Hello and welcome to episode 35 of the Ready Set Depart Podcast. We are so glad you’re here!

What if I were to tell you that there is a place that looks, and smells, a bit like Yellowstone but is actually in California? You’d be surprised, wouldn’t you? But it’s true.

Lassen Volcanic National Park is about an hour out of Redding, California, but a world away from the hustle and bustle that you normally equate with California. But it is a GREAT place to visit with your kids for a couple of reasons. 

First, it’s not that busy. Even though there have been more visitors in the last few years, only about 500,000 people visit each year. To put that into perspective, over 4 million people visit Yellowstone each year. Only about a million people visit Sequoia to the south each year, so I think you get the idea.

Second, it’s a smaller park. You can easily do it in a day if your kids are older, or make a long weekend of it with some relaxation built in. 

Lassen Volcanic National Park was created in 1916, making it the 15th National Park. So it’s been around for a while. I think you’ll see why you may never have heard of it as we talk about it though. But let me tell you, if you’re looking for a national park that’s beautiful, manageable, and not packed with crowds, this just might be the spot for you.

So, let’s talk about why.

How to get there and where to stay

The reason so few people visit Lassen is honestly because of where it is. It’s tucked away in the mountains directly east of Redding, California. Now, Redding isn’t that big of a city to start with so you can understand how it isn’t on a lot of people’s radar. 

In fact, I’d never even heard of it before we were in California for Trooper’s 4th grade year - you know, the year your child can get a National Park Pass that gets them, and the whole family, into any National Park for free - and I wanted to see where else we could go with it. The more I read about Lassen, the more I wanted to go so we made it happen and we all enjoyed it!

Your family will too.

But, because of where it is, it can be a bit difficult to get there. And you will need a car. There’s no Ubers up there!

You can choose between a few different airports to fly into so choose the one that works best from where you are.

The closest is Redding National Airport. It will only take you about an hour to get to the Park from there.

You could also fly into Sacramento International Airport or Reno-Tahoe International Airport. You’ll be driving about 3 hours from either of those.

Or, fly into San Francisco International Airport, stop at Muir Woods and Fort Point and then drive the 4 plus hours to the Park.

But once you get to the Park, where do you stay? We stayed in Shingletown, CA, which is right outside the Park. Shingletown is a small town but it has a decent pizza place. There is a small market and a Dollar General there but if you have any big shopping you need to do, it would be a good idea to do that in Redding.

While there is a lot of camping in and around the Park, we stayed in an Airbnb just outside the Park. Some people love to camp but Trooper and I are not those people so flushy toilets and a comfy bed are necessities. 

I hear Manzanita Lake is a wonderful place to camp in the Park though. And it’s a beautiful lake!

Before we get much farther, I just want to say that while there are things to do in the winter in Lassen, a lot of the Park closes for the winter so this is a summer visit. We were there in July and still saw snow on the ground in places. Remember, it’s high up so plan accordingly. The Park’s website is a great place to go to check conditions and to see what is open and what is closed.

What to do in Lassen

Alright, you’ve made it, you’ve dropped your bags—now what do you actually do? Let’s talk about it.

Pull-offs

First, the drive through Lassen is an adventure unto itself. The road goes to nearly 9,000 feet in elevation - the average for the Park is about 7,000 feet, so remember to stay hydrated and watch for the beginnings of altitude sickness. If you start to feel nauseous or get a headache, head down to a lower elevation for a bit. Usually your body will just take time to adjust.

Along the road, there are great places to pull-off and find something interesting. This is so great for littles because they don’t have to walk far to see something amazing. That’s one of the reasons why Lassen is such a great destination for families.

Our favorite pull-off was Sulphur Works. If you’re envisioning a small Yellowstone, this is the place that will make you feel the most like you’re there. The hills have a yellow tinge to them because of the sulphur. And the bubbling mud pots are something to see!

