Editor’s note: Who doesn’t like a good volcano, right? For visitors to California, Lassen Volcanic National Park is off the beaten path, but just as awesome as any place this side of Yosemite. Like our resident geology buff Morgan, I love this gem of a park and recommend it to everyone I know! For more of Morgan’s writing here at The Royal Tour, be sure to click here to visit her index page.

California has a whopping nine National Parks, the most out of any US state, but most people think only of famous Yosemite and the Redwoods when imagining the parks. Despite being located nearly the same distance from California’s capital city (Sacramento) as Yosemite, Lassen sees only one-tenth the number of yearly visitors, which allows nature and geology enthusiasts the opportunity to explore its remote volcanic wilderness in peace – as long as you avoid the leeches, caustic boiling mud, and man-made explosions.

Lassen Peak competes with other mountains in the Cascade Range, such as the also-volcanic Mt. Shasta, to loom over northeastern California. The peak itself is a dome-shaped volcano that erupted as recently as 1919 – meaning you can see actual videos and photos of explosions shooting rocks and ash into the sky, visible from miles away. The film available in the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center at the south entrance of the park shows this footage, and is well worth a stop.

Lassen stands apart from other volcanic landscapes because it contains all four major types of volcanoes in one area. Four shield volcanoes slope gradually up as they’re built with fast-moving fluid lava. Brokeoff Mountain is known as a composite or stratovolcano, steep-sided layered peaks that tend to have explosive eruptions, though over time Brokeoff has been, well, broken off and weathered to a smaller set of peaks rather than its original impressive figure. The also-aptly-named Cinder Cone is a cinder cone, consisting of steep piles of loose crumbly cinders that make walking difficult. Lassen Peak itself rounds out the group as a plug dome, rounded mounds of lava that plug the opening and trap gas inside, making for spectacular explosions once that gas builds up. The park also protects 79,000 acres of area designated as Volcanic Wilderness – a title only 5% of public land in the US holds. But even if you’re not a geology nerd like me, the park is full of wonder.

Exploring Lassen Volcanic National Park

You don’t need to get far into the park to find a low-impact hike that leads to a steaming waterfall – the tallest in the park with a drop of 75 feet – created from a hot water source and cool water meeting. This hike, Mill Creek Falls, leaves right from the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center and also includes lovely spring wildflowers as well as an occasional deer sighting.

Likewise, the Kings Creek Falls trail rewards adventurers with a route that follows the splashing waterfall for a major chunk of its steep climbing egress, making the horse-inaccessible path feel like a meditation.

As far as summiting mountains goes, at five miles roundtrip and about 2000 feet of altitude gain, Lassen Peak isn’t a terribly grueling hike and doesn’t require any special gear. The 360-degree view of a good chunk of Northern California’s best sights is certainly worth the effort.

Lassen Volcanic National Park has over 200 lakes. Emerald Lake and Helen Lake both sit right along the main road through the park, and reflect the mountain and surrounding areas (including a feature on Mount Lassen called the Eye of Vulcan, named after the Roman god of fire) with stunning clarity. The colors in these lakes make for a great spot to sit and create art. Further north, Manzanita Lake provides a perfectly reflective backdrop for stargazing and night sky photography – provided the clouds cooperate. This lake also contains trout, and like several other lakes and creeks, allows visitors to fish. You’ll potentially see shore fishing, fly fishing, and even fishing from a floating tube throughout the park. One lake, Boiling Springs, is not accessible, though. As its name indicates, the water is fed by steam vents that reach more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lassen Volcanism

But if you’re visiting a volcanic national park, you’re probably interested in seeing some volcanism. Besides the majestic mountains and vistas in the park demonstrating all four volcano types, you’ll also encounter Sulphur Works: a bubbling, plopping, stinking sulfuric pit. The panoramic valley view from Sulphur Works also reveals some hydrothermal steam releases.

In the northern area of the park, the crunchy sliding trek up the loose volcanic gravel to the top of the cinder cone reveals two features created by the eruption of Cinder Cone about 350 years ago: the multicolored Painted Dunes, formed by various colors of volcanic rock, and the Fantastic Lava Beds.

Bumpass Hell, a three-mile hike through a hydrothermal area containing steamy sulfur vents, popping and plopping mud pots, and pools of clear boiling water, has a funny name with a not-so-funny origin. Cowboy Kendal Bumpass accidentally stepped through the crust and into a boiling mudpot in 1865. The superheated mud stuck to his skin and ultimately caused him to lose the limb, so the area became known as Bumpass Hell. This trail (which thankfully now has a sturdy boardwalk) is only open seasonally.

The Best Time to Visit Lassen

Lassen Peak has snow year-round, which makes for a fun hike when it’s hot at the base and snowy at the top. However, the high-altitude elevation of the park means that significant snow closes the main road through the park for a good portion of the year. If you want to drive through the whole park, a late summer or early fall trip will be your best bet. Make sure to check National Park Service resources to find out about any closures, mountain lion sightings, wildfires, and other updates before you make the trip in.

Otherwise, the main road through the park may very well be closed. If that’s the case, you can still park at the visitor center and learn about the park, hike to Mill Creek Falls, and walk the slightly uphill road to the always-boiling Sulphur Works.

What to Avoid at Lassen Volcanic National Park

Having seen people fishing and frolicking in a couple of the lakes (obviously not Boiling Springs Lake) during my travels through Lassen Park, I wanted to experience the same adventure on my most recent trip. I convinced my brother to take a dip with me, not far from where others were swimming. As I waded my way through the aquatic grasses, I noticed some little creatures wiggling their way around – and realized my body was covered in leeches. Luckily I noticed quickly enough to remove them before they’d truly attached, but I would be remiss to discuss activities at Lassen without mentioning this one activity to avoid!

Also be sure to avoid going off-trail, especially in burned areas from the Dixie Fire where dead limbs and trees may still be precariously attached, and in geothermal areas where the ground may not look hot but can still damage your body. Think of Mr. Bumpass when you’re making your decisions.

The final activity we want to avoid at Mount Lassen is actually something the National Park Service did in 1931: intentionally blowing up the mountain to simulate an eruption. That’s a history hole you’ll want to dive into!

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