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Bumpass Hell Trail

4.9 (26 reviews)
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Updated a few days ago

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Bumpass Hell sign at the parking lot.
Johnny W.

Bumpass Hell is the largest hydrothermal area in the park and marks the principal area of upflow of steam & discharge from the Lassen hydrothermal system. The temperature of high-velocity steam jetting from Big Boiler, the largest fumarole in the park, has been measured as high as 322°F, making it one of the hottest fumaroles in the world. You need to stay on the boardwalk, as the hydrothermal may give way underfoot, which may cause severe injuries. This place is named after Kendall Vanhook Bumpass, whom broke through a thin crust above a scalding hot mudpot. His leg was badly scalded & eventually had to be amputated. If you're looking for a good hike while visiting Lassen National Park, Bumpass Hell is a good one. It is long, and has some steep areas, but the views are gorgeous along the way.

Michael T.

Lassen National Park is other worldly! California has a very diverse geography, but when you think of California, you could not picture this in your wildest dreams. Bumpass Hell Trail will quite literally make you feel like you've gone through the forest and came out the other side on Mars. Stark white rock scapes accented by colorful mineral deposits greet you as you emerge from the trees. Muddy creeks filled with water warmed by the earth trickle along the surface, while ominous looking pools bubble in the background filling the air with a steamy foggy haze. The trail allows you to walk along a well maintained boardwalk that gets you close to this natural geothermal phenomenon. There are signs all over warning hikers to stay on the pathways, as the ground could give way, plunging you into potentially inescapable lava hot mud. That very thing happened to Mr. Bumpass, who guided early explorers through the area to see this for themselves. His accident is why the trail bears the name. All in all this is a relatively easy hike. About 2-3miles out and back with no serious inclines or declines and a very cool payoff. I'd say it's great for families and can be done in a very short time. The parking lot is decent, but if the park is busy, I could see it filling fast.

Ellen L.

we ran out of time to hike this trail, but the view from the trailhead/vista point is absolutely gorgeous! i found a semi-secret rock to sit on and just relax and admire the view for a few moments...be careful though, b/c the rock could be a bit slippery and on a windy day, you could be blown into the valley! the trail is about 2 1/2 miles long (roundtrip) and rated as easy, so suitable for families with young children. the story goes, kendall bumpass, an early settler, was guiding some folks through this area and accidentally broke thru the surface of a geothermal area, and one of his legs was scalded from the steaming hot mudpot. ouch! now, there are guardrails and signs around these mudpots so that you can only look but not touch (and fall thru!) another gem in lassen nat'l park that is not to be missed!

Still walking
Geneva W.

Great wonder of the world. The home is moderate not to hard or easy. We walked a trail for about 500 feet which goes up and around the mountain. The trail is uphill 500 feet and then about 250 feet downhill and then you end up at the Bumpass Hell site. It's not as big of an area as I had thought we saw a few spurts coming out of the holes The trail was not to crowded we arrived at about 3pm it took us about an 2 Hours Total we are not advent hikers and do not walk period or exercise so the hike was a journey for us. You go up and around the mountain for a long time before you get to the bottom we almost gave up but kept on going. When we finally arrived it was a nice feeling to be in flat ground the pathway at the Bumpass path is a sturdy bridge platform that you can walk on and see a few of the earths wonders. Now the hike back was the hard part for us the 250 feet that was downhill in the way there is now an uphill thar you have to go back on that hill was much worst than the entire hike it was very HOT and my body wanted to die right there once we finally made it up that bottom hill the long uphill to get there is now a nice down around the mountain which was much easier than going. So all in all the trail back is worst than the walk there. Just do it and it's worth it

Scenic views
Jennifer N.

Very cool hike at Lassen National Park. Not to be missed since it's a one-of-a-kind trail that showcases the interesting geology of the area. The parking area is a few miles from the southwest entrance. It does fill up, however. Even on a Tuesday morning, I had to circle the lot to find a spot (I noticed, driving past it again around 4 pm, it had many more open spaces.) There are scenic views right from the lot, but you'll want to head up the trail for even more overlooks and the quintessential Lassen views. It's a well graded trail that inclines gently up through forested area, interspersed with rocky overlooks and a few small meadows. You'll reach the boardwalk area and head downhill to view the steam and boiling mud. It's an amazing landscape full of striking contrast and colors. It's an other worldly landscape for sure. On the way back up. I'd recommend taking the "Frying Pan" spur. It cuts a bit off the uphill and has some of the most spectacular views of the boardwalk area. There's a short uphill back out, before the trail levels out and then descends back to the lot. It's not super challenging but it's warm and open in that section. You can overheat on a summer day. It's a must do hike in Lassen and is about 3 miles round trip (with longer hikes that also can embark from here.) Lots of informational plaques and truly a wondrous hike.

