Weekend in Lassen Volcanic National Park + Northern Cali
- The Wandering Warmacks
- Feb 20, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 27, 2024
From dazzling lakes, to bubbling mud pits, steam vents, and pine trees, Lassen Volcanic National Park is far from ordinary. It's home to the world's largest plug dome volcano and houses all 4 types of volcanoes, making it the only National Park to do so. We visited this unique Northern California park twice - once on our way from Missouri to Oregon, and also for a weekend trip.
When we first visited in June, we were very limited to what we could see in the park due to snow. The southwest area reopened late summer and we were able to complete some popular hikes. We had other hikes in mind too, but those areas were still closed off due to the 2021 Dixie Fire. This is your friendly reminder to always check the NPS website first. We unfortunately wasted a lot of time driving just to have to turn around since some trailheads were inaccessible :(
On our way back to Oregon, we decided to stop at a few other Northern California attractions as well.
LASSEN VOLCANIC HIKES/THINGS TO DO
Bumpass Hell (2.7 miles): a must-do hike! It starts off with sweeping views of pine trees that lead down to the largest hydrothermal area in the park. Boardwalks allow you to safely navigate mud pots, steam vents, and acidic creeks. This was the most unique view we've seen in a National Park so far! It felt other-wordly
Kings Creek Falls (2.8 miles): a lot of this trail takes you through a burned forest, but the waterfall is beautiful. There's a nice gazing deck once you get to the viewpoint
Manzanita Lake Loop (1.9 miles): very easy walk with a delightful view of Lassen Peak. They also offered on-site kayak rentals, which was the perfect way to spend a summer day. Both were really fun ways to enjoy the lake
Lake Helen: Nestled at the base of Lassen Peak, this glistening blue lake is an alluring road-side stop. You can park in the lot for Bumpass Hell and walk across the highway to marvel at it up close.
Emerald Lake: Located near Bumpass Hell and Lake Helen lies another beautiful road-side lake
Sulphur Works: This road-side stop gives you easy and up-close access to another hydrothermal area. You can walk along the paved sidewalk to view more bubbling pits and steam vents, and take in the wonderful smell of sulphur ;)
LASSEN VOLCANIC CAMPING
Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center - you can camp in the parking lot in your car/RV/camper for a small fee. We did this twice and found it very convenient! The visitor center stayed open for bathrooms and also offered WiFi
Manzanita Lake Campground - reservable through NPS in the northwest corner of the park
OTHER ATTRACTIONS
Burney Falls - located within McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park is the most mesmerizing waterfall we've seen to date. There was a small fee and large crowds, but the views were priceless. The Burney Falls loop is only a mile long down a paved walkway with a moderate incline. The waterfall is 129 feet with a multitude of cascades and a glistening emerald pool. Note: Burney Falls will unfortunately be closed during 2024 for maintenance due to large volume of visitors
Mt. Shasta Brewing Co - we visited this eclectic microbrewery in Weed, CA on our way home from Lassen and Burney Falls. We enjoyed some typical pub grub and beer (well, rootbeer for me...). Hunter has been collecting beer glasses as souvenirs from our travels, and this brewery had one of our favorite designs we've collected so far!
We loved our time in Northern California and hope to make it back to Mount Shasta someday!
TRIP BREAKDOWN
LENGTH OF STAY: 4 DAYS
📍 Redding, CA
⛺ $30 (three nights at visitor center), $26 (one night at Manzanita Lake)
🛶 Kayak Rental: $38
⛽ 🍽️ : variable
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