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Lat 40.4378° N
Long 121.5338° W
Elevation5,650 – 10,457 ft

California · Stamp 44 / 63

Lassen Volcanic

National Park · Established 1916

The only park on Earth with all four types of volcanoes, still actively boiling beneath the surface.

Area106,589 acres
TrailheadMineral, California
Visitors500k / yr
Scroll to begin the ascent
Live · Main park highway open Bumpass Hell trail only open roughly July–October, snow dependent 1 active alert 68°F · cooler at higher elevations Live layer, from the National Park Service
Best windowJul–Oct for full trail access · snow lingers into summer Getting there50 min from Redding · 3 hr from Sacramento Fee$30 / vehicle · 7 days
★★★★★ 4.8 from 1 travelers 1 visitor stories 500k annual visitors Grounded in live NPS data
Lassen Volcanic · Mile 01 · The Story

All four types of volcano,
in one park.

Lassen Volcanic is the only national park containing all four recognized types of volcano: shield, composite, cinder cone, and plug dome, a claim few other places on Earth can make. Lassen Peak itself, a plug dome volcano, last erupted in a series of explosions between 1914 and 1917, devastating the surrounding forest in an event still visible today as the aptly named Devastated Area.

Bumpass Hell, the park's largest hydrothermal area, is named for a 19th-century pioneer who fell through the crust and burned his leg badly enough to require amputation, a genuinely unlucky namesake for what is now the park's most popular trail. Because it sits at high elevation, the trail is typically only accessible from July through October, depending on snowpack, and the main park road itself can remain snow-covered well into early summer.

Come for the boiling mud pots and steaming vents. Stay for Manzanita Lake, with Lassen Peak reflected in still water. Read the story, check current road and trail conditions before you go, and when you leave, collect the stamp.

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“
Hundreds of glacially carved lakes, bubbling pools of acid, all four types of volcanoes, and a beautiful, glittering, dark night sky.
Adapted from National Park Service social media description of Lassen Volcanic
Lassen Peak
"The mountains are calling and I must go."
John Muir
Lassen Volcanic · Mile 02 · The Essentials

Best Things to Do in Lassen Volcanic

Six ways to spend your time, from bubbling mud pots to a lake reflecting the peak that made them.

Do

Hike to Bumpass Hell

The park's largest hydrothermal area, with boardwalks over bubbling mud pots and steaming vents. Only open roughly July through October.

The signature hike · seasonal
Do

Summit Lassen Peak

A strenuous climb to the top of the plug dome volcano that erupted as recently as 1917, with sweeping views from the summit.

Full day · confident hikers
See

Manzanita Lake

A calm lake with a classic reflection view of Lassen Peak, popular for an easy loop hike or kayaking.

Everyone · half day
Explore

Sulphur Works

A roadside hydrothermal area visible without any hike at all, with bubbling mud pools right next to the parking lot.

Everyone · 15 min
Do

Walk through the Devastated Area

A short trail through the blast zone of Lassen Peak's 1914–1917 eruptions, still visibly scarred over a century later.

Everyone · 30 min
See

Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center

Exhibits on the park's volcanic history and current trail conditions, essential given how weather-dependent access is here.

Everyone · 30 min
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Plan Your Lassen Volcanic Trip

Answer a few questions right here — we'll map your day, stop by stop, with a route, timings, weather, and a packing checklist grounded in real park data. No account, no leaving this page.

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Your adventure, printed
Field-guide posters and the passport book, from our shop.
When the Crowds ComeMonthly visitors · tap a year
Illustrative shape · wires to official NPS visitation stats · summer peaks shown in gold
Lake Helen, Below the Peak
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir
Lassen Volcanic · Mile 03 · Trails & Viewpoints

Best Hikes in Lassen Volcanic, by Difficulty

Every trail rated honestly, with distance, climb, and a clear note on seasonal access at higher elevations.

Bumpass Hell Trail

Easy–Mod
3 mi+300 ft~2.5 hr

A boardwalk loop through the park's largest hydrothermal area. Typically open only July through October, snow dependent. No permit.

Lassen Peak Trail

Strenuous
5 mi+2,000 ft~5 hr

A steady climb to the summit of Lassen Peak, with occasional snow crossings even in midsummer. No permit.

Manzanita Lake Loop

Easy
1.8 mi+100 ft~1 hr

A flat lakeside loop with reliable views of Lassen Peak reflected in calm water. No permit.

Sulphur Works Roadside Stop

Easy
0.1 miflat~15 min

A short walk from the parking area to bubbling mud pools, one of the easiest hydrothermal sights in the park. No permit.

