Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA
A remote 6.4-mile circuit around a high-elevation lake.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
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 trailhead
Juniper Lake: Beach or Long Loop“You’re nearing Juniper Lake’s north-shore day-use area, where a gravel-and-sand beach looks across the water toward Mount Harkness.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Juniper Lake Loop is a 6.4-mile circuit around a remote, high-elevation lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park. It starts at the north-shore Juniper Lake Day Use Area, circles the lake, and returns to the same access. The park map rates it moderate and allows about four hours. Give it a half day; the outing is a long lap by the water, not a quick lakeside stroll.
At the north-shore beach, Mount Harkness and its fire lookout sit across the water. West-facing shore stretches can reveal Lassen Peak. On the south side, look across blue water to the fire-damaged forest left by the 2021 Dixie Fire. At the beach, include Mount Harkness and its lookout across the lake.
The trailhead is the north-shore day-use area, separate from the campground on the southeast shore. The access road runs about 13 miles from Chester; its final six miles are steep, rough dirt, and the park recommends high-clearance vehicles. Low-clearance cars, buses, motorhomes, and trailers are not suitable. A park pass or entrance fee is required. There is no drinking water, cell service, or other service at Juniper Lake, so bring supplies from Chester. The day-use area has a seasonal vault toilet.
The same trailhead map marks a separate 1.3-mile one-way walk to Horseshoe Lake. That is an add-on, not part of the 6.4-mile Juniper Lake circuit. Pets are prohibited on park hiking trails; service animals are excepted.
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
ModerateHorseshoe Lake Trail2.6 mi · 2 hr · At the trailheadA short forest hike to a lakeshore beneath Lassen's skyline
ChallengingRainbow Lake Loop13.4 mi · 8.5 hr · At the trailheadA remote high-country loop among three tucked-away lakes
ModerateGrassy Creek Long Loop6.9 mi · 4 hr · At the trailheadA ridge-and-creek circuit through Lassen’s quiet Juniper Lake forest.
ModerateGrassy Creek Short Loop5.8 mi · 3.5 hr · At the trailheadA 5.8-mile meadow loop with one faint cutoff to find.
ChallengingJuniper Lake, Cinder Cone and Red Cinders Loop22.3 mi · 11 hr · At the trailheadRemote 22-mile loop linking lake country, crater views and red cinders.
ModerateInspiration Point Trail1.5 mi · 1.1 hr · At the trailheadA brief climb to a ridge above Juniper Lake
ModerateCrystal Lake Trail0.9 mi · 45 min · 1.1 mi awayA short, steep out-and-back to Crystal Lake below the cliffs
ModerateRed Cinder Cone Trail8.8 mi · 5 hr · 1.1 mi awayA remote 8.8-mile traverse through the Red Cinder Cone corridor.Sight · At the trailheadJuniper LakeA coarse-sand beach, cool swimming, and trailheads share one shore.Sight · 0.5 mi awayInspiration PointA short, steep climb earns a wide volcanic panorama.
Campground · 1.3 mi awayJuniper Lake CampgroundCamp beside the lake, after six rough dirt-road miles.
Sight · 1.8 mi awayHorseshoe LakeA trout lake people have fished since 1936
Sight · 3.4 mi awaySnag LakeA backcountry lake born from Cinder Cone’s lava.
Sight · 4.8 mi awayTerminal GeyserA creekside steam vent at the end of a long hike.
Picnic area · 4.8 mi awayWarner Valley Day Use AreaA trailhead picnic stop for Lassen's hydrothermal corner.
Campground · 4.8 mi awayWarner Valley CampgroundA remote, wooded base for Warner Valley's trail network.Parkwolf’s Lassen Volcanic ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
