22 |
LASSEN |
DISTANCE: 5.0 miles round-trip
HIKING TIME: 2.5 hours
SEASON: June–October
DIFFICULTY: challenging
Lassen Peak is one of the largest plug dome volcanoes in the world, topping out at an elevation of 10,457 feet. The trail to its summit is open for hiking only a few months each year, when it is snow-free. In summer, the trail is hot and exposed, so carrying water is essential. If possible, start your hike early in the morning. By 10 a.m., the trailhead parking lot is usually packed with cars.
The trail starts with an ascent and gets steeper as you climb. Occasional mountain hemlocks and whitebark pines grow alongside the volcanic rock outcrops on the mountain’s slopes; you may see the bold Clark’s nutcracker flitting among tree branches. The trail is mostly shadeless, allowing almost no break from the wind and sun.
Interpretive signs bring the now-quiet volcano’s history to life. They feature quotes from the San Francisco Examiner in May 1915, when the peak began spilling lava.
Between miles 1 and 2 the path curves through more than a dozen short switchbacks. At the top, your view opens up to the north all the way to Mt. Shasta. Here, you can observe the furrowed lines left from mud, snow, and water flowing downslope during the 1915 eruptions. Head back the way you came to return to your car.
From Red Bluff, take Hwy. 36 east for 45 miles. Turn north on Hwy. 89 and drive 4.5 miles to Lassen Park’s Southwest entrance station. Continue on the park road for 6.9 miles to the Lassen Peak trailhead on the left.
