Address: (Park Headquarters)38050 Highway 36, East Mineral, California 96063
Bumpass Hell is located inside the Lassen National Park and is one of the main attractions of the park. It is the largest hydrothermal area at Lassen National Park and it is 16 acres of boiling springs, mud spots, hissing steam vents, and roaring fumaroles. The largest and hottest fumaroles in the park have been measured as high as 322 Fahrenheit. Bumpass Hell is a 3-mile roundtrip moderate hike from the parking area and may take 2 hours to complete the entire hike. The hike to Bumpass Hell will take you through an uphill and downhill path and can get up to 8,000 feet elevation. The hiking path is a two-way narrow trail so please share and give way to other hikers.
Bring lots of water, hiking poles, and sunscreen during summer to help you with the hike. There are a lot of areas that have a nice view and photo opportunities. There is also a lot of lavender-colored flowers garden along the way. You will know when you are very close to the Bumpass Hell area as it will smell like rotten eggs due to natural occurring gases, steamy and roaring fumaroles. But please stay on the wooden board pathway for safety as it gets too hot and steamy. You may break through a thin crust hiding acidic boiling water underneath if you wander away from the wooden path.
There is also a small Vista area where you can see a view from the top of the entire Bumpass Hell landscape. If you can’t find a parking spot at Bumpass Hell, try to park at Lake Helen outside of the white line. You can even walk down a path that will lead you to Lake Helen to relax.
Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about Bumpass Hell after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.