Bumpass Hell.
Jennifer H.

The trail was closed during my visit in late May. However, the view from the parking lot was still lovely with all the snow. Looking forward to visiting Bumpass Hell again during the warmer season!

Mt Lassen
Andre L.

The trail to Bumpass Hell is a little lengthy, but is fairly easy for almost all skill levels. The entirety of the trail is beautifully scenic, with panoramic mountain views, including a perfect view of Mt Lassen across a lake at one point. Bumpass Hell is an interesting place with bubbling mud pots and plenty of educational material about the geothermal action going on in the area... It is a little stinky though. The story behind how Bumpass Hell got its name is interesting too... A cowboy named Kendall Van Hook Bumpass went stumbled on the area while looking for lost cattle. I think if my name was "Bumpass," I'd consider changing my name... But maybe that wasn't such a funny name back in the 1800s. Anyway, the "stumbled" part is quite literally--poor guy fell in one of the steaming mud pots and ended up losing his leg. That's where the "Hell" part of the name comes from. Anyway, it's a fun and interesting place now! One of the best parts of Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Trailhead sign
Laura B.

If you're looking for a quick, educational hike in Lassen that will surely freak out the kids, Bumpass Hell is that hike! A 3-mile out-and-back with only 300 ft. of elevation gain makes this a great one for anyone in reasonable hiking shape. Lassen's description of the hike: "Moderate hike over rocky terrain with grand vistas. The trail drops into an active hydrothermal basin where you can view mudpots and fumaroles. For your safety, please stay on the boardwalk. This trail often has snow hazards through July and into August." If you want to cut the boring part of the hike off, park at Lake Helen and hop on the trail right before the vistas get good. Despite the generally rocky road, we actually had a great time trail running; it doesn't get especially crowded and people are polite enough to step aside. At a decent clip, we got it done in 1.5 hours with enough time to slowly browse through Hell. Prepare for a horrendous sulphur smell once you hit the crest of the hydrothermal area - a handkerchief or other face covering isn't a bad idea (no one will judge you). There are lots of educational placards that will help you understand this "hellish" landscape and the history behind its discovery - I recommend grabbing some quick pics of them if you don't want to stand around reading them (it's pretty smelly). :-P Above all, Lassen is a living volcano! Check out this hike for an easy way to sample all the views (and smells) the park has to offer. :-)

Elaine Y.

Trail is a moderate hike, not too steep with some rockiness. Tree cover is pretty abundant, but you should still bring a hat. The smell of sulfur is very clear at the vista point of the springs, but it's not nearly as pungent as that of Yellowstone and in fact, was almost mild when you arrived at "hell" below. Definitely pay attention to the colors of the sulfur, it's like live chemistry in action. Especially cool was the pyrite pool at the very end where iron mixed with the sulfur created a black pond with eerie black bubbles rising to the top.

Bumpass Hell view from trail
Ray B.

The Bumpass Hell Trail at Lassen National Park leads from a parking lot on Hwy 89 to the Bumpass Hell pits. There are amazing views of Lassen Peak, Lake Helen and the park along the way. The trail is moderately difficult and runs between 8200 - 8400 feet altitude. Bumpass Hell features boiling sulfur lakes, mud pots and steam vents. This is a must see when visiting Lassen. Plan for 2 hours round trip and bring plenty of water. There are no facilities along the trail.

After you hike the trail through the desolation, you come to this view.
Taj M.

Mr. Bumpass fell into some boiling mud right after explaining how dangerous it was in these parts. He was so severely burned that he lost that leg. The place is named "Hell" because that's what he thought of it. Now it's safe for you to go. They built nice walkways through the hot mud springs, or whatever you call them. It's really something, sort of colorful and desolate at the same time. It's stinky, too, like rotten eggs. Sulphur does that, I suppose.

