Lassen Volcanic Day Hikes: A 2-Day Itinerary
One park, all four volcano types, and active hydrothermal ground.
Two days of Lassen Volcanic day hikes: Bumpass Hell boiling mudpots, the 10,457-foot Lassen Peak summit, Kings Creek Falls, the Cinder Cone and Painted Dunes, and Manzanita Lake.
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10 stops on a real mapEvery stop pinned in order→Lassen Volcanic: every stop pinned in order.
Bumpass Hell, Lassen Peak & the Cinder Cone · northern California
Every stop on this trip, in order, opens as one driving route in the Google Maps app. No copying addresses across one at a time.
Lassen Volcanic in photos: 5 of the stops.
Plan and book your 2 days in Lassen Volcanic, one step at a time
- Manzanita Lake Campground has full service through October 7; from October 8 only Loops A and B stay open, as dry camping, until snow closes them. Source
How 2 days in Lassen Volcanic split up
Plan 2 days for Lassen Volcanic. Total distance: ~70 mi. Difficulty: Moderate. Parks pass: $30 / car. Lassen Volcanic National Park sits at the southern tip of the Cascade Range in northern California, and it is one of the few places on Earth with all four types of volcano: plug dome, shield, cinder cone, and composite. Lassen Peak itself is a giant plug dome that erupted as recently as 1915, and the park is still very much alive, with boiling mudpots, steaming fumaroles, and hissing vents scattered across its hydrothermal basins.
Day 1: The Park Highway · Bumpass Hell & Lassen Peak
5 stops · Day one
Day 2: Kings Creek Falls, the Cinder Cone & Manzanita Lake
5 stops · Day two
The Park Highway · Bumpass Hell & Lassen Peak
Enter from the southwest at the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center near Mineral and drive the Lassen Park Highway, the scenic road that climbs over the park past most of its big hydrothermal and volcanic sights. Start with the roadside Sulphur Works, a hissing, sulphur-smelling thermal area right beside the road, then hike Bumpass Hell (about 3 miles round trip), the largest hydrothermal area in the park, where boardwalks lead out over boiling mudpots and roaring fumaroles.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
Drive from~1.5 hr · fuel up first · DriveThe closest airport is Redding (RDD), about 1.5 hours west of the southwest entrance, with Reno about 2.5 hours southeast. Fuel up and grab supplies before you head in, then enter at the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center near Mineral. Confirm the Lassen Park Highway is fully open before you plan a one-way drive across the park.
Sulphur WorksRoadside steam vents & boiling mud · ViewpointJust inside the southwest entrance, the Sulphur Works is a hissing, sulphur-smelling hydrothermal area right beside the road, with steam vents and boiling mud you can see without a hike. It is a quick, dramatic first taste of the park's active volcanic plumbing. Stay on the marked path and behind the railings.
- Bumpass Hell
~3 mi RT · boardwalks over mudpots · HikeHike Bumpass Hell (about 3 miles round trip), the largest hydrothermal area in the park, where boardwalks lead out over boiling mudpots and roaring fumaroles in a steaming basin. The crust here is thin and the water and mud are scalding, so stay strictly on the boardwalks and keep kids and pets close.
- Lassen Peak Trail
~5 mi RT · strenuous · 10,457 ft · HikeIf you have the legs, take on the Lassen Peak Trail (about 5 miles round trip, around 2,000 feet of gain, strenuous) to the 10,457-foot summit of this plug dome volcano. The switchbacks top out at a 360-degree view over the park and, on clear days, north to Mount Shasta. Start early, carry water and sun protection, and watch for afternoon storms.
- Stay near Mineral or in the park
Manzanita Lake cabins · books ahead · lodgeBase in Mineral by the southwest entrance, or grab one of the Manzanita Lake Camping Cabins inside the park if they are available. In-park cabins fill fast for summer weekends, so reserve early. Redding about an hour west and Chester on the southern side are the other main options.
