Over Labor Day weekend Zac and I had the opportunity to make it up to Lassen Volcanic National Park and take down some of the hikes that I had been itching to do for over a year. If you have ever thought about going to Lassen Volcanic National Park you should not hesitate to make it happen. This park is sheer beauty every way you look and there is so much nature, trails and water ways to explorer you could spend weeks there without making a dent. Zac has been to many parks around the US and said this park is in his top 5 and I have been to less and would put it in my top 3. But enough about the park, lets jump into the good stuff which is the hiking trails. Zac and I were only able to spend a day here but we took down the two big draws that most people do when visiting this park, Lassen Peak and Bumpass Hell.
We started with Lassen Peak which is a very prominent mountain in Northern California that tops out at around 10,400 feet. The hike itself is not very difficult as it is only around 5 miles round trip. However, many people do not account for the fact that the hike starts at 8000 feet and ends at 10400 so there is almost 2500 feet of elevation gain and the elevation is already high which makes breathing slightly more difficult for those not used to it. We passed many children on the trail with their parents but didn’t see any at the top so I am not sure if they were able to make it. It is totally possible but you need to take your time if you are not used to hiking.
Zac and I hit the trail hard and were able to make it up to the summit in about an hour and a half. There was still snow on many parts of the trail and the entire trail is mostly made up of switchbacks. Around every corner though there is another amazing photo that greets you and the trail itself has many standout points such as Vulcan eye rock and the remains of other volcanoes.
When we made it the base of the summit there was a lot of volcanic rock that you can look at and touch before progressing across the snow to the start of the summit push. The summit itself requires you to climb about 50 feet of rocks before you top out. It is not especially difficult but the rocks can be slippery and I’m sure it is hard if there is any snow present at the top.
From the summit you can see 360 degree views of hundreds of smaller neighboring mountains as well as beautiful valleys and even the Mt Shasta off in the distance.
Zac and I spent a lot of time up here taking in the views and hanging out with the other people that were taking it in. It was by far one of the best summits I have done from a views perspective and it is a great jumping off point for others looking to get into hiking as it is not overly difficult.
Duration: 3 hours and 17 minutes
Length: 5.4 miles
Total Elevation Gain: 2516 ft
Difficulty Level: Moderate to Difficult
Trail map: Click Here
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I love seeing flowers and snow in the same photo! The colors on this hike are ones I would never see in my neck of the woods up north, well except for the blue sky and white snow!
I agree Andra! It is pretty amazing to see both in the same photo; however in your area you have way more epic looking summits