Visiting in Summer

Plan a Summer Visit: July - September

The most popular season in the park offers the widest selection of activities and services.

Summer Guide and Itineraries

View sample itineraries from several days to two or more days. Otherwise, a summer guide is available when you arrive at park entrance stations.

Weather

Warm daytime temperatures and cool evening temperatures. Sunny days dominate with occasional thunderstorms. Expect a 5° temperature decrease for every 1,000 foot increase in elevation. View the weather forecast for each area prior to your visit. Manzanita Lake Area (5,800 ft / 1,767 m) average summer high / low: 82° / 39°F ( 28° / 4°C).

Areas to Visit

Generally, all park areas and trails are accessible in the summer season. Winter snowpack needs to be cleared from park roads for vehicle access. Road openings occur anytime from May through July. Check the status of park roads prior to your visit, especially if planning a visit early to mid-summer.

Trails

Snow often lingers on park trails well into the summer months; view current trail conditions to help you prepare. Bumpass Hell Trail remains closed due to snow coverage into July. It opens once the trail is melted out and safe for hiking. Snow patches can persist on the Lassen Peak Trail into August, however the trail is always open to over-the-snow travel. A free permit is required for backpacking.

Things to Do

Summer offers the greatest selection of activities in the park. Summer activities include: summer ranger-led programs, most special events, field seminars, auto touring, backpacking, and the Highway ParkCaching (GPS) Challenge.

Facilities & Services

All facilities and services are open daily in the summer season (July through September); view operating hours. The park's eight campgrounds are available primarily by reservation only. Additional campground are available outside the park in the surrounding Lassen National Forest.

Wildflowers

Wildflowers peak in high elevation areas between July and September. Many of the same species that bloom in May and June at lower elevations including Manzanita and Butte Lake will appear later in the Summit Lake and Lassen Peak areas.

Fire & Smoke

Hazy or smoky conditions may occur during summer and fall. This is largely due to fires in the region or in the park. Lightning-caused fire occurs naturally in the forests of the region. In some areas, the park may have prescribed fires. Prescription fire promotes forest health and reduces the chance of larger fires.

 

Suggested Itineraries

Four Hours

Drive Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway to enjoy many highlights including scenic vistas and access to several hiking trails. A one-way journey on the 30-mile highway will take approximately one hour without any stops.

Sulphur Works provides the easiest access to an active hydrothermal area. Walk along the sidewalk from the parking area to discover the areas plopping mudpot, and steaming vents.

Lake Helen, at the base of Lassen Peak, is a sight not to miss. This high elevation lake often has snow and ice into mid-summer. The views of Lassen Peak are unbeatable and a picnic area to the east is a great spot to stop for lunch.

Devastated Area Interpretive Trail is a wheelchair-accessible loop with amazing views of the destruction caused by Lassen Peak's eruptions of 1914-17. Read more about the eruption on wayside exhibits located along the trail.

Manzanita Lake Area offers numerous easy to moderate trails with scenic views and opportunities for swimming, boating, and fishing.

One Day

A full day gives you time to enjoy multiple highlights on Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway at at least one hike in the Southwest or Manzanita Lake Areas.

Take a Hike. Parking is limited at trailheads along the park highway and can fill up early. Consider arriving early; going mid-week; or choosing an equally scenic, but less popular trail.

Enjoy a Picnic. Pick up supplies or grab ready-to-go items at the Manzanita Lake Camper Store or Lassen Cafe in the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center. Bring a blanket and picnic along the edge of a lake or meadow or snag a picnic table at Lake Helen, Kings Creek, Summit Lake North, Manzanita Lake, Butte Lake, or Warner Valley.

Cast a fishing line into one of the park's many lakes.

Two or More Days

More time provides the opportunity to enjoy longer hikes and a full day in one of the more remote areas of the park. View directions to the remote areas of Butte Lake, Warner Valley and Juniper Lake.

Butte Lake Area offers a striking landscape including the barren Cinder Cone volcano, colorful Painted Dunes, and lava rock-lined Butte Lake. The area offers excellent opportunities for camping, hiking, non-motorized boating, swimming, and fishing.

An overnight or late night stay means an opportunity to enjoy Lassen Volcanic's dark night skies. Learn more about how and where to stargaze in the park.