Kings Creek Falls, the Cinder Cone & Manzanita Lake
Start the day with Kings Creek Falls (about 2.3 miles round trip), a forested hike down to a tiered cascade in the heart of the park, then head to the far northeast corner for the park's most distinctive hike. The Cinder Cone Trail (about 4 miles round trip) climbs steeply through loose volcanic cinders to the rim of a textbook cinder cone, with the multicolored Painted Dunes and the black Fantastic Lava Beds spread out below.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
Kings Creek Falls~2.3 mi RT · tiered cascade · HikeStart the day with Kings Creek Falls (about 2.3 miles round trip), a forested hike down to a tiered cascade in the heart of the park. It is a cool, shaded leg-stretcher before the steep Cinder Cone climb, and the trail down can be steep and rocky in places, so take care on the descent.
- Cinder Cone Trail
~4 mi RT · steep · Painted Dunes · HikeDrive to the far northeast corner for the park's most distinctive hike. The Cinder Cone Trail (about 4 miles round trip) climbs steeply through loose volcanic cinders to the rim of a textbook cinder cone, with the multicolored Painted Dunes and the black Fantastic Lava Beds spread out below. The climb is short but brutally steep, like walking up a sand dune.
- Painted Dunes & Fantastic Lava Beds
Multicolored ash above black lava · ViewpointFrom the Cinder Cone rim and the surrounding trails, the Painted Dunes glow in oxidized reds, oranges, and tans where volcanic ash settled on hot lava, set against the jagged black Fantastic Lava Beds. It is one of the most surreal landscapes in any national park and best photographed in low, raking light.
Manzanita Lake loop~1.8 mi RT · easy · Lassen Peak reflections · HikeWind down with the easy Manzanita Lake loop (about 1.8 miles round trip), a flat, family-friendly walk near the northwest entrance that delivers postcard reflections of Lassen Peak on still mornings and evenings. It is the gentlest hike of the trip and a perfect finale, especially at first or last light.
Getting home: Redding or RenoRDD ~1 hr · Reno ~2.5 hr · DriveFrom the northwest side it is about an hour west to Redding (RDD), or roughly 2.5 hours southeast to Reno. Fuel up in a gateway town before the drive out, since services inside the park are limited. If you have an extra day, the Echo and Bathtub Lakes, Mill Creek Falls, and Paradise Meadows are all easy add-ons before you leave.
Book the 1 night
Beds near the trailheads are the one thing on this trip that genuinely runs out. Everything else can be decided later.
Tell us your dates and we will do the checking. We find what is still open near each trailhead and email you this plan back with a booking link for each night. Nothing is charged and you decide at the end.
Request to bookWhat to pack for Lassen Volcanic
Built from this route, not a generic list. Every line says why it is here.
On every day of this trip
On your feet
Because you are sleeping indoors
For the driving days
What we actually learned in the park.
Stay on the boardwalks in thermal areas
Bumpass Hell, Sulphur Works, and the other hydrothermal areas sit over thin, unstable crust above boiling water and mud. Stay strictly on the boardwalks and marked trails, keep kids and pets close, and never step off, because the ground can give way and the water is scalding.
Go July through October
The high country is buried in snow much of the year. July through October is the reliable hiking window, with wildflowers in midsummer and crisp, quiet days in fall. Outside that window, expect closed trails, deep snowpack, and limited access.
Confirm the Lassen Park Highway is open
The scenic road that climbs over the park holds a heavy snowpack and often does not fully open until June or July, sometimes later. Check current road status before you go, since a closed high stretch means a long detour to reach the far side of the park.
Treat Lassen Peak as a real summit
The Lassen Peak Trail gains about 2,000 feet to a 10,457-foot summit. Start early, carry plenty of water and sun protection, pace yourself in the thin air, and watch for fast-building afternoon thunderstorms that can make the exposed switchbacks dangerous.
Pay the entrance fee or bring your pass
Lassen Volcanic charges about $30 per vehicle for a 7-day pass. The annual America the Beautiful pass ($80) also covers entry and pays off fast if you visit other national parks. Pay at the entrance station or online ahead of time.
Lodging is limited, so book early
In-park lodging is essentially the Manzanita Lake Camping Cabins, which fill quickly for summer weekends. Otherwise base in Mineral or Chester near the park, or in Redding about an hour west, and reserve campsites through recreation.gov well in advance.
Pack warm layers even in August
Most of the park sits above 8,000 feet, so even a midsummer trip can turn cold, windy, and raw, especially on the exposed Lassen Peak switchbacks and at dawn by the lakes. Bring a heavy fleece or a wind shell on top of your sun protection, no matter how warm Redding felt on the drive up.
