Parking
Use the Warner Valley Trailhead parking area. From Chester, follow Feather River Road to Warner Valley Road, continue past Warner Valley Campground toward Drakesbad, then turn off on the dirt road for the trailhead.
Overview
About Devils Kitchen Trail
Why go
- A close walk around boiling springs, mudpots and steam vents.
- The approach changes from wet meadow to woodland and volcanic basin.
Heads up
- The 4.2-mile route returns along the same rolling approach.
Devils Kitchen Trail is a 4.2-mile out-and-back from Warner Valley Trailhead to a short walking loop among boiling springs, mudpots and steam vents. It crosses meadows and woods before dropping into Lassen's second-largest hydrothermal area. The park calls it moderate and estimates about two hours; allow two to three hours if you want time to explore the basin. The geothermal features are the reason to come. Most of the walking is the approach, and you return the same way.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lassen Volcanic map
Full mapElevation5,676–6,129 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active Lassen Volcanic alert
- ClosureJuniper Lake campground and day-use area closedMentions Juniper Lake, referenced in this guideJuniper 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 Devils Kitchen 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 Devils Kitchen Trail
The meadow crossingThe first 0.
The first 0.4 mile passes over small footbridges and boardwalks through meadow before crossing Hot Springs Creek. At the first junction, turn right for Devils Kitchen. Footbridges and boardwalks carry you through more marsh and woodland; at the Dream Lake Basin junction around 0.6 mile, keep right again. The wet ground is part of the walk, not a side trip.
Follow the creek, then climbThe trail follows Hot Springs Creek toward a meadow, then climbs through forest and woodland.
The trail follows Hot Springs Creek toward a meadow, then climbs through forest and woodland. It isn't one steady uphill grind: expect a run of rises and dips, with two seasonal stream crossings before the final climb to the basin rim. At the third junction, turn right for the last 0.9 mile. The final 0.2 mile descends to a bridge over milky Hot Springs Creek. Remember that this is the turn that starts the return, so save a bit for the climb back out.
Walk among the hot springsA short loop winds through the basin, where steam rises from vents and hot springs and mudpots…
A short loop winds through the basin, where steam rises from vents and hot springs and mudpots make a steady plopping, hissing soundtrack. Look for the crackled yellow and red ground around the features. The basin's close-up details are the reward after the longer meadow-and-forest approach; take your time here instead of rushing straight back.
Why the ground bubblesRain and snowmelt seep deep underground and are heated by hot or molten rock beneath Lassen…
Rain and snowmelt seep deep underground and are heated by hot or molten rock beneath Lassen Peak. As that water rises, it boils and releases steam through fractures. Devils Kitchen is the park's second-largest hydrothermal area, and these vents are one visible sign that volcanic activity continues below Lassen. The colors and sounds at the surface come from a system still moving heat and water through the ground.
Stay on the boardwalkThe pale ground can look solid while hiding a thin crust over acidic, boiling water or mud.
The pale ground can look solid while hiding a thin crust over acidic, boiling water or mud. Stay on the trail and boardwalk throughout the basin; the dangerous-looking part isn't always the one that looks soft. Pets aren't allowed on park hiking trails.
Getting to Warner ValleyFrom Chester, take Feather River Road north to the Warner Valley and Juniper Lake fork, then…
From Chester, take Feather River Road north to the Warner Valley and Juniper Lake fork, then follow Warner Valley Road toward Drakesbad. The final approach includes dirt road; continue past Warner Valley Campground to the trailhead parking turnoff. The trailhead is about 16 miles northwest of Chester. Check park conditions before driving over for current access information.
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.
