Creeks

Hat Creek One of the largest and most beautiful small waterways in the park is Hat Creek, which runs in a north/south direction east of Lassen Peak.

Just upstream from this location Hat Creeks was dammed by mud and debris from the May 19, 1915 eruption and subsequent mudflow. The dam occurred on the edge of the Devastated Area and produced Hat Lake, shown elsewhere.

Hat Creek has a relatively narrow and rocky bed. Portions of the creek bed were overwhelmed by the mudflow of May 19, 1915.

Lost Creek Lost Creek runs through a valley east and north of Lassen Peak with headwaters at about 8000 feet. The bed of the Creek was scoured by the great mudflow resulting from the May 19, 1915 eruption. The river was named after Lost Camp, which in turn was named after a band of immigrants who were lost in the area (but survived).

Kings Creek Kings Creeks runs through the park from altitudes of 5250 to 8400 feet, crossing both Upper and Lower Kings Creek Meadows. A portion of the lower meadow is show below.

More of the lower meadow, at about 7250 feet, and Kings Creek is shown here.

One of the best features of Lassen Volcanic National Park is the lovely mountain meadows that can be found in various places in the park. These meadows offer an exceptionally wide variety of plant life. Upper Kings Creek Meadow, shown below, provides a spectacular view of Lassen Peak with Kings Creek meandering through the meadow in the foreground. It is believed that a deep lake once existed on this site, and the meadow developed as a result of the filling in and drying out of the lake. The meadow's soil is derived from sediments which were deposited in the bottom of the lake.

Mill Creek Mill Creek runs through a valley in the southwestern section of the park at about the 5000-6000 foot level. Mill Creek Canyon, through which it flows, is another example of the results of glaciation in this section of the park. Mill Creek Falls, at 75 feet, is the highest waterfall in the park.