11:30 am, it was full.

After that terrific morning hike to great scenery, we doubled back to the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center, got our stamp, watched the film, talked to the ranger, you know, our usual “business” in the park. After lunch, we started our drive on Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway with Sulphur Works as the first stop.

Sulphur Works

This hydrothermal feature was right next to the side of the road and easily accessible. This was also the place we visited during our May visit. What a difference in scenery. Sure, the hydrothermal features were the same, but the road leading up to it felt so different.

Sulphur Works was well worth the quick stop, especially if you don’t hike to Bumpass Hell.

After Sulphur Works, we continued down the highway, stopping at all the points of interest the park service marked with a number, all fifteen of them

Emerald Lake

Next on the road was Emerald Lake. This lake has a strong green hue that was due to Algae, but the water was very clear. This was simply a pretty lake.

Lake Helen

Named after Helen Tanner Brodt, the first white woman to reach the summit of Lassen Peak, Lake Helen is a pretty, deep blue lake with Lassen Peak in the background. It is just so pristine. This is also a great place to swim since it has a beach, but the water is very cold, even in the summer. Lake Helen is clearly visible from the park highway and from Bumpass Hell trail nearby.

Lassen Peak

The park’s namesake, Lassen Peak, rises more than 2000 feet from its base. It is the dominant feature in the park. The trail follows a series of switchbacks along a rocky ridge to Crater View. A steep, rocky scramble takes you to the summit from there. The whole trail is 2.5 miles one way, climbing about 2000 feet. It’s not for the faint of heart.

Shortly after Lassen Peak, the road peaked at 8500 feet before going downhill. One of the best views of Lassen Peak was at King’s Creek Meadow, where Lassen Peak was framed by a meadow in the foreground.

Devastated Area – Fall Visit

Next stop was Devastated Area, which we visited the last time but the excellent interpretative trail that described the eruption with some vintage photos was closed due to snow. This time, we really enjoyed learning about the eruption. It was time well spent.

After a stop at the Manzanita Lake visitor center to get another stamp, we hung out on the lakeshore for a bit before going all the way back to the other side of the park on the 30 mile Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway. We were tired but very satisfied. We covered a lot of ground and the weather was perfect!

King’s Creek Falls

 We started the next day with another hearty breakfast at the lodge before heading to King’s Creek Falls trails, half way down Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway. It’s another bright sunny day with very comfortable temperatures.

The only parking at the trailhead was along the side of the road. We got there relatively early, before 10 am, and found plenty of parking.  The trail meanders through a forest before descending down the side of a barren hill.  There were plenty of burnt tress along the way due to the devastating 2021 Dixie fire.  The path had plenty of loose rocks so we had to be careful.

The trail ended at a very nice overlook of a 30 foot waterfall.  It was fed by a long, cascading river flowing down the side of a hill before reaching the waterfall itself.  The waterfall was a nice reward for the downhill hike, but the real work was still head – getting back to the top.

The return was via a steeper but shorter trail called the Cascades Foot trail.  It was aptly named because it was right next to the cascades – the river ran down this relatively steep slope.

The trail had plenty of stairs and was steep.  It was also one way since it was narrow.  We had to stop multiple times to catch our breath and had a real nice workout.

This 2.8 mile trail was just the right size for us.  We got a nice morning workout in beautiful surroundings with a nice waterfall view.  Perfect start to the day.

Dixie Fire of 2021

In August of 2021, the Dixie Fire entered Lassen Volcanic National Park from the southeast near Juniper Lake. The fire ultimately burned 69% of the park, destroyed some structures, and closed the park for two months.

The scars of the fire was still very evident, even in areas that were not severely burned. It changed the park vista significantly.

Impressions of Lassen Volcanic National Park:

This park is an undiscovered gem.  With her beautiful scenery, hydrothermal features, great hiking and many lakes, it’s like a small version of Yellowstone. The park is accessible for people of all abilities. The main park highway enables those who want to take it easy to stop and admire the scenery from the viewpoints along the road. There is even an audio tour to go with the drive. For those who want to hike, there are trails for every interest, some with fantastic, 360 degree views like the top of Lassen Peak. The hydrothermal features is second only to Yellowstone. The alpine lakes are pristine, clear, and gorgeous, especially against the backdrop of tall mountains. Best of all, the crowd is manageable, with only 446,000 visitors in 2022.

Have you visited Lassen Volcanic?  Leave a comment below on your experience.  Click on the Follow link and get an email when new postings are available.  I will not share your email so no worries.

Lassen Volcanic Rating:

(Note: Ratings are on a bell curve, which means there are as many 5 star ratings as 1 star ratings.  All National Parks are wonderful, which makes this a very strict rating scale)

Top Attractions at Lassen Volcanic National Park

• Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway
• Bumpass Hell
• Lassen Mountain (and Lassen Peak)
• Sulphur Works
• Manzanita Lake

One Day Visit Plan

The Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway is closed for most of the year.  The date the highway is completely open varies a lot from year to year, as late as July 26th in 2017.  It closes around late October.  Click here for current status.

• Enter at Kohm Yah-mah-nee visitor center via highway 89 from the south.
• Go directly to Bumpass Hell and hike the trail to view hydrothermal features to beat the crowd.
• Return to Kohm Yah-mah-nee visitor center, view the film and talk to the ranger.
• Make a quick stop at Sulphur Works to view the fumaroles and mud pots.
• Make a quick stop at Lake Helen to see the reflection of Lassen Peak if wind is calm. This is a good place for a picnic lunch.
• Hike to Lassen Peak if physically able.  It is 2.5 miles one way with 2000 feet of elevation gain up to 10,400 feet.  Keep altitude in mind when deciding if you should take this hike.
• Hike Kings Creek Falls trail if you passed on Lassen Peak.
• Stop at Devastated Area and walk the interpretive trail.
• Stop at Chaos Crags and Chaos Jumbles.
• Hike the Manzanita Lake trail if you passed on Lassen Peak and King’s Creek Falls trails.

If you have more than a day, do the hikes you skipped on the one day plan. If you have more than two days, explore Butte Lake on the Northeast side and Juniper Lake on the Southeast side.

Practical Info for Visiting Lassen Volcanic:

• Visit between late July and September to avoid the snow.
• Visit in early fall or late spring for snow activities in warm temperatures.
• Check the weather and road conditions if you plan to visit between October and July.
• Check trail conditions because some of them may be snow covered even when the road is open.
• Fill up and bring food.  Food is available only at the Kohm Yah-mah-nee visitor center. There is no fuel in the park.
• Chester is a good gateway community with good services.

Date Visited:  May 8 – 9, 2017; Sept 9-10, 2023