Lassen Volcanic National Park
As the snow begins to melt, Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California transforms into a mix of deep snow and rough volcanic landscapes. Visiting in May offers a unique blend of snow-dusted peaks, steaming boiling springs and the first signs of spring life making it an ideal time for adventurers seeking solitude and natural beauty.
Unlike the crowded summer months, May offers a quieter, more serene experience. The park begins to awaken from its long winter slumber, with lower elevations becoming accessible while higher trails still wear a blanket of snow. This contrast creates stunning scenery, think bubbling mud pots framed by snow-capped mountains. Pictures and videos below.
For sure there is Partial Road Access through the main park road (Highway 89), but you are allowed to bypass the Road Closed sign on foot and explore the park. The Manzanita Lake area was open and beautiful. Again, there are many pictures below of the lake and surrounding mountains.
On our first day in the park, we entered through the Northern Entrance and parked at the Devastated Area lot. The road was closed at that point, but we hiked past it on the snow to a great waterfall that flowed under a bridge. We met a couple from Florida on their honeymoon and took some pictures for them. Soon after we found the trailhead for the Paradise Medows trail on our GPS. The road and trail were buried under 10 feet of snow. We were able to hike the trail using a combination of GPS and some foot tracks in the snow. Hiking on top of the deep snow without a trail path or markers was awesome. It was super difficult as we sank deep into the snow at some points, but the challenge and effort were rewarding experiences for us.
While we ate lunch at the Devasted Area parking lot some skiers who were setting out to climb up to the top of Lassen Peak and ski down. Denise saw some from the earlier group skiing down the mountain. We drove back to Manzanita Lake and hiked the trail around the lake taking some good pictures as noted above.
On our second day at Lassen Volcanic, we entered through the Southern Entrance and drove to the Sulphur Works parking lot. Beyond that the road was closed. Sulphur Works featured steaming vents and boiling mud pots right off the main road. It was a great introduction to the park’s volcanic activity.
We hiked the main park road for about 4 miles and then encountered snow plowing operation. They let us past and then we were on top of 10-12 feet of snow with no markers, trails, etc.. GPS was the only way to hike and navigate to Bumpass Hell. The views of the park were so cool and hiking on the snow was hard but exciting. After Bumpass Hell we pushed on to the base of Lassen Peak, turning around for the 6.5 mile hike back to the car. The only people we saw all day were 2 guys from Germany using snowshoes.
It was a great day and an excellent adventure in Lassen Park.
