Wander Here: Wildfires, Volcanoes + Deepening Connections at Lassen Volcanic National Park

Aug 8

Wander Here: Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, USA

Lassen Volcanic National Park almost didn’t happen for us! Between our work schedule, school, driving time and it being a bit out of the way, we almost decided to just skip it. But at the last minute, we decided to throw the tent in the van, leave our airstream home on the coast and go scope out this little off-the-beaten-path gem. We had never heard of it until we started scouting the national parks in CA to plan our route…but now we’re asking why it isn’t more well-known! Beautiful. Unique. Small, but mighty. Uncrowded. Alpine lakes, volcanoes, beautiful pines and geothermal features. Oh, and a great visitor’s center. What else could you want in a national park?

Seeing first-hand the plight of Californians during wildfire season

This charming little park was devastated by the Dixie fire of 2021, and the evidence is visible from the moment you enter. So many charred trees, made even more heartbreaking seeing them through the haze of smoke (that began infiltrating just as we were coming into the area) from the Park fire, which in the coming days/weeks would become the 4th largest fire in California history (and it’s still burning).

As we read warnings about the air quality (the aqi was at 500 by the evening), it was a sobering but amazing opportunity to share with our kids about the plight of Californians, Oregonians and others in this part of the country who live through wildfire season every single year. It sparked convos about climate change and global warming and how every place in the world has both joys and challenges that come with living there. A fact that’s become very evident to us as we’ve explored 11 states through a lens of whether it could be a future home state for us.

A park riddled with a violent past

We spent the day checking fire status reports while soaking in the awe-inspiring nature like pine trees for days, mountain views, fumeroles (steam vents), mud pots, still active volcanoes and mind-blowing visible evidence of eruptions past.

We made it over to Lake Helen, one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in the park, and then had just enough time to stop by Sulphur Works hydrothermal area for a quick peek before starting out on the Bumpass Hell Trail. Being in a park that is riddled with a violent past, still has active geothermal activity and is currently in the path of a raging wildfire, while ash is literally swirling in the air is a whole vibe. It really made the experience more impactful + memorable for all of us. Having not been to Yellowstone quite yet, I can’t say how it compares, but we had never seen anything like this before and were completely in awe. Our sense of wonder was off the charts.

Later, we set up camp by Summit Lake and then headed over for a swim before darkness settled in. Jon and I watched the sun sink lower, a gold orange glow through the smoky haze, as the kids splashed and played. I was struck by how temporary everything is.

Living our very alternative lifestyle, I have moments where I doubt. Where I pray that our kids aren’t missing out on anything while the world races from one thing to another and we exist somewhat outside the craze. But at the end of the day, our time here on earth, especially as a family unit living together, is limited. It’s so fleeting! And everything we accumulate besides core memories, love, connection and experiences together is temporary.

Just as the park could be forever changed in a matter of hours from the fire, nothing in our lives is guaranteed except what’s in front of us today. Seeing our kids connect with each other and nature, see God in its beauty and push their limits through outdoor adventure seems pretty dang high on the priority list right now.

And now for a little list of can’t miss spots in Lassen National Park….

Bumpass Hell Trail - this is a can’t miss trail. It’s super doable at just under 3 miles and a little over 400 feet elevation gain. We usually shy away from doing the most popular trail in the park, but in this case it was wort it. This is the best place to see steam vents, bubbling mud pots, sulphuric vents and otherworldly blue streams. You’ll feel like you’re on a another planet hiking down into the basin. And the views on the way out aren’t too bad either!
Lassen Peak Trail - sadly, we weren’t able to do this one because of the heavy smoke. We didn’t want to breathe harder than necessary and the elevation would have been too much. But this will be first on my list when we go back someday!
Lake Helen - the perfect spot for a picnic, and maybe a swim. We had hazy skies from the smoke, which created an ethereal feel. But I can just imagine how clear and magical Lake Helen would be on a beautiful, blue sky day. We had the best time just climbing around on the logs and rocks and wading in.
Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center - this visitor center is located on the south side of the park, near the entrance. Visitor’s centers are one of my favorite parts of the National Parks - I love the park film, the exhibits and of course chatting up the park rangers. This particular one is especially beautiful and the exhibits and park film are on point. I could have stayed there longer if we weren’t trying to get on the trail before the smoke got too much worse.
Manzanita Lake - we ran into some friends and chatted for an hour, hijacking our plan to do the hike around Manzanita lake. It was worth the sacrifice, but the lake trail looked beautiful and there was the cutest group of ducklings swimming around near the shore.