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Lassen Volcanic National Park Guide Service

A Volcanic Playground

Lassen Volcanic National Park, located in Northern California, is known for its geothermal features, such as hot springs, fumaroles, and mud pots. The park is also home to several peaks, including Lassen Peak, which is an active volcano.

Backpacking in Lassen Volcanic National Park can be an exciting and rewarding experience, as the park offers a variety of trails and backcountry campsites to explore.

We now offer custom private guided backpacking trips & youth summer camp programs in Lassen Volcanic. Guests can choose from one of popular trips explained below, or chat with our park experts to design a totally custom trip of a lifetime!

Guided Backpacking Tours in Lassen Volcanic.

Some of our most requested backpacking trips in Lassen Volcanic National Park include:

Cinder Cone Sunrise (3 Days)

The Cinder Cone Sunrise in Lassen Volcanic National Park has a lot to offer for the both first time and the experienced backpacker. We will be hiking along the lava beds and painted dunes that make Lassen National Park famous. We will also have the opportunity to hike up the the top of Cinder Cone for sunrise, and hike all the way down into the crater to check out the unique geological features. Our recommended mileage each day averages about 5 miles, giving you plenty of time to swim, relax by the water, and explore the area. 

There are four types of volcanoes in the world and Lassen Volcanic National Park has all four types! On this 24 mile loop you will be guided from the south end of the park at Juniper Lake to the Cinder Cone at the north end of the park. We will be backpacking an average of 7 miles a day with an average 700 ft of elevation gain. Each night we will be camping at a lake, so bring your swimsuit! On the second day of this trip we will wake up before the sun to catch the sunrise and amazing views of the park from the top of Cinder Cone. 

Mileage:  23.4 Miles

Recommended Length: 3-4 Days

Lassen Volcanic National Park Adventure Summer Camps in Northern California

We now offer private 6-day adventure summer camps for youth ages 11-13 and teens 13-18 in Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Our goals include providing unforgettable experiences that intimately connects each youth with nature, themselves, and the greater world around them, while promoting experiential learning and proper backcountry practices.

Fill out our trip request form if you are interested in planning a summer camp adventure for a group of young adventurers or teens!

Learn More:

Throughout the week, campers can witness and learn about volcanoes, cinder cones, lakes, boiling mud pots, steam vents, and much more! Our experienced leaders have an extensive knowledge of the Lassen Volcanic backcountry and enjoy taking campers to many of the famous park locations such as the Cinder Cone. With their extensive knowledge, they will also guide your adventure summer camp participants to beautiful and less-populated lakes and volcanic activity sites such as the boiling lake, boiling mud pots and steam vents. On most trips, we backpack every day but one (a layover, where the day and location is usually agreed upon by the team) and we are on the trail for an average of 4-6 hours. While on the trail we make sure to stop and enjoy the journey.  Breaks include beautiful vistas, possible wildlife sightings and flora found only in volcanic areas. Yet, viewing the Lassen Volcanic backcountry is only one of the many outcomes that occur on these trips. Our guides will facilitate a variety of games followed by debriefing opportunities to help promote teamwork and bonding. We hope to see your camper on one of our adventure summer camps and as always happy trails!

The primary mission for our outdoor summer camp is to foster environmental stewardship, teach responsible recreation, and provide opportunity for personal growth through the facilitation of impactful wilderness experiences. Through our nonprofit scholarship program, we also seek to provide disadvantaged youth, families, and communities the opportunity to experience America’s National Parks, regardless of their economic standing. In addition to unique individual backgrounds and certifications, our outdoor educators are trained in Adventure Based Programming, which challenges participants to improve their sense of self-esteem, worth, and confidence. Campers participate in daily goal-setting, group activities, and debriefing (usually mixed in with marshmallows around the campfire), all done within an environment of fun and support. All participants also learn basic backpacking skills, wilderness ethics, wilderness appreciation and Leave No Trace principles. Along with creating lasting memories, our goal is for participants to finish their adventure with a greater knowledge and appreciation of themselves, the world at large, and the environments around them.  Lassen Volcanic summer camps delve into the depths of the backcountry with insight and guidance from our experienced leaders, all of whom possess intimate knowledge of the surrounding environment. On most trips, we backpack every day but one (a layover day, location is usually agreed upon by the team), and we are on the trail for an average of four to six hours per day. Throughout the experience we take our time to enjoy the views and break at some pretty awesome watering holes. We come away with an enlightened understanding of the natural environment, an appreciation for ourselves, connections with new friends, and a passion for the outdoors to last a lifetime.







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