Explore Lassen Volcanic National Park

Lassen Volcanic National Park Activities

Lassen Volcanic National Park's 106,372 acres provide a wealth of fun activities that are as varied as the seasons of the park. 

• There are over 150 miles of hiking trails within the park which range in difficulty from a strenuous 5 mile round-trip hike up Lassen Peak to a gentle 1 mile stroll around Manzanita Lake. 
• The Main Park Road provides incredible views of the Cascades and High Sierras, as well as access to mountain lakes and active hydrothermal areas. 
• There are eight campgrounds within Lassen Volcanic National Park, and a large part of Lassen's wilderness is available for wilderness camping with a free permit. 

Use the navigation links on the left side to begin exploring the many activites available at Lassen Volcanic National Park.

When planning which activities you want to enjoy while visiting the park, please keep in mind that access to specific trails, or even the park itself, is dependent on the weather and snow conditions.  In heavy snow years the park road may open as late as July 4th, but could open as early as May 28th on light snow years.  Click here to visit the road opening status webpage for up-to-date information.  For the same reasons, access to many trails may be restricted or limited to those with snowshoes.  The Bumpass Hell trail usually does not open until early to mid-July.  Call the park headquarters information desk at 530-595-4444 for the current status of trails throughout the park.

Hike to Bumpass Hell

On Highway 89, near Lassen Peak. This is the largest geothermal area in the park and features boiling pools, mudpots and roaring fumaroles seen from a wooden boardwalk. A large parking lot is found at the trailhead to Bumpass Hell. The geothermal area can be reached via a 3-mile (4.8 km) hiking trail. The trail has a 300 foot (91 m) elevation gain/loss. The elevation of the trail is around 8,000 feet (2,430 m) so care should be taken if you are not used to high altitudes. The trail is buried under snow until late spring, sometimes till mid-summer, depending on the previous winter's snowfall.

Climb Lassen Peak

The high mountain pass of Highway 89 allows easy access to the summit of Lassen Peak. The 2.5 mile (4 km) trail to the summit begins from a parking lot on the highway. The trip to the peak and back is a total of five miles (8 km) with a climb of about 2,000 feet (610 m). The average time for the round trip is 3-5 hours. The elevation of the trail is from 8,000 feet (2,430 m) to 10,457 feet (3,187 m) so care should be taken if you are not used to high altitudes.

More Lassen Volcanic Hiking Trails
Hike Brokeoff Mtn Trail | Hike Bumpass Hell Trail | Hike Cinder Cone | Hike Devil's Kitchen
Hike Kings Creek Falls | Hike Lassen Lakes | Hike Lassen Peak Trail | Terrace Shadow Cliff Lake

Fishing

Fishing is allowed in Manzanita Lake, located just inside the West Entrance, Juniper Lake in the southeast corner of the Park (reached via unpaved road from the town Chester) and Butte Lake in the northeast corner of the Park (reached unpaved road from Highway 44). All three lakes allow fishing from the shore or from a boat. All three have a boat launch ramp. A California fishing license is required. The lakes have natural trout populations. Only single-hook, barbless, artificial lures are allowed in Manzanita Lake.