Lassen Volcanic National Park

It is a very cool place – beautiful nature, volcanic activity, many places to hike, swim or canoe – but not at all crowded, though less than 5 hours by car from the Bay Area.

Bumpass Hell was awesome. Far and away the highlight of the park.

The hike up Lassen Peak was alright. It didn’t offer the views or the challenge I was looking for. Back down at the trailhead I talked to another hiker that said that Brokeoff Mountain offers a more challenging and scenic hike. If I ever go back I’ll do that one instead.

I used to go camping all the time at Lassen when I lived in Chico. The hike to the top of the Volcano is worth the trip. Me and my buddies did at 10pm on the night of a full moon. The view was spectacular and surreal.

Lassen Volcanic National Park is a place of several kinds of beauty. The beauty of the Sierra Nevada mountains and the beauty of an active volcano.

Lassen is best viewed from then of spring to the beginning of winter. Spring in the Sierra Nevada can be from April till July. Some years the park was still snowed in on the 4th of July but this does not happen often. No you won’t see any vats of lava here….unless there is an eruption! There are plenty of steaming vents and bubbling mud pits. Old landslides and lava beds abound as do beautiful alpine lakes.

Be prepared to do some serious walking and hiking to see all the park has to offer. Stay on the trails! I started a rock slide the narrowly missed several people as the rocks went across the trail that crisscrosses several times. I should have heeded natures call in the ample rest rooms they have at various sites.

This whole area of Northern California is a rock hunters dream. With everything from large chunks of pumice that weight only a few pounds to giant deposits of black obsidian with chunks the size of your head. You can also find many quartz deposits, gold bearing quartz deposits.

Lassen is a small park. I’ve spent a week there and practically hiked every trail and seen every attraction worth seeing. The size and the relative obscurity are two reasons it is the forgotten gem of the national park system. Another reason to visit is to hike to the summit of a real volcano, albeit a sleeping one. Lassen’s volcanic fields are nothing compared to Yellowstone but they are more welcoming and intimate. If you are there for the first time, you will probably want to trek up Mt. Lassen but it’s a triesome and shadeless series of switchbacks. The hike to Brokeoff Mountain, the second highest elevation in the park, is much better. It is a beautiful walk through forests and bubbling creeks with lots of wildlife and few people. The view is just as good and you can wave to the people on the top of Mount Lassen!