Parking
Use the Warner Valley Trailhead parking area west of Warner Valley Campground. The Warner Valley approach is partly unpaved; the National Park Service does not recommend trailers on the road.
Overview
About Boiling Springs Lake Trail
Why go
- A vivid geothermal lake with steam vents and southeast-shore mudpots.
- An easy grade and a manageable two-hour commitment.
Heads up
- Much of the route is sun-exposed.
- Warner Valley is reached by a long, partly unpaved road.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lassen Volcanic map
Full mapElevation5,666–6,010 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active Lassen Volcanic alert
- ClosureJuniper Lake campground and day-use area closedJuniper Lake Campground and day-use area are closed for maintenance and campground-improvement projects. - Potable water is unavailable in the campground.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lassen Volcanic Tour Guide
Your drive to Boiling Springs Lake Trail, narrated.
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 trailhead
Warner Valley and Drakesbad0:00 / 0:36
“You're coming up on the Warner Valley trailhead, a starting point for meadow walks and hydrothermal hikes.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lassen Volcanic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Lake That Became a Meadow
- How Rock Becomes Mud
- A Dragonfly’s Life Before Flight
- From Snow to Steam
- 45 audio storiesacross Lassen Volcanic’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Bald Eagle, Mule Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 59 trails, 56 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Boiling Springs Lake Trail
An easy half-day hikeBoiling Springs Lake Trail is a 3-mile round trip from Warner Valley: a short connector to the…
Boiling Springs Lake Trail is a 3-mile round trip from Warner Valley: a short connector to the Pacific Crest Trail, a meadow-and-forest approach, and a circuit at the steaming lake before you return. The park lists an easy climb of about 200 feet and estimates two hours. This is a good choice when you want a close look at Lassen’s hydrothermal landscape without a long summit climb; the lake, rather than a big viewpoint, is the payoff.
Follow the lake routeStart at Warner Valley Trailhead and take the short connector to the Pacific Crest Trail.
Start at Warner Valley Trailhead and take the short connector to the Pacific Crest Trail. Follow the Boiling Springs Lake signs at the junctions shared with Devil’s Kitchen and Drake Lake; those are separate hikes. At the lake, stay on its circuit until it rejoins the PCT, then return to Warner Valley along the shared approach. Don’t continue toward Terminal Geyser unless you want a much longer outing; that extension is a different route.
Meadow, forest, and creek crossingsThe trail crosses an open meadow before entering forest.
The trail crosses an open meadow before entering forest. The grade is easy, but this is still natural tread, with a Hot Springs Creek crossing and smaller seasonal channels; low spots can be muddy during snowmelt. Much of the route is sun-exposed. Look for incense cedar, ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, white fir, and sugar pine along the way, with wildflowers and birds in the meadow.
What makes the lake boilSteam vents beneath Boiling Springs Lake keep it around 125°F.
Steam vents beneath Boiling Springs Lake keep it around 125°F. The southeast shore has mudpots and steam vents, and the water’s pale mineral color stands out against the reddish ground. Rain and snow seep underground and heat above the hot rock beneath Lassen Peak; the steam, hot water, and bubbling mud are signs of an active volcanic system. From the higher southern shore, the lake and Lassen Peak make the defining view. Keep your feet on the marked path while you stop to look.
Access and safetyThe Warner Valley approach follows a long, partly unpaved road; trailers are not recommended.
The Warner Valley approach follows a long, partly unpaved road; trailers are not recommended. Dogs are not allowed on hiking trails in the park. The Dixie Fire left standing dead trees that can fall without warning, and the ground around hydrothermal features is unstable and scalding. Stay on the marked trail and out of closed-off thermal ground.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Lassen Volcanic
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.
