Lassen Volcanic National Park

I'm loving that every national park has something different to offer! When we arrived at Lassen Volcanic National Park, we really didn't know what to expect. We'd never heard of it, and it was more of a national park to check off our list than one we wanted to visit. Yes, each park has mountains and gorgeous views, but this park had a unique feature. We were pleasantly surprised and enjoyed our quick visit.

Trip Details:

Where: Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA

Campsite: Lassen/Shingletown KOA, site 11 - great campsite; 11 miles away from entrance of the national park

Length: 2 days

Itinerary:

Day 1: Relax Day/Pool Day/Play Day

Day 2: Lassen Volcanic Park

Charlotte’s Highlights: Climbing up 2,000 feet in elevation on a hike up Mount Lassen

Paige’s Highlights: She met a friend, Sarah, and spent the afternoon of the 4th with her new BFF

Adult’s Highlights: Hike to Bumpass Hell and Lassen Peak

Happy 4th of July, ya'll!!! When we arrived in the KOA, we enjoyed their Ice Cream Social, played some yard games, swam in the pool, played in the playground and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon!

The next day we spent ALL DAY in Lassen Volcanic National Park! It appears in the pic below that we're turning a little crazy.

When we arrived, we quickly noticed all the fire damage that surrounded us. Once we got to the visitors center, we learned more about the Dixie Fire of 2021. This fire was caused by a tree falling on an electric line and ended up burning almost 1,000,000 acres of land staring in Feather River Canyon and then reached the southeast corner of the national park. It took over 3 months to contain the fire. Even though a portion of the park burned, hikes we wanted to go on were untouched by the fire.

Our first hike, the Bumpass Hell hike, was a big highlight and surprise for all of us! It was a 2.7 mile hike out and back and started the way most hikes do: pretty scenery, mountainous, vista points and some snow.

But as we ascended the side of the mountain, we started to smell some stinky rotten egg smells. After quickly blaming the stench on each out, we realized that it was sulfur from a hydrothermal area! We chose to go down the Frying Pan Trail to get to the Bumpass Boardwalk. It weaved in and out of trees, then we spotted the steam clouds ahead. The trees parted and we saw a huge boiling springs.

We were encouraged to stay on the boardwalk path, as the ground was unstable and so hot that it could give you severe burns. The smell was very strong but the colors were vibrant.

The last major volcanic explosion was in 1915 which formed the volcanic mountains that we hiked today. While that maybe 100 years ago, it's evident that its still very active based on the hydrothermal activity of Bumpass Hell. This was a cool experience to see volcanic activity and walk though it. If you're looking for a way to see the sulfur springs but not wanting to take a hike, there's one right off the road called, Sulfur Works. We stopped there too but don't pass up Bumpass Hell - it was an easy hike!

After lunch we debated on taking the "big daddy" hike called Lassen Peak. It's a 5.1 mile hike up and back, but it's the elevation that made us hesitate! The trail starts at 8,500 feet in elevation and ascends quickly to over 10,500 within the 2.5 mile trail up Mount Lassen. We are no where near expert hikers but we did it anyway! So glad we did! The payout of the views didn't pan out since it was such a cloudy day, but to say we were in the clouds was a fun experience for the girls!

Charlotte handled this hike like a pro! She lead the way and didn't want to stop. When I would catch up to her she had the biggest smile on her face and said this is her happy place. She was in love. Paige was a trooper! It was cold and there were moments of wanting to turn back, but onward she went! To say we hiked up 2,000 feet in elevation is a big feat for the Gurleys!

Thanks for a fun, and exhausting day Lassen! Onward to our next destination...

Thanks for coming on our adventure! Until next time….

~ Mary