I spend the first weekend of October in what I can’t believe is one of the least visited national parks in the US. Lassen feels like paradise on earth with its beautiful views and calm atmosphere.
The park is unbelievably quiet and every time you turn a corner you’ll be greeted by a complete shift in scenery. The signature volcano of the park Lassen Peak last erupted in May 1914 and the eruption lasted for three years.
Today everything left from the eruption is the stunning nature with volcanos, forests, lakes, water falls, lava rocks and a huge devastated area. Furthermore, the remarkable hydrothermal areas are shaping the park with fumaroles (which are openings in the planet’s crust that release steam and volcanic gases), boiling mud pots and a “nice” smell of hydrogen sulphide (rotten eggs). Our first hike was a four hours hike to Lassen Peak.
After Lassen Peak we did the Bumpass Hell hiking trail. From this hike we could see Lassen Peak that we had just hiked with its volcanic eye. This hike took us to one of the hydrothermal areas.
Our second day in Lassen was completely different and we hiked to Paradise Meadows and we experienced beautiful forests and waterfalls.
We had the best weekend in Lassen and I can’t recommend this park enough. Going on weekend trips to California’s spectacular nature has quickly become my favourite activity and you can expect even more beautiful photography. Next stop is Big Sur.