Our Weekend Roadtrip to Lassen Volcanic National Park
/When people ask Why California, my answer is always the same. It’s the treasure chest of natural beauty that I didn’t know I had to have until I laid eyes on it. What puts this adopted home of mine impossible to give up is also, unfortunately, what puts us at a disadvantage on the climate change front- the oceans, the desert, the mountains, the forests. And oh, my newly firsthand experienced self would like to add volcanoes to that list.❤️
Lassen Volcanic National Park is something unique in California’s National Parks system, being centrally defined by volcanoes and their consequent geological features. Lassen Peak last erupted a long time ago in 1915, but the park makes that easy to forget. The lava beds and the cinder cone and volcanic rocks are all around, casting the entire place in a very volcano-ey light. Add to that the fact that the Lassen area is still considered volcanically active, and it’s a veritable treat for us mortal souls to go take a peek at it when we still can!
If you’re lucky to be at driving distance from here, it’s an excellent 2020 roadtrip idea. Unlike a lot of the more popular parks (hi, Yosemite), Lassen had fewer crowds and thus made for COVID-friendly traversing. Case in point: When I was half-dead hiking up the cinder cone, I sure was glad that I could breathe with my mask off without putting others and myself at risk. I also thought that this park was logistically a treat; where it takes hours of driving between attractions in some parks, all of Lassen’s main attractions are along the north-to-south SR-89 and can be feasibly covered in a single weekend. Even our longest detour to the Cinder Cone on CA-44 took only an hour from the southern park entrance.
A note before I jump into the details- If you’re looking to make the trip here before the year ends, I’d suggest hopping to it. Sections of the park close due to weather conditions as early as November and open as late as May! ⏳
Where we Stayed
Like most National Parks, Lassen NP is not very commercial at all. There’s exactly one lodging option inside the park and it comes at a pretty penny that reflects this fact. Worry not, however, because as we discovered, the towns nearest - Redding and Mineral, to name a couple, have a reasonable number of affordable private rentals. Our cozy cabin in Mineral was a lovely Vrbo find with enough scenic charm of its own that we liked hanging out there just as much as at the park (a mere!) 30 minutes away. Recommend. 👍🏽
Dress: c/o chicwish
Things to do
Hike the Cinder Cone
The absolute highlight of the weekend! Cinder cones are steep conical hills of volcanic cinders formed from eruptions of a volcanic vent. Read as: there is a volcanic vent at the base of that hill! This cinder cone at Lassen sits on an extinct vent, but still. 😬 The hike itself is as challenging as a steep climb on loose gravel-like cinder sounds, and add to that the unrelenting August sun when we were there! The reward at the top, though, is well worth it. Standing at the rim and staring down the gaping mouth of the cone where the vent lies is a moment I’ll always remember. 🤩A few tips to make the most of the hike:
The final stretch of the drive to the Cinder Cone off of CA-44 is an unpaved dirt road. Just an FYI.
Make sure to stop along the trail to the base of the cone from the parking lot to check out Butte Lake and the Fantastic Lava Beds.
Include time if possible to explore the trails at the top. We loved circling the rim, especially to see the Painted Dunes across on the other side, but there were people who had climbed down the cone to the base! SO cool. 💯
Try starting early and carry lots of hydration! There is no shade on the cone and it gets brutally hot on a warm day.
Set: c/o fabletics
Tour the Lakes
Did you know that Lassen NP has a whopping 20 lakes?! Given that the park spans a multitude of geological features and altitudes, there is diversity in the lakes- perhaps its alpine or glacial, maybe it’s near lava beds or its surrounded by lush forests. Driving along I-82 through the park, our itinerary included four lakes, each distinct and beautiful.Butte lake: Right by the Cinder Cone trailhead parking lot and the Butte Lake campground, this sparkling blue water body has the dramatic contrast of being walled in by black lava beds.
Manzanita lake: A very popular lake for recreational activities typically, although we had to settle for a lakeside picnic bench lunch since it was closed due to river otter danger. We still enjoyed the beautiful views, bluejays for company and oh, for my fellow pet parents- this lake is dog-friendly!
Summit lake: If I had a few hours to spare in the park, this alpine lake is where I’d go! Calm and fairly shallow waters if you’re the swimming or kayaking type., or simply grab a book and a blanket like I would to take in the moody views of the pine tree forests on the periphery. We caught sight of a well-prepared man on a unicorn float and I just about turned as green as the pine trees with envy!
Lake Helen: This glacial beauty is a sight to behold! Sitting at ~8200 ft with a clear line of sight to Brokeoff Mountain, Lake Helen can be walked across to from the Bumpass Hell trailhead parking lot. The icy and deep waters are not meant for play, but the rocky beach sure made for a peaceful spot to dip our tired hikers’ feet.
Butte lake
manzanita lake
Summit lake
Bumpass Hell
Okay, this story deserves telling! Named for one Mr. Kendall Bumpass’s colorful reference to the place after he lost his leg to a boiling mud pit, Bumpass Hell is a hydro/geo-thermal area chockful of such hell-ish features- fumaroles, sulfur pools, steam vents, boiling springs, mud pits, the list goes on. The hissing and steaming took me straight back to geysers and vents central- Yellowstone National Park.
Part of what I enjoyed most was the trail itself, a ~3 mile hike along the side of Bumpass Mountain that’s a scenic treat in itself. If you happen to visit in the Spring and Summer, there are bound to be wildflowers along the way. We were lucky to stumble upon meadows upon meadows of August’s specialty- the famous purple fireweed.
And that’s it! Lassen is small and sweet and wonderfully do-able on a short weekend roadtrip. I FULLY ENDORSE.👍🏽
If you’ve been, what were your highlights? Let me know. ❤️
Thank you for reading and have a lovely week ahead!
XO Sushmitha :)
