Bumpass Hell
Lassen's largest geothermal area, where wooden boardwalks wind past boiling mud pools, steam vents and colourful sulphur pools.
Bumpass Hell covers about 6.5 hectares and is one of the largest geothermal areas west of Yellowstone. It features boiling mud pools, steaming fumaroles and blue-green hot pools, and the air is heavy with the smell of sulfur. From the car park beside the park's main road, the round trip is about 4.8 kilometers. The route goes uphill first, then down, finally following a wooden boardwalk into the valley floor. You must stay on the boardwalk, as the ground beneath may be a scalding thin crust, and some visitors have been burned. The car park is often full after 10 a.m. in summer.
Opening hours
Seasonal, approx. July–October
Nearby sights
- Lassen Peak
- Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Manzanita Lake
- Subway Cave
- McArthur–Burney Falls
- Lake Shasta Caverns
- Turtle Bay Exploration Park & McConnell Arboretum
- Sundial Bridge