{"id":4180,"date":"2018-07-09T16:27:39","date_gmt":"2018-07-09T23:27:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com\/blog\/?p=4180"},"modified":"2023-03-03T16:09:27","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T23:09:27","slug":"hiking-trails-lassen-volcanic-national-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com\/blog\/2018\/07\/09\/hiking-trails-lassen-volcanic-national-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Hiking Trails in Lassen Volcanic National Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lassen Volcanic National Park hosts a wide variety of hiking trails that will appeal to day hikers and backpackers of all levels of ability. Some trails are flat, short, and easy, while others are steep, long, and challenging. But all reward you richly with stunning beauty ranging from flower-filled lush meadows to rugged volcanic landscapes nearly devoid of vegetation.<\/p>\n

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Painted Dunes from Cinder Cone, Lassen Volcanic National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 2021 Dixie Fire Burned Much of Lassen Volcanic National Park<\/h2>\n

Many of the trails in Lassen Volcanic National Park suffered significant damage from the 2021 Dixie Fire.<\/strong>\u00a0 Get details from the park here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Fortunately, the trails on the west side of the main park road (Highway 89) suffered little or no damage, and this includes some of the best trails, including Lassen Peak, Brokeoff Mountain<\/a>, and Ridge Lakes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

See more details on my Northern California Hiking Trails closures and update page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lassen Volcanic National Park Hiking Trail Maps<\/h2>\n

You don’t have to pay for a trail map. The park brochure you receive upon entrance (and available electronically here) shows all the trails in the park, and all trail junctions are usually well marked.<\/p>\n

However, it’s always best to have larger maps with greater detail, including topographical lines. You have two good options:<\/p>\n

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  1. National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map<\/a> focuses primarily on the park and forest service roads bordering it.<\/li>\n
  2. The Wilderness Press map<\/a> includes other areas, including Thousand Lakes Wilderness and Caribou Wilderness.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    I think the National Geographic map is the better choice. I’ve given the links to Amazon, but the maps may also be available at the two park visitor centers and, of course, at outdoor stores in Northern California.<\/p>\n

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    A young family hiking the Lassen Peak Trail<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Best Backpacking Routes in Lassen Volcanic National Park<\/h2>\n

    This is not an exhaustive list of all the potential backpacking routes\/trips you can take in the park. I only list those that I think offer substantial reward for the effort.<\/p>\n

    Kings Creek Falls and Sifford Lakes: 6.3 miles<\/p>\n

    Twin Lakes, Snag Lake, and Horseshoe Lake: 18.6 miles<\/p>\n

    Twin Lakes and Rainbow Lake: 10.0 miles<\/p>\n

    Manzanita Creek<\/a>: 6.8 miles<\/p>\n

    Cinder Cone and Snag Lake: 13.4 miles<\/p>\n

    Horseshoe, Indian, and Juniper Lakes Loop: 6.4 miles<\/p>\n

    Snag Lake, Widow Lake, and Jakey Lake<\/a>: 17.0 miles<\/p>\n

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    Father and son day hiking on the Manzanita Creek Trail in Lassen Volcanic National Park.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    My Hiking Guidebooks Cover Lassen Volcanic National Park Trails<\/h2>\n

    I’ve written two hiking guidebooks with extensive coverage of trails in Lassen Volcanic National Park. I’ve been exploring Lassen Volcanic National Park nearly 50 years, and the trails in the book include all the best places in the park.<\/p>\n

    Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions<\/em><\/h3>\n

    The most comprehensive is Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions<\/em><\/a>, released in 2018 by Mountaineers Books, one of the world’s premier publishers of outdoor books. (Click here for full details<\/a>, including table of contents and overview map.) It includes these hikes (with roundtrip distance and a difficulty rating from 1-5, with 1 being very easy and 5 being very difficult<\/strong>):<\/p>\n

    From the Main Park Road (linking Highway 89)<\/h4>\n

    Brokeoff Mountain<\/a>: 7.2 miles; 5
    \nMill Creek Falls: 3.2 miles; 2
    \n    Sulphur Works and Ridge Lakes<\/a>: 2.2 miles; 4
    \nBumpass Hell, Cold Boiling Lake, and Crumbaugh Lake: 7.6 miles; 4
    \nLassen Peak: 5.0 miles; 5
    \nTerrace, Shadow, and Cliff Lakes and Paradise Meadows: 6.4 miles; 4
    \nKings Creek Falls and Sifford Lakes: 6.3 miles; 4
    \nTwin Lakes and Rainbow Lake: 10.0 miles; 4
    \nManzanita Lake and Lily Pond: 2.9 miles; 4
    \n    Crags Lake<\/a>: 4.0 miles; 4
    \n    Manzanita Creek<\/a>: 6.8 mile;s 4<\/p>\n

    South and East Sides of Lassen Volcanic National Park<\/h4>\n

    Boiling Springs Lake and Devil’s Kitchen: 5.2 miles; 4
    \nMount Harkness: 5.4 miles; 4
    \nHorseshoe, Indian, and Juniper Lakes Loop: 6.4 miles; 4<\/p>\n

    Mount Harkness and Horseshoe, Indian, and Juniper Lakes Loop both leave from Juniper Lake, accessed from Highway 36 near Chester, California. (I detail two short hikes here on the blog that are not in the book: Inspiration Point Trail<\/a> and Crystal Lake Trail<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

    North Side of Lassen Volcanic National Park<\/h4>\n

    Cinder Cone and Snag Lake: 13.4 miles; 4
    \nProspect Peak: 7.0 miles; 4<\/p>\n

    The trailhead for both of these hikes is at Butte Lake, reached from Highway 44.<\/p>\n

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    Best Day Hiking Trails in Upper California<\/h4>\n

    \"Day<\/a>My<\/strong> compact guidebook has the 125 best day hikes:
    \n<\/strong><\/p>\n