Lassen Volcanic National Park: Hydrothermal Pools, Lakes and Volcanic Views

Hydrothermal pools at Bumpass Hell. NPS.

Lassen Volcanic National Park, in Northern California, has lakes, unusual hydrothermal features and mountain views in every season. Summer brings wildflowers on the hillsides, sunsets over the lakes and good hiking; winter brings sledding and snowshoeing on snowy slopes. Lodging is open all year, from campsites to lakeside cabins and a lodge in the valley.

Hydrothermal features

Start at one of the park's hydrothermal areas, such as Bumpass Hell or Sulphur Works. Boardwalks lead past bubbling pools, steam vents and brightly coloured minerals: something to smell and hear as well as see.

Lakes

The park's natural lakes are good for fishing, swimming and boating.

• Manzanita Lake: a 1.8-mile loop through a meadow and along the wooded shore, plus a half-mile walk around the Lily Pond Natural Area; good for watching birds and wildlife, and for snowshoeing in winter.
• Boiling Springs Lake, on the park's southern edge, stays at 125 degrees all year, heated by steam vents below, with bubbling mud pots along its shore.
• Lake Helen and Reflection Lake: places to watch the sun set behind Lassen Peak.

Views and volcanic history

The Painted Dunes. NPS.

• Devastated Area and the Upper Meadow area: views over the meadows and Lassen Peak, with exhibits on the park's volcanic history.
• Mill Creek Falls: one of the park's few waterfalls.
• Cinder Cone Trail: views of Cinder Cone, a 350-year-old volcano, and over the Painted Dunes, fields coloured by ash and sediment from eruptions and other natural processes millions of years ago.

More on the park: nps.gov/lavo.

Sources

• Audrey Nelson, NPS Workforce Management Fellow, in partnership with Northwest Youth Corps, "Travel Blog: Lassen Volcanic National Park," A Day in the Life of a Fellow, National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/travel-blog-lassen-volcanic-national-park.htm
• Words on this page from people and organisations outside the federal government are paraphrased; rewritten in hubnx's own words.