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10 months ago

This hike was beautiful, It was really fun. I enjoyed it! If I had to give someone a idea to go on a hike I would recommend it.

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19 years ago

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7 years ago

A school report has been written on this Journey into hell, so cool that Kaleb decided to write about our fun day!

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10 years ago

Loved the name. Named after a local early inhabitant. Steep trail to the hot spring. May even take it one day. Beautiful scenery/ country.

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9 years ago

Pretty cool place to visit when in the park. Nice hike down to the pots.

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Ask the Community - Bumpass Hell Trail

Are there places to park an RV nearby the trailhead? We are planning to stay at Volcano Country Mineral RV Park and wish to drive to Bumpass Hell and do the trail.

The parking lot can accommodate RVs, but it all depends on how large yours is!

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Review Highlights - Bumpass Hell Trail

The Bumpass Hell Trail at Lassen National Park leads from a parking lot on Hwy 89 to the Bumpass Hell pits.

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Mill Creek Falls

Mill Creek Falls

(1 review)

The trail to Mill Creek Falls begins right off to the side of the new Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor…read moreCenter in the Southwest parking area. The trail is somewhat easy-moderate, depending how fit you are of course. It has a round trip distance of 4.6 miles with various areas of inclining slopes. The path was not smooth and in many spots there was snow blocking the way (but this was a few weeks ago and it may have melted by now). Hiking poles were very useful here. This trail isn't for those looking for an easy stroll. Keep a close eye on the trail too because it wasn't clearly marked and there are areas were you can get off the main path. With that being said, the hike and the actual falls were beautiful. Along the way there were open areas that offered lovely views of various mountain peaks, as well as areas with towering trees that loomed overhead and offered much leafy shade. There was one part of the trail that brought us to a hillside covered with bushes of yellow wildflowers, which was absolutely beautiful. The Mill Creek Falls itself was stunning. You can walk across a bridge that runs above its cascading waters and also across a second little bridge further up from the first. The bridge gives you a spectacular view of the canyon between the two hills. Be careful though because the wooden bridges do not have railings. It's hard to put into words the beauty and majesty of a natural waterfall. You just have to see it for yourself.

Heart Lake in-and-back Hike - Downed trees on the trail

Heart Lake in-and-back Hike

(3 reviews)

We decided to backpack in to the lake and spend the night as our first attempt at backpacking. We…read morechose this spot because since it is in the National Forest, not the National Park, it is dog friendly, plus it's not often traveled. The road is a good gravel road. No problems for any type of vehicle. You park on the side of the road in a small turnout. No permit needed. The trailhead is well marked. The trail is all uphill, until a few hundred feet from the lake. It's listed as an easy hike, but I think it should be considered a moderate hike. The uphill hike is already on the edge of being moderate, but if you add in the dozens of downed trees, it definitely makes the hike more difficult. In a 25 lb pack, those things are really irritating. Most you can step over, but there are several you have to climb, and as of yesterday 9/14/13, 3 that have to crawled under. Almost at the lake, you cross South Digger Creek. In September this creek is a few inches high and there are lots of rocks to hop over, but I would imagine in the spring this is quite higher from the snow run off. The lake is small, but very scenic. It was heavy on the weeds and quite green though, so we were not going to swim in it. We decided to hike back to the creek so that we could use the creek water (still filtered) for drinking. We found some decent flat spots on the creek to sleep and were very comfortable. The lake, I later found out is quite full of leaches, so do not swim in it. Hang your food, I found a few piles of bear poo around the lake. You cannot make a campfire, only stove use in the summer. Please don't burn our forest down with illegal campfires. Once you see all the downed trees, you will agree this place is a disaster waiting to happen. This was a great place to try backpacking out and I recommend it for being very fun for dogs. See my pictures of the trip attached on the site.

This is a great hike but be prepared. As of our hike (6/3/2012), the trail is in need of…read moremaintenance. There are numerous logs down across the trail and the trail is quite difficult to pick up in places. In one place, close to the lake, the trail leads right into a swamp area. If possible, have a GPS and a map. It's pretty much all up hill on the way in but the views at the lake are well worth the trip.

