If you're segment hiking the PCT and find yourself wondering if you should shuttle or backpack the…read moreWathum Lake to Lost Lake section, I encourage you to check out the Buck Peak offshoot trail. Quarter mile off the PCT and you'll find an established campsite complete with sufficient space for a tent, a small fire ring, and a spring within a half mile. As a bonus, you can go the half mile up the Buck Peak trail to the official summit. The view of Mount Hood from that spot is worth all of the mosquito bites you'll collect at camp.

Moderate hike with a view worth the hike. It's 4.2 miles round-trip, but the trail is relatively…read moreflat throughout. You'll be walking through a beautiful, flat meadow then slowly going slightly uphill the rest of the way. I was lucky enough to catch a bear sighting along the way and watched a bear ripping up tree bark to forage for bugs. You can choose to ride a horse on the trail, but it will only get you to a certain point; you'll still need to hike maybe half a mile to reach the final end point: Devils Kitchen. The end has great up-close views of Lassen's steam vents and boiling springs. You'll have to cross over small sections of the sulfur springs, so watch your step! There's still some work being done at Devils Kitchen and I saw park crew members carrying up logs to the trail to build more fences, so respect the park signs and stay on trail. Parking is somewhat difficult near the trailhead since there's no clear parking lot, but there's more parking available if you're willing to walk a bit more.

Decent hike moderate to beginner level 2.1 miles each way, approximately 1.75hr hike. Devils…read morekitchen is at the end of the hike well worth the effort.

Very fun lava tube (cave)…read more Short hike. Easy parking. Bathroom at parking area. You will definitely need a flashlight and close-toed shoes. It is not dangerous, but it is very dark and the ground is bumpy and uneven.

Wonderful pit stop to cool down in the extreme heat!…read more Limited parking Picnic area Non flushable toilets

This is one of my favorite spots around lassen county. Great spots to hike and beautiful lakes. You…read morehave to come check it out, it's a beauty you must see for yourself. I went swimming here during summer and the dogs as well. Very cold water, but what do you expect in higher elevations with wind! So worth the drive and hike.

If your idea of a good time is to stroll through the forest past pretty lake after pretty lake and…read moreto see no other people, head up to the Caribou Wilderness on the eastern edge of Lassen Volcanic National Park near Chester. Hubby and I recently spent an October Saturday there, hiking a seven mile loop from the Hay Meadow trailhead. Reaching the trailhead itself is something of an adventure, requiring a twelve mile drive on forest service roads. Fortunately, most of the route is paved and in decent condition; the last couple of miles are gravel, and if it's rained could be a problem. We crawled down the last bumpy downhill stretch in our sedan to see a large gravel lot with nary a car in it. There is a restroom, but it was locked. Hay Meadow on the southern edge of the wilderness, where the trail starts, is large and picturesque; I imagine that it is gorgeous in mid-summer with the wildflowers. We hiked in a counterclockwise direction, taking the Indian Meadow, Hidden Lakes, Posey-Beauty, and Cone-Hay Meadows trails. There's an early climb of some few hundred feet, but after that nothing taxing. Much of the hike is relatively flat, and the range in elevation is from 6500 to 7000 feet. About 1.5 miles in you start to see what you came for: the lakes. The essence of this hike is the pleasure of woods and lakes. And plenty of lakes there are. In our seven miles, we passed at least 15 lakes, and that doesn't count the small ponds. The largest was Long Lake, about mid-way through the hike, and the most beautiful was Evelyn Lake, set among rocky ledges, on the return trip. The Caribou Wilderness is typically open mid-June to mid-October. There is no entrance fee nor backpacking fee. While there are no campgrounds near Hay Meadow, there are two campgrounds at the Caribou Lake entrance on the east side of the wilderness. Mosquitoes can be bad in June and July, but we didn't see any in October.

We parked near summit lake and started trek to echo lake. We then hit upper twin lower twin feather…read morelake silver lake and back down. I've attached a map to my review. It was 12 miles long loop. Path from summit to lower twin was nice, it was very green and we saw patches of snow. After lower twin we hit a very long path of depressing views of burnt lassen trees-- would not recommend. From silver lake back to summit was all up hill. To be honest, I would recommend starting at Summit and going to little bear and back down, you will get nice views and all lush green scenery and it will be a moderate workout.

