Scenic pullout · Lassen Volcanic National Park
A winding creek crosses a seasonal meadow beneath Lassen Peak.
Overview
Kings Creek Meadow Viewpoint is a roadside stop along Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway, looking across Upper Kings Creek Meadow to Lassen Peak. The creek winds through the open meadow below the mountain, and the colors shift from snowy white in spring to gold in fall. Pull over for the broad view if you want a short change of pace from the drive without setting out on a hike.
Parkwolf’s verdictA worthwhile roadside pauseMap
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 Meadow: A Roadside Wildlife Pause“Up ahead is Kings Creek Meadow Viewpoint, a quick roadside stop for the winding creek beneath Lassen Peak. Enjoy the view from the turnout rather than walking into the fragile meadow flowers.”
Plays as you drive up to Kings Creek Meadow Viewpoint 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 creek's bend gives the open meadow a foreground and leads your eye toward Lassen Peak. Include both in the frame; the water shows the meadow's shape and makes this view feel like a place, not just a mountain beyond a field.
Snow from Lassen Peak feeds a ground spring that keeps Kings Creek flowing year-round. Snowpack in the meadow melts more slowly in spring, adding water to the creek and the Upper Feather watershed. Brown and brook trout hide in the creek's shadows; both are non-native here.
Black-tailed deer, golden-mantled ground squirrels, Clark's nutcrackers and black bears frequent the meadow. Eagles and hawks sometimes forage along the creek, though wildlife is never on a schedule. The wet meadow's wildflowers are fragile: enjoy them from the road and keep picnics and rests on hard surfaces.
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
ModerateBumpass Hell via Cold Boiling Lake5.2 mi · 3 hr · 0.4 mi awayHike to Bumpass Hell from the east, via Cold Boiling Lake.
EasyCold Boiling Lake Trail1.6 mi · 54 min · 0.4 mi awayA short, mostly level walk to a lake that may still bubble.
ModerateBench Lake Trail3.8 mi · 2.3 hr · 0.5 mi awayA small lake below cliffs after a bridge over Kings Creek.
ModerateSifford Lakes Trail6.4 mi · 3.5 hr · 0.5 mi awayA creekside loop links a 50-foot falls to high-country lakes.
ModerateKings Creek Falls Trail2.8 mi · 2 hr · 0.5 mi awayA waterfall loop ends beside the creek on steep stone stairs.
EasyCrumbaugh Lake Trail2.6 mi · 1.5 hr · 0.8 mi awayTwo lakes, muted bubbles, and a meadow below Mount Conard.
ModerateTerrace, Shadow, and Cliff Lakes Trail3.4 mi · 3 hr · 1.3 mi awayThree alpine lakes, a steep return, and Lassen Peak views.
ModerateShadow Lake Shuttle Trail3.7 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.3 mi awayThree lakes, then a mostly downhill walk to Summit Lake
Picnic area · 0.3 mi awayKings Creek Picnic AreaA shaded picnic stop with a short walk to a bubbling lake.Sight · 0.8 mi awayCold Boiling LakeA short hike to a high-country lake with shy gas bubbles.
Sight · 1.5 mi awayKings Creek FallsThe creekside stone steps are half the payoff.
Sight · 1.8 mi awayBumpass HellWalk boardwalks among bubbling pools and steaming vents in a 16-acre basin.
Sight · 2.1 mi awayLake HelenA blue alpine lake beneath Lassen Peak can stay icy into summer.
Sight · 2.2 mi awayParadise MeadowsA stream threads a high meadow beneath a rocky glacial bowl.
Sight · 2.2 mi awayDevils KitchenBubbling pools and steam after a longer Warner Valley hike.
Scenic pullout · 2.2 mi awayLassen Peak Scenic VistaA roadside portrait of Lassen Peak without the summit hike.Parkwolf’s Lassen Volcanic ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