Lassen Volcanic National Park - Lassen Peak

Lassen Volcanic National Park

(241 reviews)

For how relatively close we live to Lassen, it's a shame we didn't make it up here sooner! This…read morepark is absolutely beautiful and didn't have nearly the amount of people as we expected. Made for a peaceful trip. There are so many wonderful things to see and do here that I wish we had more time to really explore it all. The Paradise Meadow Trail was a surprisingly wonderful, peaceful trail that had very few people on it and ended with a gorgeous view overlooking a grassy field and the mountains beyond. Very small parking area (5ish spots), so if you wanna do it, take a parking spot when you can! We also hiked the Lassen Peak Trail up to the true summit. Definitely a strenuous hike, but it's worth it at the end when you're looking out over Lassen National Park. But, the gem of Lassen National Park, is Bumpass Hell Trail. Only open for about 4 months of the year, this hike brings you to the park's main hydrothermal area. Both beautiful and awe-inspiring, it's definitely worth the walk. Parking can be tough, so plan ahead. And if you've been to Yellowstone, definitely temper your expectations - it's beautiful but doesn't reach the grandeur of their hydrothermal areas. The only thing on our list we did not get to visit was Manzanita Lake. Wish we could've made it there, but we traded our time for the lake to summit Lassen Peak. So it'll definitely be a must-stop on our return trip. Overall, Lassen was such an incredible time. You can do it in one day if that's all you have, but if you can manage at least 2 days, you'll get to experience more of what the park has to offer. Highly recommend!

Only visited Lassen for a short afternoon hike at Manzanita Lake, but what a beautiful park it is…read more Since it's a National Park there was a $30 entrance fee, no one was at the booth when we arrived, but they had signage on how to pay online, and told you where you could find wifi to do so. We did the Manzanita Lake loop, which was about two miles. The trail was easy but took a long time because we kept stopping to take pictures of the beautiful views. We did the trail clockwise and it took a little while to get to the ultimate view, but I was glad it wasn't immediate so that we had something to really look forward to while on the trail. We parked at the Loomis Museum lot where there was a bathroom and small visitor center/gift shop. Parking was pretty full when we arrived, but emptied out quite a bit when we were leaving. They had kayak rentals on the lake, we had originally planned to do it, but time didn't permit on this trip. Rangers at the visitor center/shop were very knowledgeable, I heard one giving information about the plethora of trials and areas of the park, and wow are there a lot of trials!

Lassen Peak Trail

Lassen Peak Trail

(10 reviews)

We made a spur of the moment choice to hike up Lassen Peak, which might have been for the best? We…read morehad a lot less time to question our choices regarding this strenuous hike, but it was 100% worth it in the end. A five mile roundtrip, strenuous hike, this took us about 5-6 hours to complete - including the time we spent enjoying the view at the peak. And the hike up is definitely steep - about a 2,000ft elevation gain. We just went slow and steady, and it honestly wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. Just enjoy taking in all the surrounding beauty - you get gorgeous views of Lassen National Park from the trail. You'll get to the first summit, and there will be some plaques to read amongst the limited views. BUT, you can keep going a short distance more to reach the true summit. This last bit of trail is definitely unmaintained with more loose gravel, rocks, and a bit of climbing. We even had a bit of snow in this area in July. So definitely be safe if you choose to continue, but we found it so fantastic at the end. We found a place to sit, had a snack, and just took it all in. If you do choose to continue to the true summit, be aware of the rocks and use caution. They are very unstable and should not be used as leverage when climbing up or down. Pack lots of water, bring some food, and don't be afraid to take a lot of breaks. There is no shade, so bring a hat and some sunscreen. Plenty of parking at the trailhead. Probably one of our top 5 difficult hikes, but it was so worth it. Highly recommend.

This was the trail we kept on postponing due to mother nature. The trail has always been blocked by…read moresnow on previous visits, but finally we did it! It's one of the reasons we keep coming back to Lassen National Park as we needed it to be checked off on the list. The trail was not difficult as it looks. Just remember it's not a race and keep a steady pace. Staring the trail at 7 AM probably made it easier. I honestly think earlier the better. I don't do well with the heat. Trekking poles are recommended as it will save your knees on the way down. The view is spectacular and worth the time. When you reach the top, it doesn't stop there. Make sure you get to the summit. You are close. It's one of those hikes I'm so glad I've completed and would do it again if the opportunity arises.