I hiked this from Summit Lake to Echo Lake. The first mile is a slog uphill, but then you have a…read morebeautiful crest walk then down hill to the lake. The forest here is gorgeous, and the lake is very pretty. It was also quite warm in August, you could easily swim in it, though I don't know how deep it is. This is a very heavily traveled trail. I must have seen 100 people on it. There was 3 large groups of backpackers (15+ in each group, plus dozens of small groups of day hikers and backpackers). That is the only reason why I mark it down a star, you are traveling with a crowd. If you went further out, it would get sparser and sparser though. A great hike overall.

On previous visits to Lassen Volcanic National Park, we've noticed cars parked outside/before the…read moresouth entrance. Little did we know it was a trail! A fellow camper at our campsite informed us with the details. We made a return just for this and conquer Lassen Peak once again. Round trip is a little over 7 miles. We started the trail before 8 in the morning as the 2nd and 3rd hikers on the trail. Along the trail we came across deers and signs (scat) of the presence of bears. Be equipped and prepared! The trail begins with plenty of brush then shady trees at mid. The morning breeze is what kept me going. If you enjoy Lassen Peak or incline hikes in general, give this a try. The experience was unforgettable. Check this off your list.

Awesome hike! Mostly uphill on the way up. Make sure to wear shoes that have good grips on the…read morebottom because there can be slippery parts. The view from up top is amazing. Took my friend and I about 4 hours to get in and out!!

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.

If you're driving through Northern California and skip Burney Falls, you'll regret it -- read this…read morebefore you pass it. Some places stop you in your tracks. Burney Falls is one of them. We pulled in on a cloudy afternoon, paid the $10 day-use fee (heads up -- America the Beautiful Pass is not accepted here), and honestly, I wasn't fully prepared for what was waiting at the end of that short walk. It's maybe 10 steps down to the base of the falls -- gentle enough that we attempted it with a stroller. Is it stroller-friendly? Almost. I'd say stroller-possible if you're determined, but bring your patience and your arms. The clouds kept rolling in, softening the light over the forest, and I remember standing there thinking -- even like this, even on a grey day, this place is extraordinary. The waterfall doesn't roar at you. It cascades, wide and ancient and constant, like it's been doing this forever and doesn't need your approval. Water pours from every direction -- from the rocks, from the moss, from the walls -- and the sound wraps around you completely. I added photos, but they don't capture it. Nothing will. The trees surrounding the falls are cathedral-tall, the air smells like cold water and pine, and for a few minutes the whole world got quiet. On a clear sunny day? I think I would have cried. Even on a cloudy one -- I almost did. Go. Just go.

This is my second trip to McArthur Burney Falls. Easy access and available parking today, 09.17.25…read moredue to it being the end of season/fall. $10 entrance fee, accept cash or credit cards. I actually received a $1 back as in a senior. I dislike that dog access is limited to parking lot, and observation area. Not allowed on stairs leading down to base of falls, on trails, posted properly. I understand people don't clean up after their pets plus you never know how dogs will interact. Their park, their rules. I love the rule that doesn't allow you to leave your dog(s) in the car, kudos. I think these dog rules apply to all California State Parks. Beautiful falls, great fall weather, friendly rangers.

We stayed at Gordon's for three nights while visiting Lassen Volcanic National Park…read more The cabin was exactly what we needed after exploring the National park. We stayed in Cabin 4. It was outfitted with a Queen size bed, dining table, charcoal grill, oven and stove, refrigerator and some basic cooking utensils. There is also a small bathroom with a shower. The bed was comfortable and the entire cabin was clean. The shower was small, but the hot water was fantastic. This location is a short drive to several great locations including Lassen Volcanic National Park (15 minutes), Burney Falls State Park (30 minutes), and Subway Cave (5 minutes). There is a small store on the premises. We did not find it as well stocked as we had hoped. But there is Old Station Fill Up right up the road that has more variety. Or if you're looking to grocery shop, you can drive into Burney (30 minutes). We enjoyed that there wasn't any service on the property. It was nice to unplug. Old Station Fill Up does have good service if you need to use it. My husband enjoyed fishing in the pond on the property and even caught a rainbow trout.

We stayed in cabin 7. The cabin itself is very outdated. There are a lot of cracks and openings…read morethroughout all the cabin windows and doors (they don't seal properly), which let a lot of bugs inside. The whole time we were there we were constantly having to get rid of giant black ants and other bugs. Also, none of the doors inside the cabin closed, not even the bathroom door. You could see inside the bathroom from the outside. The main door to get inside is easily opened without a key, which is not good at all. Also, the WiFi did not work during our time there. Not even in the areas we were told it would. Besides that, the area itself is nice. We enjoyed playing cornhole and badminton.