Devastated Area Trail

Easy
0.6 miflat~30 min

A short interpretive loop through the blast zone of Lassen Peak's early 20th-century eruptions. No permit.

Permit · overnight camping

Cinder Cone Trail

Strenuous
4 mi+800 ft~4 hr

A steep climb up loose volcanic cinder to a crater rim with views of the Painted Dunes. Backcountry permit required only for overnight camping.

No permit for day hikes · free backcountry permits for overnight camping · high-elevation trails typically open only July through October, snow dependent

Lassen Volcanic National Park at a Glance
1  Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center
2  Bumpass Hell
3  Lassen Peak Trailhead
4  Manzanita Lake
5  Sulphur Works
6  Devastated Area Trail
Stops shown in visit order. Build a plan above and this map updates to your exact stops.
Lassen Volcanic · Mile 04 · Life Around Active Volcanoes

Wildlife in Lassen Volcanic: Animals You Might See

Tap any animal to learn its story. Soon, the app will let you log what you spot and keep a life list for every park.

Common throughout the park's forested areas, generally shy and most active in early morning and evening.

Common throughout the park, especially visible near Manzanita Lake and forest meadows.

A weasel relative found in the park's higher-elevation conifer forests, agile and rarely seen by casual visitors.

A gray, black-and-white bird common near the summit trails, closely associated with high-elevation pine forests.

Found in the park's cooler streams and lakes, sharing habitat with some of the most unusual geology in the park.

Stocked historically in several of the park's lakes, a draw for anglers with the appropriate California fishing license.

Common along the park's popular trails, easily mistaken for a chipmunk but larger and without facial stripes.

Plant Life in Lassen Volcanic: What Grows Here

Dominates the park's higher-elevation forest, tolerant of the deep winter snowpack common at this elevation.

A rare alpine wildflower found almost exclusively on the slopes of Lassen Peak, adapted to the harsh volcanic soil.

Common at the park's mid elevations, identifiable by its vanilla-scented bark.

Gives Manzanita Lake its name, a common chaparral shrub found throughout the park's lower elevations.

Common in the park's meadows each summer, adding purple color to the volcanic landscape.

Found near the treeline on Lassen Peak's slopes, one of the last trees able to survive at this elevation.

Fun Facts About Lassen Volcanic

Fact 01

Lassen Volcanic is the only national park containing all four recognized types of volcano: shield, composite, cinder cone, and plug dome.

Fact 02

Lassen Peak last erupted in a series of explosions between 1914 and 1917, devastating the surrounding forest.

Fact 03

Bumpass Hell is named for a 19th-century pioneer who fell through the thin crust and burned his leg badly enough to require amputation.

Fact 04

The park's high-elevation trails, including Bumpass Hell, are typically accessible only from July through October, depending on snowpack.

Lassen Volcanic · Provisions
Gear for this parkvia AvantLink
Trekking poles (Lassen Peak)REI
Layered jacketBackcountry
3L hydration packOsprey
Stay nearbyvia Hipcamp
Forest sites near Manzanita Lake
Ten minutes from the north entrance, lake and mountain views included, from $26 a night.
Free Lassen Volcanic checklistdigital · $0
The printable trail and packing checklist in the field-guide style. Take it, join the trail list.
Lassen Volcanic · Mile 05 · From the Field Journal

Go Deeper on Lassen Volcanic

Stories, guides, and hard-won tips from the trail. The full Lassen Volcanic deep dive lives on the journal.

Trip Planning

Checking the Bumpass Hell Season Before You Go

Read the guide →
Trail Guide

Summiting Lassen Peak: What to Actually Expect

Read the guide →
Itinerary

1 Perfect Day in Lassen: Mud Pots to Mountain Lake

Read the guide →
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Free Lassen Volcanic checklist
The printable trail and packing list, in the field-guide style.
★Lassen VolcanicPark Hub · Collected
Your passport

One stamp,
one story.

Log the visit, keep your story, and watch the map of all sixty-three fill in behind you. Every stamp has a keepsake worth holding.

Lassen Volcanic · Mile 06 · Where to Next

Keep the Journey Going

The collection

All 63 Parks

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Build a Trip

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Start planning → Go deeper

The Lassen Volcanic Deep Dive

The long-form guide: every trail, season, and secret, on the journal.

Read it → Explore more

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Nineteen parks remain
"The parks do not belong to one state or to one section... they belong as much to the man of Massachusetts, of Michigan, of Florida, as they do to the people of California, of Wyoming, and of Arizona."
Stephen Mather · first director of the National Park Service
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