Yosemite a little too crowded during peak season? Drive a few hours north and give Lassen Volcanic National Park a try. A lesser known national park in California, Lassen a unique and an awesome place to visit on a California road trip.
Where is Lassen?
Lassen Volcanic National Park is located near Redding, CA, about 4 hours north of San Francisco and 5.5 hours north of Yosemite. It is also right between two great National Forests, Plumas & Shasta-Trinity. This area is a hiker & outdoor lovers paradise. If you are hiking the Pacific Crest Trail you would also pass through Lassen Volcanic NP.
Best Time to Visit
To get the most out of Lassen, I recommend visiting in the summer. Although the snow is beautiful, a lot of the trails and roads do close when there is too much snow.
By visiting in the summer, you will have access to more hiking trails and campgrounds. Most importantly, the 30 mile Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway will be open. This highway is essential to having access to both the north and south end of the park without driving 2.5 hours around to see more of the park. In 2023, the highway didn’t open until July 1st, so keep this in mind while planning!
What Can You Do there?
Depending on the time of year, there are a wide variety of things to do and places to visit in Lassen. Any time of year you will be able to see Lassen Peak, which is almost always covered in a bit of snow. My favorite view is from Manzanita Lake (pictured below).
True to its name, Lassen actually is a volcano. Lassen Peak is one of the largest plug dome volcanoes in the world, and in the summer, you can climb to the top via the Lassen Peak Trail. If this climb is a bit out of your comfort zone, but you still want to see volcanic features, Lassen has you covered! In the summer you can take the Sulphur Works Trail, which is an easy path that loops around boiling pools of mud (and is very stinky).
For water sport enthusiasts, head up to Manzanita Lake on the north side of the park. This lake is open for kayaking, paddleboarding, and swimming, and has a really nice 1.7 mile trail that circles around the lake. On a clear sunny day you can also see the reflection of Lassen Peak in the water and it is gorgeous!
Where to Go Hiking
A few tips before hiking in Lassen:
- Download the AllTrails app on your phone and consider upgrading to AllTrails+ so you can have maps offline. Many of the trails in Lassen are not well mark and you will need to have a well to navigate the trails yourself.
- Check trail conditions on National Parks Service before your trip. Even in the summer (we went in July) many trails still had snow and snowshoes or crampons were recommended.
Manzanita Lake Trail: Easy 1.7 mile loop, trailhead at Manzanita Campground
Manzanita Creek Trail: Moderate, 6.9 mile out and back, trailhead at Manzanita Campground
Bumpass Hell (only opens when the snow is melted!): Easy, 3 miles, trailhead at Bumpass Hell Parking area near Southwest Entrance
Lassen Peak Trail: Difficult, 5 miles with a lot of elevation, trailhead at Lassen Peak Parking Lot
Echo Lake Trail: Moderate, 4.4 miles round trip to Echo Lake, trailhead at Summit Lake Campground
Cluster Lakes Loop: Moderate, 10.8 miles round trip, trailhead at Summit Lake Campground. This trail passes Echo Lake and keeps going to Upper Twin Lake and Lower Twin Lake.
Where to Camp
The most convenient lodging in Lassen really is camping! There are several campgrounds, but I’m going to focus on two in particular that have access to some good hikes.
Manzanita Lake Campground
This is where we stayed in July. It is a spacious campground at Manzanita Lake, so you can wake up and jump in the lake first thing in the morning! It also has a great camp store with food, soft serve ice cream, fire wood, and souvenirs.
On a clear night you can head to Manzanita Lake or Reflection Lake a couple minutes away to see the Milky Way reflected in the water.
This is a really easy campground to stay at for a couple days as they have showers, sinks for dishes, plenty of bathrooms, and potable water. There are also camping cabins for those who are not into classic tent camping. It is probably the most popular campground, so make sure you reserve a few months in advance.
Summit Lake Campground
Summit Lake is located more centrally in the park than Manzanita and has access to the awesome Cluster Lakes Loop Trail. It also has a shorter season than Manzanita Lake Campground, so be sure to check your dates when planning. Summit is typically open from the end of June to mid September.
This site has a tent only loop, drinking water, campfire rings, picnic tables, and vault toilets (no flush toilets). There is no camp store here and no showers.
So start planning, and check Lassen Volcanic off your National Parks list! If you have any other questions, send them my way!
