Lassen Volcanic National Park: Bumpass Hell

This place is aptly named for explorer Kendall Bumpass who visited this spot in the 1800s. He wanted to show his friends the hydrothermal pools and fumaroles, and well, he took a step, and his leg fell through the ground into a pool, burning at a temperature of 200F or more. Don’t let that deter you from visiting, as there is a well-supported and solid boardwalk. I even saw people of all age groups (young kids to older grandparents) along the trail. It is very doable and very exciting to see the boiling water tapping the volcanic heat from the earth below.

The main and most popular starting point is at the Bumpass Trailhead parking lot (in between Emerald Lake and Lake Helen), though there are a couple other ways to get here as well (Lake Helen parking lot, Kings Creek Picnic Area, and the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center). The parking lot has a pit-toilet, some of the first views of the expanse of the landscape, envisioning the old Mount Tehama and a glacial erratic. A glacial erratic is an example of something that was transported by glaciers from somewhere far away and sits in a place where it definitely does not belong.

There were a lot of people who were confused where the start of the Bumpass trail is. It is right at the entrance of the parking lot, not near the glacial erratic and bathrooms. (Also, people were saying that this parking lot is great for nighttime sky viewing!)

I started around 9:30 in the morning and was immediately greeted by a cold gust of wind. The beginning of the trail is mostly shaded and quite rocky, though relatively flat. There are several small lookout points and meadow offshoots along the trail.

Then, the scent of sulfur is in the air and the sight of the pools fills the view. For those who are tired, there is a nice bench to gaze out over the pools and also a good turning point for those not interested in heading down to be up close to the pools.

The trail is now completely exposed to the warm summer sun and the descent begins towards the pools, meandering through the hillside that’s covered in baby evergreens and florals.

And then voila! A feeling of exploration and checking out the pools takes over. It’s very cool to see steam rising from the pools, the boiling water (VERY HOT – do not even try experimenting!), and the sulfur deposits. The boardwalk dead ends at a beautiful green lake with plants that thrive on the hot sulfuric environment and then it’s a return trip back to the parking lot. Some people noticed a trail that follows the creek that nearly parallels the boardwalk, though that’s a trail that’s not meant for people who are only visiting Bumpass Hell (the trail heads to Cold Boiling Lake near Kings Creek Picnic Area).

I have seen fumaroles and hydrothermal pools before, so it was nothing new for me, though it was still fun to be up close and check out the texture of the cracked ground and hear the bubbling plops of water and smelling the sulfuric steam.

Bumpass Hell

Happy travels!
Cat