Before there was Mount Saint Helens, there was Lassen Volcano, the first active volcano in modern history in the contiguous 48 United States, which woke to furious activity in the second decade of the 20th century, and is considered an "inactive" volcano rather than a "dormant" volcano. Lassen is only the most recently active volcano here, there are lots of dormant volcanos in the park, and it is one of the few places in the world where all four kinds of volcanos can be found together.

• Driving Around The Park

  Here are two pictures taken from the road.

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    Kings Creek flows through the High Meadow about four miles from the Lassen Volcano trailhead, and above the meadow we see Lassen Volcano.
    

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    This view of the snowy side of Lassen Volcano is seen from the road. In the picture, the part of the volcano to the left is the back side of the rim of the crater holding the three vents from which Lassen erupted.
    

• Lassen Volcano

  The hike from the trailhead parking lot to the summit of Lassen Volcano is only a couple of miles, but the 2000 foot climb means that the trail doesn't level out much, it is mostly uphill. The views along the way, and the great outlook from the top, make this a wonderful hike. It can be accomplished very quickly by an experienced hiker. From the summit, it is easy to pick out the torn remains of the much larger volcano of which Lassen Volcano is merely a remnant. There are three vents from which Lassen let loose its eruptions, which can be seen from the summit. They are an easy walk away, in a crater attached close below the peak on the north side. That crater's north rim overlooks Manzanita Lake, The Desolation Area, and the Chaos Craters, more evidences of volcanic activity that has occurred in this area.

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    Lassen Volcano summit supports a modest glacier, and the end of the hiking trail crosses it here along a ridge before the last scramble to the summit.
    

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    Lassen Volcano has several small rocky summits; here Mike sits on top of the one closest to the parking lot and trailhead.
    

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    Mike stands on the Lassen summit, beyond the weather station. This picture shows a snowy ridge visible below, to the right of the weather station.
    

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    Mike stands on the Lassen summit, beyond the weather station. This picture shows the weather station and the jumbled rocks to its left.
    

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    Mike on his way back down from Lassen Volcano summit, with the crater area behind him. It shows the aftermath of an explosion.
    

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    From the Lassen crater rim just below the summit to the north, you are rewarded with a look across some of the more recent volcanic effects in the park. Manzanita Lake, in the distance, was enlarged by a mud flow dam left by one such volcanic eruption. One of the Chaos Craters volcano cones is visible on the right side of this picture.
    

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    This picture looks up toward the rough volcanic rock that forms the summit of Lassen Volcano. It is taken from the crater where the historic eruptions emerged.
    

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    A small blue lake, Lake Helen, is near the trailhead for Lassen Volcano. Here the lake is seen from the trail coming back down from the summit.
    

• Bumpass Hell

  Explorer Kendell Vonhook Bumpass discovered the active hydrothermal area that bears his name. He also lost a leg here, as a result of stepping through a crust of earth into boiling hot water. Maybe that's why he called it a "Hell", or maybe it's the smell of the sulpher.

  Bumpass Hell is an active hydrothermal area, with steam vents, boiling lakes, mud pots, and large areas painted by ejected minerals, as well as vegetation and wildlife.
  The hike is an easy mile and a half hike. Ignore the trail below you at the trailhead marker, it goes somewhere else. The correct trail is the one following the road away from the parking lot. After a short distance, it turns to the right and follows a rise along the near side of Bumpass Mountain.

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    The Boiling Pool sign at Bumpass Hell and the hydrothermal area behind it.
    

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    The mud pots at Bumpass Hell act like what they are, boiling gray mud.
    

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    Steam rises like this many places in the Bumpass Hell hydrothermal area.
    

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    A picture of Mike taken from the trail approaching Bumpass Hell. The boardwalk and the colorful hydrothermal area are behind him.
    

• Kings Creek Falls

  The Kings Creek Falls hike takes you on a mostly flat dirt trail, except for a couple of rocky spots with difficult footing. The trail is just over a mile long, going through a mature temperate forest to a fifty foot waterfall. The flowers along the way, the creek, its cascades, and the falls at the end, all make the walk worthwhile.

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    This is a picture of the waterfall at the end of the hike.