Lassen Volcanic National Park
(Directly east of Redding)
Siskiyou County, California
38050 Highway 36 East
Park Headquarters, Mineral CA96063
I'm going to be honest: Lassen Volcanic National Park was not on the top of my list of places to visit because whenever I read up about it, I don't recognize anything "iconic". There's no "Old Faithful", or "Devil's Tower" or "Half Dome". I made a point of coming here so that I could speak from first-hand experience whether or not I like it.
Spoiler Alert: I loved it!
The main reason I encourage you to visit is the variety of things you will see and experience in a short amount of time and with not too much driving. It is impressive how varied the landscapes are in such a small park: volcanoes, meadows, lakes, forests, waterfalls, hydrothemal areas! We camped in a relatively warm alpine forest, drove on a road flanked by 12-foot-high snow, passed by a frozen lake and watched steam come out boiling mud... All within about 90 minutes of each other.
And I didn't even get to experience everything Lassen Volcanic NP has to offer! For a more comprehensive list, see this post.
For a list of kid-friendly items, scroll towards the bottom.
Lake Helen
I read from the National Parks Services website that Lake Helen is a great place to view Lassen Peak because you get "two for the price of one"! The peak reflects off the surface of the lake and it is supposed to be very impressive.
Unfortunately, the lake was frozen over when we came. See photos below.
Fortunately, the lake was frozen over when we came. See photos below.
No, the previous statements were not typos. See photos below! It was absolutely beautiful!
You may have noticed that the kids were wearing shorts and there's snow everywhere. That's because it was July and the Sierras had a very heavy winter and the snow hasn't melted off yet... And yet the air was only pleasantly cool.
Manzanita Lake
1.5 mi. 1-2 hrs. 0 ft elevation change. Trailhead: Manzanita Picnic Area parking area or anywhere along the shore. Easy, mostly flat trail wraps around Manzanita Lake. Superb views of Lassen Peak and Chaos Crags. Great for birdwatchers, wildflower enthusiasts and families. “A lake clearly reflects a fall landscape on its still waters. Only the shore on the far side of the lake is visible. Along its edge is a strip of golden, leafy bushes backed by stands of conifer trees. In the distance rise two volcanic peaks, one wide and rocky, the other tall and streaked with snow. Above, fluffy clouds float in a blue sky.”
Sulfur Works
This hydrothermal area is sooooo very accessible. As you can see in the photo below, this mudpot is right next to the sidewalk. This particular pot is only steps away from the Kohm Yah-Mah-Nee Visitor Center parking area. Directly behind the kids, is a view of the the park below.
The trail we took to see Mill Creek Falls took us more than a couple of hours. Mind you, we had a couple of kids with us so it might not take you that long. It was beautiful and worth the hike is all you need to know. If you want to know more, check out my post just for Mill Creek Falls here.
Loomis Museum
Loomis is not just a visitor center, it's also a museum. They have informational videos, archival photos and items for purchase for souvenirs. You can also get your Junior Ranger Activity book end badges here. Just for the photos alone, you should visit!
Unfortunately, we weren't able to see everything we wanted to see on this trip. Bumpass Hell (the name, right?!) was closed at the time. We didn't have time for Reflection Lake. Drakesbad Ranch and Devil's Kitchen were too far away to squeeze in for this visit. For a more comprehensive list, see this post. This gives me a reason to come back.
The other impressive thing about Lassen Volcanic NP is the amount of programs they have developed for their visitors. A lot of them are very kid friendly.
"Highway Parkcaching Challenge" A park-wide scavenger hung using GPS coordinates. If you don't have much time, this is a great way to zip through the park in your car and see what Lassen has to offer --- and make a game out of it too! And yes, there's a prize.
"Hiking" They have a handy-dandy list of hikes in various areas and you can choose the "easy" ones for the kids. I think most kids can handle moderate.
"Roadside Audio Tour" You have to download the MP3 file before your visit from go.nps.gov/lao/audio.
"Horseback Riding" Offered in Drakesbad Ranch Area which we didn't get to during this visit, but we hope to in the future.
"Junior Ranger Programs" Lassen offers various activities, tours, games, etc to keep the kids engaged.
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