More complete details coming soon.
Since we’re driving so far north into the state, we often combine a few days at Lassen with a few days at Lava Beds National Monument.
Geology & what we’ll see
Mt. Lassen: The volcano
Mt. Lassen was last active in a series of eruptions between 1914 and 1917. It is the southernmost active volcano of the Cascades Range (which includes Mt. Shasta, Crater Lake, Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Rainier).
Mt. Lassen is one of the few volcanic mountains over 10,000 feet that you can reach the peak of with only 2,000 feet of gain. The trailhead off the main road is at 8,500 ft, and the summit is 10,475 ft. The hike is 4.9 miles round trip, but since we’re climbing at over 8,000 ft, the altitude will slow most of us down. AllTrails reports that the average time for the round-trip is 3.5 hours.
Hydrothermal areas: Bumpass Hell & Devils Kitchen
Camping/lodging
We usually stay at the Lost Creek Group Campground, which holds 10-25 campers.
There are no hotels in the park, but for those who don’t want to camp, the Tall Timbers Bed and Breakfast is about 13 miles/20 minutes from the campground (rooms run in the $170-200/night range as of July 2024). Trip donations include camping fee, but not hotel fees.
Weather/temperature
Below is a table for the summit. Temperatures in the campground will usually be a bit warmer.
| Mean daily | June | July | Aug | Sept |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max °F | 54 | 63 | 62 | 57 |
| Mean °F | 40 | 48 | 46 | 40 |
| Min °F | 20 | 32 | 31 | 24 |
| Precipitation | 1.8 | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.79 |