Attractions

The highlight of Lassen is, of course, the volcano and all of its offshoots: boiling springs, fumaroles, mud pots, and more. You can see many of the most interesting sites in a day, making it possible to visit Lassen as a short detour from I-5 or U.S. 395 on the way to or from Oregon. Available at park visitor centers, the Road Guide to Lassen Park is a great traveling companion that will explain a lot of the features you'll see as you traverse the park.

Bumpass Hell, a 1.5-mile walk off the Park Road in the southern part of the park, is Lassen's largest single geothermal site -- 16 acres of bubbling mud pots reeking with the rotten-egg-like stench of sulfur. The hike leads you through a quiet, peaceful meadow of wildflowers and birds before it reaches the geothermal site -- the name of which derives from an early Lassen hunter who lost a leg after he took a shortcut through the area and plunged into a boiling pool. Stay on the wooden catwalks that safely guide visitors past the pyrite pools, steam vents, and noisy fumaroles and you won't follow in Bumpass's footsteps.

Sulphur Works is another stinky, steamy example of Lassen's residual heat. Two miles from the southwest park exit, the ground roars with seething gases escaping from the ground.

Boiling Springs Lake and Devil's Kitchen are two of the more remote geothermal sites; they're located in the Warner Valley section of the park, which can be reached by hiking from the main road or entering the park through Warner Valley Road from the small town of Chester.