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    Manzanita Lake loop

    4.7 (10 reviews)

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    Manzanita Lake - Lassen Volcanic National Park
    John D.

    Piece of Lake Twenty-six acre lake located at the north entrance to Lassen National Park, which features a campground and other fun activities. The Good: *Campground is only open from late spring (±mid-May to December) check website for more details and how to book: https://bit.ly/3NBw0a7 *Dock to launch your boat or kayak *Swimming and fishing are allowed *Hiking trails, including the Manzanita Lake Loop Trail, which is ±2mile loop that features one of the best views of Lassen Peak at the aptly named "Lassen Peak Vista Point." The trail itself is in reasonably good shape and a fairly flat walk. *Loomis Museum (only open seasonally) The Meh: *Trail signage was a little confusing/lacking The Ugly: *Area is pretty much dead in the "Winter Season" as none of the amenities are open. Tldr: Regardless of the season, it's definitely worth a trip up to hike the trail and catch the spectacular views.

    Jennifer N.

    When looking for a scenic but short hike in Lassen National Park, Manzanita lake loop is a great option. It's located at the end of the parks scenic drive if you entered from Southwest. I parked near the Loomis Museum and took the trailhead behind the building, making a left and doing the loop clockwise. It's a fairly easy path and lake views greet you every step of the way. You'll walk past the boat launch area and see folks enjoying peaceful kayaking on the lake as well as the campground. After that, things quiet down and the tree lined path circles the lake with beautiful views of Lassen Peak reflected in the water. The last little bit of the trail, as you make your way back to the Loomis museum was my least favorite. It's a narrower trail and seemed a bit sandy and harder to walk through. It also didn't have as pretty of the scenery because on one side you had the road. Fortunately that section was short. Overall, a great option if you want something more relaxing in Lassen to hike. This was the grand finale of my first day in the park and I'm so glad I made my way out here.

    Ellen L.

    this lake is a 1.8mi loop that is rated as easy, only a couple small uphills (if even that) and a couple of short footbridges to cross. on one day, our group walked partially around the lake, and on another day, i ran 2 loops of the lake, and on yet another day, i rented a kayak and paddled all around this lake. it's quiet lovely at every hour of the day, morning is my favourite b/c i love the smell and sounds of the morning, especially the birds talking to each other. the loop trail is well shaded which is nice on a hot day. definitely bring water on a warm day, but there are a couple of bathrooms along the way in case you need to make a pit stop. there are also quite a few places to sit and have a snack, picnic benches and open grassy area. this lake is just a few minutes walk from the manzanita lake campground.

    View of the mountains at the lake
    Michael C.

    If visiting Lassen National Park and absolutely if you are staying at Manzanita Lake Campground, you need to take a walk around the Manzanita Lake Loop. Featuring its own parking lot, a boat dock, picnic benches, and even opportunity for fishing, there is a lot to do than just hike the lake. That said, the loop itself is a nice, mostly flat loop of about 1.9 miles. Mostly covered, but still bring the sunblock. We saw plenty of water fowl, fish jumping, tons of chipmunks, and even got lucky to see a deer eating. For the views, hard to beat the "beach" facing the west for the sunsets and stargazing. But halfway around, you'll come across Lassen Peak Vista Point, featuring gorgeous and unobstructed views of the peaks. Take some time getting the right shot, it is worth it.

    Tim S.

    We drove quite a while to get the national park. The whole reason was for the Bumpass Hell hike. It was on the bucket list of our trip and it looked like we had time to go. But as well got into the park there was a large lake calling us that was right there less than a mile past the entry. we stopped in to use the facilities and before ya knew it we had grabbed our hiking sticks and set off to check the lake. We hadn't even heard of it but it seemed tranquil off in the distance. It was a nice hike from the parking area. It was small up and downgrades with pines all about. A controlled fire seemed to have been done here in recent years. A stream was running next to us, as we walked on. One spot had some falls making things quite loud, but otherwise it was just gurgling along. there was some colorful birds in the area. A Blue bird with a large crest seemed to be following us, but moved to fast for a picture. when we got to lake we were on marshy side. it was a calm day and the lake seemed pristine and smooth as glass. We took a moment to just let the beauty of the day sink in. we wandered around the area a little but knew we had to get going to make it to the rest of the park. But we were glad we stopped to appreciate Manzanita Lake

    Mountain over the lake

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    Review Highlights - Manzanita Lake loop

    Before the hike, we took a drive through the Manzanita Lake Campground to check on accommodations.

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    Caribou Wilderness - One of the Hidden Lakes.

    Caribou Wilderness

    5.0(3 reviews)
    79.9 km

    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.

    Photos
    Caribou Wilderness - Long Lake.

    Long Lake.

    Caribou Wilderness - This was on the trail in the middle of nowhere!

    This was on the trail in the middle of nowhere!

    Caribou Wilderness - Hay Meadow.

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    Hay Meadow.

    Mill Creek Falls

    Mill Creek Falls

    5.0(1 review)
    11.6 km

    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.

    Photos
    Mill Creek Falls
    Mill Creek Falls
    Mill Creek Falls

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    McArthur Burney Falls State Park - Soft Serveeeeeeee

    McArthur Burney Falls State Park

    4.7(359 reviews)
    53.5 km

    The falls are absolutely gorgeous and a must see!!…read more We arrived around 1000 on a Friday where we had to park in overflow, so I suggest to go early. They have a gift shop that sells softserve icecream so we grabbed one of those and talked to the store clerk who also runs the marina where he explained the boating and kayaking options, fishing, etc. Afterwards we hiked the paved path down to the falls. The path has an incline and is wet in some areas so exercise caution as we saw someone fall and bust her knee open. The falls are so beautiful from every angle, and very worth the trip! After taking a ton of photos we walked on another path that took us to a cool bridge crossing the river. Then headed over to the marina area and rented a kayak for 4 hours for $85, which is great price honestly. The guy at the boat rental area was very nice and accomodating. The sun was out in full force so take your sunscreen! We fished and caught a few small mouth bass but nothing we could keep. After we turned in our kayaks we found a picnic area and grilled up some food. Overall we really enjoyed our day at this park and highly recommend!!

    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.

    Photos
    McArthur Burney Falls State Park
    McArthur Burney Falls State Park
    McArthur Burney Falls State Park - Severe hiking!  It's less than a mile and a half.  Steep(ish) though.

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    Severe hiking! It's less than a mile and a half. Steep(ish) though.

    Gordons Rim Rock Ranch - Bridal Room

    Gordons Rim Rock Ranch

    4.1(56 reviews)
    19.3 km

    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.

    Photos
    Gordons Rim Rock Ranch - Tent area

    Tent area

    Gordons Rim Rock Ranch - Fireplace

    Fireplace

    Gordons Rim Rock Ranch - Venue area setup for Quinceanera

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    Venue area setup for Quinceanera

    Manzanita Lake loop - hiking - Updated May 2026

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