Trails

Lassen Volcanic National Park features more than 150 miles of trails. A section of the trail which leads toward Crag's Lake from the visitor center at the Loomis Museum is shown below.

Another section f this trail is shown below, with a glimpse of Lassen Peak apparent through the trees.

Noble Emigrant Trail The first trail through the mountains to the valley in the area of the park was the Lassen Trail, founded by Peter Lassen, after whom the great peak was named. However, this trail, which ran east and south of the present park boundaries, was long, difficult, and unpopular, and in 1851 the Noble Emigrant Trail, pioneered by William H. Noble, was laid out as an excellent trail for crossing the mountains. It was a major improvement over Lassen's trail, and in fact was far superior to the trails to the south through the Sierra Mountain Range. The trail reached the valley in the area currently occupied by Redding, California. It was used during the 1850's and 1860's.

An 18 mile section of the Noble Trail runs through the northern section of the park, where it passes Butte Lake, Cinder Cone, trough Badger Flat and through the Devastated Area, passing between Reflection Lake and Table Mountain. A portion of the old trail which is shown below. The section of the trail which is contained within the borders of Lassen Volcanic National Park was recorded in the National Registry of Historic Places in 1975.

A section of Paradise Meadow Trail is shown below.

The trail below leads from the ranger station along the park road to Summit Lake.

This trail is relatively flat and easy to hike, and provides great views of Summit Lake at its end.

At the east end of Summit Lake the trail runs across a boardwalk over a marshy area.

Kings Creeks Trail This trail runs from the main Park Road near Upper Kings Creek Meadow through the Lower Meadow along Kings Creek and provides outstanding views of it.

The Bumpass Hell Trail provides access from the park road to the Bumpass Hell area, the park's most active hydrothermal area. This is a very popular 1.4 mile trail which leads to Bumpass Hell from a parking lot along the main park road. This trail, along with the Summit Trail, are the most popular trails in the park. The trails account for only 3% of the trail mileage in the park but see more hikers than all other trails in the park combined. It is also the last trail in the park to be freed of snow, with a foot or two of snow on the first miles or two of the trail as late as late July or early August.

Lassen Peak Summit Trail In the entire national park system there is no more interesting and challenging trail than the Lassen Peak Trail to the top of the mountain. This 2.3 mile trail leads from a parking lot near the summit of the Lassen Park Road, at an 8450 foot elevation, seen below, to the summit of Lassen Peak. The trail rises about 2000 feet at approximately a 15% grade. Snow may remain on the trail until August, as is the case in the picture below.

Construction of the trail to the summit of Lassen Peak Trail was completed begun in 1930 and completed in 1931. Cost of the original trail was $10,000. It is one of the most popular in the park. It can be seen below as it leads up the talus slopes of the peak in a series of more than 40 switchbacks.