This information is a public record of the 1981 NRT application and may be out of date if it has not been updated by a trail manager --
check with the trail manager for updated details before visiting.

Bumpass Hell

National Park Service Backcountry Trail

Length
1.5 miles
Elevation Gain
--
Route Type
out & back

Bumpass Hell is the largest concentration of hydrothermal features in Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Boardwalk on Bumpass Hell National Recreation Trail, Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA (Photographer: Michael Stark).

View from the Bumpass Hell Trail. Photo by Michael Stark.

Hiker on the Bumpass Hell Trail. Photo by Michael Stark.

Bumpass Hell Trail and Boardwalk. Photo by Michael Stark.

Photo by Lisa May.

Snowy Bumpass Hell hike. Photo by Krista Buckel.

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Location: In Lassen Volcanic National Park between Bumpass Mtn. and Mt. Dillon.

States: California
Counties: Shasta

Bumpass Hell was named after an early settler who severely burned a leg after falling into a boiling pool. The hydrothermal features can be reached today from a well-marked 1.5-mile trail that starts from a parking area opposite Lake Helen. A visit to Lassen is not complete without a stop at Bumpass Hell.

The trail is quite easy, though the altitude (8,000 feet) can make the trail seem moderately difficult. Hiking boots are recommended as the trail crosses generally rocky land with some tree cover, and without much change in elevation until the 100-foot drop into the thermally active basin. The active area can be seen and smelled from far away - a wide basin filled with various steaming pools and unusual multi-colored soils, stained orange, brown, yellow, and green by sulfur and other minerals. Together with the occasional white snow patches, the (usually) deep blue sky, and the aquamarine waters, the spectacle is extremely beautiful and colorful.

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Allowed Uses:

Hiking/Walking

Public Contact

Stuart Nuss
Lassen Volcanic National Park
P.O. Box 100
Mineral, CA 96063

Contact the trail manager for current maps and visiting details.

More Details

Elevation (low): --
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Part of a Trail System? No
Surface (primary): Soil
Surfaces (additional): Boardwalk

Tread Width (average): 0"
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Certified as an NRT
Mar 19, 1981

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