Kings Creek Falls down-and-back - Lupine

Kings Creek Falls down-and-back

(1 review)

A gorgeous waterfall with an equally stunning hike throughout! I had originally planned to hike…read moreLassen Peak but there was still too much snow for the hike to be considered safe in condition. Decided to hike the 5 mile loop trail from Kings Creek to Bench Lake instead and it was awesome! Came here on Memorial Day Weekend around 8:30 am, and I was able to find a close spot near the trailhead. There's no actual parking lot near the Kings Creek staging area, but you can easily park along the road. By the time I finished my hike though, the cars were lined down the highway for almost a mile! Would definitely get here early to secure parking, and especially since it got HOT in the afternoon. There was still snow on the trail in late May. In fact, there was a huge pile of snow right at the beginning of the trailhead. Another lady and I realized that the trail was actually down a set of stairs that we couldn't see because snow was blocking our view. The Kings Creek Trail starts here. The hike to the falls is actually pretty easy. It's a short 2.7 miles round trip, but you can extend your hike by connecting to several other trails nearby. I hiked a 5ish mile loop to I Kings Creek, Bench Lake, and back. The trail starts off pretty mild through a shaded forest that runs alongside Kings Creek. You can hear the water from the creek flowing almost the entire time. The trail was a bit hard to follow due to all of the large snow chunks, but there were several small reg flag trail markers that helped to keep me on track. There's a small break in the trees where you'll have some of the most amazing views of the backside of Mount Lassen as well as the beautiful Shasta Valley. The views are pretty unbelievable here. A little over a mile in, you'll reach Kings Creek Falls. There wasn't anybody at the viewpoint when I arrived, and I had the beautiful view of the falls all to myself. Not too many people on this trail, so it was very enjoyable. From here, you can either go back the way you came, or you can connect to another trail. I took the loop trail to Bench Lake. After Kings Creek Falls, the trail becomes a little hard to follow again, but there are some trailhead signs to keep you on track. Bench Lake is small but very peaceful. Again, there was nobody there when I went. I took a break and had lunch here, and didn't see a soul the entire time (just the ants that really wanted my food). After Bench Lake, there's a steepish hill that you'll hike through but it's shaded. The trail continues until it loops back to the tail end of the Kings Creek trail. Some exposed spots but if you're going clockwise, the sun will be facing your back. Also, there was a ton of thick snow that I had to hike through. If you're coming in May, make sure to wear waterproof hiking boots if you don't want wet socks. The scenery throughout this hike is so amazing. Every little stop and turn affords you the most striking views. This is a hike that I would definitely do again. Kings Creek Falls is beautiful and the hike alone is worth the trek.

Paradise Meadows up-and-back - How to cross the stream. Walk on this.

Paradise Meadows up-and-back

(2 reviews)

I hiked this trail in July 2011 when there was still several feet of snow on the ground. Very…read morelittle of the trail was visible, so I used an app on my phone to trace our way up the trail. It was pretty easy, even though we had quite a few post-holes through the snow. In a few places there was a creek under the snow that we could hear, so be very careful where you walk in snow covered conditions. We arrived at the meadow and it was breathtaking. The entire bowl was flowing water to the creek that runs through the meadow. However, there were clouds of nasty mosquitoes that could probably pick you up and carry you off. I'm serious, it was a plague. We couldn't be there more than about 5 minutes. But it was totally worthwhile to see this beautiful place.

WOW! One of the prettiest, easiest hikes in Lassen National Park. Although the hike is listed as…read moreshort and it IS an easy distance, there is a decent climb up to the meadows but you hardly notice because of the gorgeous, cozy wooded setting. Most of the entire hike you have a beautiful view of the creek bubbling along side you and it's just gorgeous. There are wonderous amounts of wildflowers lining the trail's path: Skyrockets, Red Columbine, Larkspure, Alpine Aster and Daisies. And then the big payoff is the end of the trail where the wooded path opens up to Paradise Meadows where the still beauty is just overwhelming. On the return trip, you need to be careful of the loose rocks and sticks on the trail as you descend. This appeared to be a good hike for kids as we saw a couple of other families with children on our way out and they all seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. Oh, and the weather can only be described as perfect. A cool breeze, beautiful sun, no bugs. I wish there were more than 5 stars to award :o)

Bumpass Hell Trail - hiking - Updated May 2026

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