A First Visit to Lassen

Several times a year, the national parks have fee-free entry days. Coming off of our recent trip to Iceland, we wanted to keep up our ‘adventure momentum’ and planned a short weekend trip to Lassen Volcanic National Park. I wasn’t sure what to expect, exactly, but I don’t think I was prepared for Lassen to be every bit the landscape photographer’s paradise as Iceland was. Aside from its inherent beauty, it’s easy to access many of the park highlights from the main road.

We drove to Redding after work on a Friday, intending to spend Saturday in the park and drive home on Sunday. A potentially exhausting plan, but we were both game. The drive was uneventful and we found the AirBnB without too much trouble – a small cottage north of town, perfect for two people. In the morning we got coffee and bagels as well as snacks for the day. Soon we were cruising along CA-44 toward the park. It was shaping up to be a clear day and we were glad to shed the high temperatures as we gained altitude.

Our first stop was the Loomis Museum where we learned about the history of the park (on both geological and recent timescales). Lassen Peak last erupted in 1915. Benjamin Franklin Loomis, who would later help establish the park, was present at the time to document the event. I was surprised to learn it only took about eighty years for the surrounding area to recover from the eruption. Helpful exhibits explained how, when, and what type of creatures and plants returned over time, transforming the devastated landscape.

Originally, I’d planned to hike to Crags Lake, but a friendly ranger verified that the lake was dry. She confirmed that Echo Lake would be a great alternative (and complimented us on our Tame Impala shirts). First, though, we walked a ways along the shore of Manzanita Lake. Fisherman floated in canoes on the clear, colorful waters.

We had a little trouble finding the correct parking area for the Echo Lake trail but eventually got there (the Summit Lake campground was quite full and probably just for campers – the Summit Lake ranger station to the north was the correct spot to park). The trail took us to the edge of Summit Lake, which, like Manzanita Lake, was ringed with trees and reflected deep, bold colors. Reading Peak rose above the treetops to the west.

From that point on, the trail climbed almost continuously to the halfway point. The temperature was perfect for hiking and the weather was bright and clear. Stopping to rest gave opportunities to appreciate the view of Lassen and Reading peaks through the forest. All of the hikers we encountered were very friendly. The trail leveled out for a while and we could see the terrain of the southern part of the park. Not long after, we followed the path on a 250 foot descent to Echo Lake.

We picnicked on a log and let the breeze cool us. It was a nice, quiet spot. I felt recharged as we set out on the return hike, and goofed off by climbing boulders and laughing at weird trees. Little chipmunks darted across the path. Maybe it was the higher altitude than I was used to, but it just felt good to be there. When we finally reached Summit Lake again, I stopped for pictures, trying to capture those colors.

Our water supplies were low, but there was nowhere to get water, which we thought might be a problem for our second planned hike to Bumpass Hell. At Lake Helen, a park employee graciously searched his truck for extra water bottles, but to no avail. The Bumpass Hell parking area turned out to be a madhouse anyway. We decided to continue on to Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center where we figured we could get water while waiting for the crowd to thin.

The visitor center was packed with people as well – we’d managed to show up in the middle of some kind of wine-tasting event. With water bottles filled and souvenirs purchased, we sat outside at the amphitheater before heading back up the road. We set a leisurely pace, stopping at Sulphur Works to check out the large bubbling mud pot near the road, and pulling off to see Emerald Lake, which certainly lived up to its name.

This time we were able to find a parking spot at Bumpass Hell and set off down the trail. It was pretty rocky going for much of the way, with a surprising amount of elevation change, but the total distance wasn’t too bad. Bumpass Hell was just starting to pass into shadow as we arrived.

Kendall Bumpass discovered the geothermal area in the 1860s. Unfortunately, in 1865, his leg broke through the crust and he was badly scalded. The leg had to be amputated (let that be a lesson to all the tourists who think they can disobey signs to stay on the path). His efforts to turn Bumpass Hell into a paid attraction also fizzled out. A lovely boardwalk takes you through the steaming area and features informative signs. We saw a few more mudpots bubbling here.

And with that, we returned to the car as the sun began to sink farther down. Though we were exhausted, I was reluctant to leave. I couldn’t resist pulling off to capture a sunset view to the east. In Redding, delicious pizza awaited us.

Yosemite National Park rightfully gets a lot of attention as the iconic California wilderness. However, I consider Lassen Volcanic National Park its equal, and in fact, I prefer it. We saw only a small portion of the park and have been wanting to go back the minute we left. If you only have a day, a drive through the park is well worth it!