#9 of 37 sights in Lassen Volcanic
Sight · Lassen Volcanic National Park
The creekside stone steps are half the payoff.
Overview
Kings Creek Falls is a tiered waterfall on Kings Creek in Lassen Volcanic’s high country. You reach its fenced overlook on foot; the map point marks the viewing area, not the roadside trailhead. The meadow, creek and side cascades are part of the outing, so this is a better pick for someone who wants a real hike than for a quick roadside stop. Published route distances differ: one listing gives a 2.3-mile loop, while the trail table lists 2.8 miles. Allow about two hours and some slack.
Parkwolf’s verdictA waterfall worth the walkMap
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lassen Volcanic Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lassen Volcanic National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Lassen Volcanic audio tourRecorded for this place
Kings Creek Falls: Cascades and Stone Steps“Kings Creek Falls trailhead is coming up, the start of a two-hour hike through meadow and cascades to a fenced waterfall overlook. Expect roughly two to three miles, with a steep climb back.”
Plays as you drive up to Kings Creek Falls in the Parkwolf Lassen Volcanic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
The first half-mile follows Lower Kings Creek Meadow. The loop then heads clockwise down Upper Cascades to the falls. From the fenced overlook, you can return the same way or climb back on Cascades Foot, a narrow, steep stone stairway beside the creek. That stairway is uphill only. It’s a tiring finish, but the tumbling water makes it part of the show; don’t descend it.
The trail starts around 7,300 feet and is mostly hard-packed dirt, with slopes, loose or slippery patches and a seasonal marsh crossing on a log bridge. The park doesn’t recommend the hike for people with mobility impairments. High elevation can aggravate some health conditions, so carry water and take breaks. Pets aren’t allowed on park trails; service animals assisting a person with a disability are permitted.
An NPS history timeline places James M. King in Kings Creek Meadows in the 1860s, raising horses and mules. Local history links the creek, meadow and falls to James and Jane King and records their son Oscar’s birth in the meadow in 1879.
Kings Creek splits into several ribbons over jagged dark bedrock and basalt knobs. In lower summer flow, you can make out the separate tiers; spring snowmelt can hide them under stronger water and make creek crossings dangerous. For a photo, include some of the broken rock around the falls so the split channels show clearly. Take it from behind the overlook railing and stay on the trail.
Wildlife
103 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
44 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
348 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
17 sightingsSandhill CraneMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
47 sightingsGreat Blue HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
12 sightingsGreat EgretMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lassen Volcanic. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateKings Creek Falls Trail2.8 mi · 2 hr · 1 mi awayA waterfall loop ends beside the creek on steep stone stairs.
ModerateSifford Lakes Trail6.4 mi · 3.5 hr · 1 mi awayA creekside loop links a 50-foot falls to high-country lakes.
ModerateBench Lake Trail3.8 mi · 2.3 hr · 1 mi awayA small lake below cliffs after a bridge over Kings Creek.
ModerateBumpass Hell via Cold Boiling Lake5.2 mi · 3 hr · 1.9 mi awayHike to Bumpass Hell from the east, via Cold Boiling Lake.
EasyCold Boiling Lake Trail1.6 mi · 54 min · 1.9 mi awayA short, mostly level walk to a lake that may still bubble.
ChallengingSummit Lake, Corral Meadow and Bench Lake Loop10.1 mi · 5.5 hr · 2.2 mi awayA long, high-country loop links Corral Meadow, Kings Creek and Bench Lake.
ModerateSummit Lake South to Kings Creek Trail Connector1.7 mi · 1.3 hr · 2.2 mi awayA meadow connector descends from Summit Lake South to Kings Creek.
EasyCrumbaugh Lake Trail2.6 mi · 1.5 hr · 2.3 mi awayTwo lakes, muted bubbles, and a meadow below Mount Conard.
Sight · 1.3 mi awayDevils KitchenBubbling pools and steam after a longer Warner Valley hike.
Scenic pullout · 1.5 mi awayKings Creek Meadow ViewpointA winding creek crosses a seasonal meadow beneath Lassen Peak.
Picnic area · 1.7 mi awayKings Creek Picnic AreaA shaded picnic stop with a short walk to a bubbling lake.
Lodging · 2.3 mi awayDrakesbad Guest RanchA remote Warner Valley base for meals, lodging, and nearby hikesSight · 2.3 mi awayCold Boiling LakeA short hike to a high-country lake with shy gas bubbles.
Campground · 2.3 mi awaySummit Lake South CampgroundA short lake walk and dark skies define this tent campground.
Sight · 2.5 mi awayParadise MeadowsA stream threads a high meadow beneath a rocky glacial bowl.
Sight · 2.5 mi awaySummit LakeA lake break with better swimming on the north shore.Parkwolf’s Lassen Volcanic ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
