Sight · Lassen Volcanic National Park
Two alpine lakes at the end of a short, steep climb.
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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
Sulphur Works: Boiling Mud Beside the Road“Sulphur Works is coming up, and this is the easy choice for seeing boiling mud without a hike. A paved, wheelchair-accessible sidewalk takes you past steam vents and yellow and orange mineral stains.”
Plays as you drive up to Ridge Lakes in the Parkwolf Lassen Volcanic Tour Guide.
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“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
Ridge Lakes are two small alpine lakes in a glacial basin between Brokeoff Mountain and Mount Diller. The out-and-back hike from Sulphur Works is only 2 miles round trip, but rises 1,045 feet to about 8,000 feet. The park estimates 1 to 1.5 hours. Go for a tucked-away high-country basin; this is a lot of uphill for anyone hoping for an easy lakeside stop.
The marked trail starts beside the Sulphur Works parking area and climbs almost immediately. Open slopes with wildflowers give way to forest and steep switchbacks. The grade continues on the way back down, where footing can be slick. At this elevation, snow can linger into summer; check the park's trail conditions before an early-season hike.
The lakes sit in a glacial cirque between Brokeoff Mountain and Mount Diller. Glaciers cut into the much larger Mount Tehama volcanic edifice, leaving Brokeoff as one of its most prominent remnants. The basin is a good place to see how the park's volcanic peaks and later glaciation shaped the same landscape.
Depending on water level, the two lakes can appear connected or read as separate pools. From the shore, include both the water and the enclosing slopes in a photo; Brokeoff Mountain and Mount Diller give the basin its shape.
The trailhead is on the north side of the Sulphur Works parking area, about 1.1 miles past the southwest entrance. Restrooms are by the trailhead. For food and drinking water, the park lists Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center about a mile south, a separate stop from the lakes.
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
ChallengingRidge Lakes Trail2.2 mi · 1.8 hr · 0.8 mi awayA steep climb to two small lakes in a volcanic cirque.
ModerateMill Creek Falls Trail3.7 mi · 2.8 hr · 1.5 mi awayA 75-foot waterfall rewards the repeated climbs.
ChallengingBrokeoff Mountain Trail7.4 mi · 6 hr · 1.8 mi awayA steep summit climb with Lassen views and an ancient caldera.
ModerateBumpass Hell Trail3 mi · 2 hr · 1.9 mi awayA steady first mile leads to a steaming basin boardwalk.
ModerateConard Meadows Shuttle Trail8 mi · 4.5 hr · 2 mi awayA shuttle links two lakes, Conard Meadows and a 75-foot waterfall.ChallengingTwin Meadows Shuttle Hike14.4 mi · 9 hr · 2 mi awayA faint, long downhill shuttle through high meadows and volcanic country.
ChallengingLassen Peak Trail5 mi · 4.5 hr · 2.6 mi awayCinder slopes and ridge switchbacks reach a volcanic summit.
EasyCrumbaugh Lake Trail2.6 mi · 1.5 hr · 3.4 mi awayTwo lakes, muted bubbles, and a meadow below Mount Conard.
Sight · 0.8 mi awaySulphur WorksColored mudpots and steam, just steps from the park highway.
Sight · 0.9 mi awayBrokeoff MountainA tough six-hour climb opens a view across the old volcano.
Scenic pullout · 1.2 mi awayLittle Hot Springs Valley OverlookBinoculars help reveal vents in the valley below.
Food · 1.5 mi awayLassen Café & GiftA handy stop for sandwiches, espresso, and soft-serve.
Visitor center · 1.5 mi awayKohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor CenterA 3-D geology map makes volcanic terrain click
Campground · 1.6 mi awaySouthwest CampgroundWalk-in tents beside the visitor center; winter camping is vehicle-only.
Entrance station · 1.6 mi awaySouthwest Entrance StationA quick first stop for passes and a park map.
Scenic pullout · 1.7 mi awayDiamond Peak Scenic VistaA quick pullout for Lassen Peak and the creek valley.Parkwolf’s Lassen Volcanic ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
