Day Hiking

Young hikers on the Bumpass Hell Trail with Lassen Peak in the background.

 

More than 150 miles of hiking trails provide access to a wide-variety of park features including hydrothermal areas, volcanic peaks, alpine lakes, and mountain meadows. Hiking is the best way to explore Lassen Volcanic Wilderness, a designation afforded to just five percent of America’s public lands. You can enjoy and preserve these wild areas by practicing Leave No Trace (LNT) principles and not contributing to recreation-related impacts in the park including litter, erosion, social trail creation, and food-conditioned wildlife.

COVID-19 Modification

Please Recreate Responsibly by practicing Leave No Trace principles, avoiding unnecessary risk, and selecting less popular trails or hiking at non-peak times (e.g. holidays, weekends).

 

On This Page Navigation

 

Plan Your Hike

• View descriptions and current conditions of popular day hikes below. The list and descriptions are included in the park guide available online and distributed at park entrance stations.
• View the park map, which includes park trails and trail distances. The park map is included in the brochure distributed at park entrance stations.
• Find out how you can improve your safety while hiking and about general safety while visiting the park.
• Find out what to expect when hiking in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter (hint: trails are most easily accessed is summer).
• Learn more about backpacking in the park.

• Take the Reach Higher Trail Challenge and earn a free bandana for hiking.

 

Map of park areas and trailheads. Click on map for larger image.

 

Trail Conditions

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Difficulty ratings: * Easy | ** Moderate | *** Moderately Strenuous | **** Strenous
[P] Parking limited | [K] Good for kids | [B] Busy/popular | [N] Part of a National Trail | [I] Self-guided interpretive trail

Last updated: 7/13/20

Trail	Difficulty	Miles (RT)	Notes	Condition
PCT (17 miles through the park)		18.3		Snow-free. Likely downed trees in sections.
Southwest Area | Elevations range from 6,700 feet to 10,457 feet
Bumpass Hell	**	3.0	[P] [K] [B] [N]	Trail opened on 7/2. Parking is limited and fills up by 10 am most days.
Brokeoff Mountain	****	7.0	[P]	Snow-free
Cold Boiling and Crumbaugh Lakes	**	2.6	[K]	Snow-free
Kings Creek Falls	**	3.0	[P] [B][K]	Muddy and wet sections
Sifford Lakes	**	Varies	[P] [K]	Snow-free
Lassen Peak	****	5.0	[N]	Learn more about lightning safety. Large snowfield near summit. Cutting switchbacks causes resource damage and erosion. Protect the peak and stay on the trail.
Mill Creek Falls	***	3.8	[K]	Snow-free
Ridge Lakes	****	2.0		Snow-free
Terrace, Shadow, and Cliff Lakes	***	4.0	[P]	Snow-free
Manzanita Lake and Summit Lake Areas | Elevations range from 5,900 feet to 7,200 feet
Summit Lake to Cluster/Twin Lakes Loop	**	11		Snow-free Trail passes through the 2012 Reading Fire. Dead standing trees can fall without warning; use caution. A bear has stolen unattended backpacks in the Twin Lakes area. Note closure for backcountry camping due to bears gaining access to improperly stored food and scented items. Read more about backcounrty camping. Trails are open for day hiking.
Crags Lake	**	4.2		Snow-free
Devastated Area Interpretive Loop	*	0.25	[I] [K]	Snow-free
Echo Lake	**	4.4		Snow-free
Lily Pond Nature Trail Loop	*	0.5	[I] [K]	Snow-free
Hat Lake to Paradise Meadow	**	2.8	[K]	Snow-free
Manzanita Creek	**	7.0		Snow-free
Manzanita Lake	*	1.8	[K] [B]	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	[K]	Snow-free
Cinder Cone	** (****)	4.0	[I]	Snow-free. (Cinder Cone portion of the hke is strenous, gain of 700 feet in a half mile). Learn more about lightning safety
Prospect Peak	***	6.6		Snow-free
Butte Lake to Widow Lake	***	4.5		Snow-free
Snag Lake Loop	**	13		Snow-free
Warner Valley Area | 5,600 feet
Boiling Springs Lake	**	3.0	[K] [N]	Snow-free
Devils Kitchen	**	4.4	[K] [N]	Snow-free
Drake Lake	**	4		Snow-free
Dream Lake Basin	*	1	[K] [N]	Snow-free
Terminal Geyser	**	5.8	[N]	Snow-free
Little Willow Lake to Terminal Geyser	**	1.8		Snow-free
Juniper Lake Area | 8,000 feet
Horseshoe Lake	*	2.8	[K]	Snow-free
Inspiration Point	**	1.4	[K]	Snow-free
Mount Harkness	****	3.8		Snow-free. Learn more about lightning safety. Lookout is closed to visitors this summer due to COVID-19 response.
Crystal Lake	*	0.8	[K] [P]	Snow-free

 

Hiking in Winter and Early Spring

Trails Are Completely Snow-covered in the Winter Season (December - March)

Hiking in the winter season involves over-the-snow travel. This requires 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. Learn more about winter activities in the park.

Snow Persists on Trails in the Spring Season (April - June)

Trails in higher elevation areas (Southwest and Juniper Lake) often remain snow-covered well into June or July. Trails in lower elevation areas (Manzanita Lake, Butte Lake, and Warner Valley) are the first to become snow-free, which often occurs in May or June. Visitors are encouraged to hike and bike the park highway as plowed section become accessible to non-vehicular use during spring road clearing.

Trails Are Most Accessible in the Summer Season (July - September) and Fall Season (October - November)

Snow can fall as early as October, however it does not usually begin to accumulate until December.