Day Hiking

Regional Map of Park

 

Lassen Volcanic National Park offers over 150 miles of hiking trails for visitors of levels of ability. Discover the devastation of Lassen Peak's last eruption on the accessible trail at the Devastated Area, explore Lassen's largest hydrothermal area on the Bumpass Hell trail, or spend the day climbing Brokeoff Mountain and enjoy its spectacular panoramic views. Please note that winter conditions often persist late into the summer months, and many trails are not snow free until June or July. View current trail conditions below or call [phone] for the most up-to-date information.

Take the Reach Higher Trail Challenge!
Pick up a participation brochure at a visitor station and start hiking to burn calories and earn a free commemorative bandana (while supplies last)!

Day Hike Guide (pdf, 89KB)

 

Trail Notes

Learn how to improve your safety while hiking or about backpacking (backcountry camping) in the park.

Hydrothermal Area Danger

For your safety, stay on established trails and boardwalks. Ground in hydrothermal areas can look solid but may actually be a thin crust hiding pools of acidic boiling water or mud. Traveling off-trail in these areas may result in severe injury. Read more about exploring the park hydrothermal areas.

Day Hiking in Winter and Early Spring

Most hiking trails are not accessible during winter and early spring. When hiking in the winter or early spring, you will be hiking on snow and will most likely need snowshoes, skis, and/or shoe traction-devices. We don't plow or shovel snow from hiking trails. The park highway is not plowed during the winter, so popular trailheads that you can easily access in the summer (like Bumpass Hell or Lassen Peak) are not reachable via car. Most hiking trails are snow-covered until late May or early June. Depending on the snow year, some hiking trails won't be snow-free until later in the summer. However, as the road is plowed in the spring, sections open to walking, hiking, and biking. Learn more about Visiting in Spring or Visiting in Winter.

 

Trail Conditions

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Difficulty ratings: * Easy | ** Moderate | *** Strenuous

Last updated: 5/26

Trail	Difficulty	Miles (RT)	Condition
PCT (17 miles through the park)		18.3	Likely patchy snow with heavy above 6,500-feet elevation.
Southwest Area | Elevations range from 6,700 feet to 10,457 feet
Bumpass Hell	**	3.0	Closed due to snow hazards. View opening dates for previous years.
Brokeoff Mountain	***	7.0	Snow-covered
Cold Boiling and Crumbaugh Lakes	**	2.6	Snow-covered. 6 feet of snow at Cold Boiling Lake and 4 feet of snow at Crumbaugh Lake on 5/19.
Kings Creek Falls	**	3.0	Snow-covered
Sifford Lakes	**		Snow-covered
Lassen Peak	***	5.0	Snow-covered. Learn more about lightning safety. From 5/29: 100% snow coverage on lower portion (0 - 0.5 miles) of trail to the beginning of the ridge. Snow depth up to 10 feet or more. 75% snow coverage on the SE Ridge (0.5 - 2 miles). Snow depth 0 – 7 feet. 50% snow coverage on the upper portion of the trail to the summit (2 - 2.5 miles). Snow depth mostly 0-2 feet.
Mill Creek Falls	**	3.8	Patchy snow
Ridge Lakes	***	2.0	Patchy snow
Terrace, Shadow, and Cliff Lakes	**	4.0	Snow-covered. 8 feet of snow at Terrace and Shadow Lakes; 3 feet of snow at Cliff Lake on 5/19.
Northwest Area | Elevations range from 5,900 feet to 7,200 feet
Summit Lake to Cluster/Twin Lakes Loop	**	11	Snow-covered. 5/15: 100% snow coverage, mostly 2-5 feet deep. Trail passes through the 2012 Reading Fire. Dead standing trees can fall without warning; use caution.
Crags Lake	**	4.2	Snow-free
Devastated Area Interpretive Loop	*	0.25	Snow-free
Echo Lake	**	4.4	Snow-covered. 5/15: 75% snow coverage, mostly 2-3 feet deep.
Lily Pond Nature Trail Loop	*	0.5	Snow-free
Hat Lake to Paradise Meadow	**	2.8	Snow-covered
Manzanita Creek	**	7.0	Patch snow to snow-covered
Manzanita Lake	*	1.8	Snow-free
Nobles Emigrant Trail	*	3.5	Snow-free
Butte Lake Area | Elevations range from 6,100 feet to 8,300 feet
Bathtub Lake Loop	**	0.8	Snow-free
Cinder Cone	**(*)	4.0	Snow-free. Learn more about lightning safety
Prospect Peak	***	6.6	Snow-free
Butte Lake to Widow Lake		4.5	Snow-free at Snag Lake, no update on Widow Lake at this time.
Snag Lake Loop		13	Snow-free
Warner Valley and Juniper Lake Areas | Elevations range from 5,600 feet to 8,000 feet
Boiling Springs Lake	**	3.0	Likely patchy snow
Devils Kitchen	**	4.4	Likely patchy snow
Drake Lake	**	4	Likely patchy snow
Dream Lake Basin	*	1	Likely patchy snow
Terminal Geyser	**	5.8	Likely patchy snow
Horseshoe Lake	*	2.8	Snow-covered. Road closed due to snow.
Inspiration Point	**	1.4	Snow-covered. Road closed due to snow.
Mount Harkness	**	3.8	Snow-covered. Road closed due to snow. Learn more about lightning safety.