My saving grace of 2020 was camping. Lassen Volcanic National Park is a hidden gem of Northern California + the perfect place to camp. We spent 2 nights in September 2020 with our quarantine pod to explore its stunning forests + hydrothermal areas. This was our second stop on our fall road trip (watch the vlog from Bryce Canyon for stop 1).
Sulpher Works is easy to access off the main road through Lassen. With the smoke from regional wildfires, it had an even more otherworldly aspect.
The Best Camping: Lassen Volcanic National Park
We camped at the Summit Lake South Campground. With its central location within the park, it was a great jumping-off point for all our activities. Plus, we had some sweet wildlife neighbors as well.
If you can only do one hike in the park, the trail from Bumpass Hell trailhead past Cold Boiling Lake to Kings Creek trailhead is a perfect one. It’s 5.2 miles round trip and you get to explore so many of the park’s different ecosystems + vistas in one trail!
We hiked past huge hydrothermal features like boiling mud and thermal vents. Walking the boardwalk felt like you were on the surface of Mars. Then, the trail made its way through a forest of pine, fir + cedar trees as we descended down towards Cold Boiling Lake. You have to walk all the way around the lake to find the spot where it’s actually bubbling up from the ground! We almost missed it!
On our last morning, we got up early to take a leisurely walk around Manzanita Lake Loop. The trail is a flat 1.7 miles. On my first visit to the park in 2017, I camped in the Manzanita Lake campground in an RV spot. Whether you’re doing tent or RV camping, Lassic Volcanic National Park is a perfect choice.
The park is 166 square miles so needless to say, we left a lot to explore on our next visit.
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