14 Best Sights in Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

This 30-mile scenic route, the main thoroughfare through the park, passes by such prominent sites as Lassen Peak, Bumpass Hell, Sulphur Works, Kings Creek, Devastated Area, and Chaos Crags, connecting the southwest entrance with Manzanita Lake and the northwest entrance. It's often referred to simply as Lassen Park Highway.

Learn about black bears at this ranger-led talk, offered mid-June–mid-August, that takes less than an hour.

This 2.6-mile round-trip hike through meadows and forests to Cold Boiling and Crumbaugh lakes presents an excellent opportunity to view spring wildflowers, but it's quite pretty throughout summer and fall. At Cold Lake, it's possible to detour to Bumpass Hell (thereby adding 3.8 miles round-trip to your trek). Moderate.

Lassen Peak's 1915 eruptions cleared this area, which makes up a good chunk of the center of the park, of all vegetation, though after all these years the forest has gradually returned. The easy ½-mile interpretive trail loop is wheelchair accessible.

Take a morning stroll and learn about the birds of Manzanita Lake.

Visit the otherworldly Sulphur Works with a ranger and learn the secrets behind this unique hydrothermal feature.

Junior Rangers, ages 5 to 12, meet for 45 minutes three times a week with rangers, including for talks about the role wildfires have in shaping our national parks. Kids can earn patches by completing an activity book, or joining the Chipmunk Club and earning a sticker by completing various activities.

Nature photographers love this 2.3-mile loop hike through forests dotted with wildflowers. A steady 700-foot ascent leads to the spectacular falls. It can be slippery in spots, including along a stone staircase, so watch your step. Moderate.

This site with picnic tables and vault toilets has views of several summits, including Lassen Peak.

This ½-mile jaunt loops past a small lake and through a wooded area, ending at a pond that is filled with yellow water lilies in summer. Marked with interpretive signs, it's a good choice for families. Easy.

Lassen Peak is reflected in the waters of this rippling lake, which has good catch-and-release trout fishing and a pleasant trail for exploring the area's abundant wildlife.

This 2½-hour 3.8-mile round-trip hike through forests and wildflowers takes you to where East Sulphur and Bumpass creeks merge to create the park's highest waterfall. For a longer adventure, you can continue past the falls for 2.5 miles to Crumbaugh Lake, and another 1.3 miles past Cold Boiling Lake to Kings Creek Picnic Area. Moderate.

Listen to the fascinating tales of the intrepid travelers who made the journey in 1853 to California via the Nobles Emigrant Trail wagon road.