Continuing on your drive, Lake Helen is a beautiful mountain lake that was nearly deserted when we stopped. The weather was still cool enough that we didn’t want to dip our toes in but the views were absolutely perfect.

And now for our favorite pull out - Kings Creek Picnic Area. You may be thinking that that doesn’t sound like a lot but let me paint you a picture. Imagine a beautiful green meadow and running through the meadow, in a meandering way, is a stream that looks very inviting to put your feet in and cool off for a bit. On the edge of the meadow is a forest with spring flowers - even though it’s July - and birds singing, squirrels yelling, and quiet - if all three can be true at one time. That’s what Kings Creek Picnic Area is like. Definitely a wonderful spot.

And dip your toes in the creek - it is cold but so refreshing!

Hiking

You will find a lot of hiking in Lassen, but these are the ones that we would recommend with kids.

First, I’m going to let Trooper talk about the Devastation Trail.

Trooper:

Hey guys! This trail is nice and short - only about 0.2 miles round trip. Really, it’s more of an outdoor museum if I’m being honest. You see, in 1915, Lassen Peak erupted, the volcano and a lahar that followed brought these HUGE boulders down the mountain to here, three miles away. A man named B.F. Loomis, who was one of the early explorers in the area, said that the boulders were still hot to the touch even 3 days after the eruption. Crazy, right? Take a look at our website to see one of the car size boulders that was either thrown down here or brought here because of the lahar. It’s probably a 300-ton boulder. Either way, that’s amazing!

Thanks Trooper. That was amazing!

The Cold Boiling Lake Trail is as interesting as it sounds. The first part of this 0.8 mile out and back trail is a little steep but after that, it levels off a bit. The lake itself is very beautiful but what is really interesting are the bubbles you see coming up in a section of the lake. It’s not boiling but there are gases escaping from fissures below the surface. Apparently it used to be quite the site but as it’s a dying hydrothermal area, there are just a few bubbles left. But even if it’s not spectacular, it is a nice hike and one that most kids could do easily.

King Creek Falls Trail is always on the list of best trails in the Park but while it is a beautiful waterfall, the trail gets steep and narrow at one part so I wouldn’t recommend it for children, but you know your kids best so make the choice that’s best for your family with this 2.3 mile loop trail.

The last trail that I’d say would be a can’t miss, if it’s open, is Bumpass Hell Trail. This 3-mile trail on a boardwalk takes you through the largest hydrothermal area in the Park. However, it doesn’t open until late July most years because of snow. We just missed the opening by a week when we were there on July 13th. 

But, the story as to why it’s called Bumpass Hell is almost as fun as the hike. Kendall V. Bumpass discovered the area in 1864 or 1865. Later, he brought out some friends to see it and he stepped on a thin piece of ground and his leg broke through and was burned in a mud pot. In fact, he had to have his leg amputated because of the burn, it was that severe. He reportedly said his “descent into hell was easy.” Hence the name. 

If it’s open, this is a must do!

Visitor Centers

I love a good National Park visitor center. There are nice bathrooms, you can get the Junior Ranger booklet there, and get sworn in, and you usually learn some things so they are always a good stop.

The Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center is the only true visitor center in the Park. It’s at the south entrance. Because the road between the West Entrance and the South Entrance often closes in the winter, you can’t always get there from Shingletown. 

Another great stop is Loomis Museum, just inside the West Entrance. It was built by Benjamin Loomis in 1927 for his daughter, Louisa Mae. Now the building is a museum. There are bathrooms there, though not as nice. And you can pick up and turn in your Junior Ranger booklets there.

So there you have it, Lassen Volcanic National Park in California. Will next year be the year there are 500,001 visitors? I sure hope so. 

If you do end up going, let me know! I’d love to hear what you thought of this off the beaten path Park.

If you want to see what Lassen actually looks like, head to the website—we’ve got photos and helpful links there. And as always, let’s keep making traveling with your family easier, one trip at a time. See ya next time.