Lassen Volcanic: questions before you go
Lassen Volcanic day hikes: the questions people ask most.
The standout Lassen Volcanic day hikes are Bumpass Hell (about 3 miles round trip past boiling mudpots and fumaroles, the largest hydrothermal area in the park), the Lassen Peak Trail (about 5 miles round trip and strenuous to the 10,457-foot summit), the Cinder Cone Trail (about 4 miles round trip with the Painted Dunes below), Kings Creek Falls (about 2.3 miles round trip), and the easy Manzanita Lake loop (about 1.8 miles round trip with reflections of Lassen Peak).
Two days is enough to hit the highlights: a first day driving the Lassen Park Highway with Bumpass Hell and the Lassen Peak summit, and a second day with Kings Creek Falls, the Cinder Cone and Painted Dunes, and the easy Manzanita Lake loop. With a third day you could add the Echo and Bathtub Lakes, Mill Creek Falls, and Paradise Meadows.
July through October is the best window. The Lassen Park Highway, the scenic road over the park, holds a heavy snowpack and usually does not fully open until roughly June or July, sometimes later. Midsummer brings wildflowers, and early fall is quiet with crisp, clear days. Outside that window, expect deep snow and limited access.
Yes. Lassen Peak last erupted in 1915, and the park remains an active volcanic and hydrothermal system. Areas like Bumpass Hell and Sulphur Works have boiling mudpots, steaming fumaroles, and hissing vents fed by heat from below. The ground there can be thin and the water and mud are scalding, so always stay on the boardwalks and marked trails.
The Lassen Peak Trail is strenuous: about 5 miles round trip with roughly 2,000 feet of elevation gain to the 10,457-foot summit. The switchbacks are exposed and the air is thin near the top. Start early, carry plenty of water and sun protection, pace yourself, and turn around if afternoon thunderstorms build, since the upper trail offers little shelter.
The Lassen Park Highway climbs to high elevation and accumulates a deep snowpack each winter, so it stays closed across the high stretch until plows can clear it, usually around June or July and sometimes later in heavy-snow years. The lower entrances may open earlier, but the full drive over the park depends on the snow clearing.
In-park options are limited to the Manzanita Lake Camping Cabins near the northwest entrance, which book up early for summer weekends. The nearest gateway towns are Mineral by the southwest entrance and Chester by the southern side, with more hotels in Redding about an hour west. Campgrounds in the park are bookable through recreation.gov.
The closest airport is Redding (RDD), about an hour west of the park, with more flights out of Reno about 2.5 hours southeast or Sacramento farther south. You really need a car: the park is spread out and the main sights line the Lassen Park Highway, with the Cinder Cone in a separate northeast corner reached from outside the main road.
Yes. Much of Lassen Volcanic sits above 8,000 feet, and the high country stays cool even in July and August. Mornings by the lakes and the exposed Lassen Peak summit can be cold and windy, so pack a heavy fleece or a wind shell along with your sun protection, even if the gateway town of Redding was hot when you left.
Yes. Tell us your dates and we check what is still open for the plan on this page, then send it back with a booking link for each night and the total. Nothing is charged and nothing is held, and you pay the normal rate.
Pick how you want to go.
Same 2-day route. Same 7 stops.
- 1 night, Manzanita Lake Campground
- $26
- Rental car, 2 days
- $130
- Gas, about 159 miles
- $30
- Park entry, one car
- $30
- 1 night, a room in Mineral
- from $260
- Rental car, 2 days
- $130
- Gas, about 159 miles
- $30
- Park entry, one car
- $30
- A private local guide, rooms and campsites booked
- Included
- Airport pickup and every drive
- Included
- Park, permit and campsite fees paid
- Included
- All the gear and the trail meals
- Included
Written and walked by Yulia Vasilyeva · Co-founder · Lead planner and guide
Three years leading guided hikes in the Pacific Northwest, rated 5.0 by 20+ verified guests, and she builds every custom itinerary herself. Based in Seattle.
Last checked October 2026
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Guides for this tripBest Time to Visit Lassen Volcanic National ParkBumpass Hell TrailLassen Peak Summit HikeFamily Trips in Northern California
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