Parking
Use the Kings Creek trailhead lot on the north side of the road; the trail starts across the pavement to the south.
Overview
About Sifford Lakes Trail
Why go
- Links a 50-foot waterfall, Bench Lake and a backcountry lake in one loop
- You can turn back after the falls instead of continuing to the lakes
Heads up
- Long and sun exposed for a lakeside outing
- The continuation beyond the first Sifford Lake is faint
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lassen Volcanic map
Full mapElevation6,804–7,306 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
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 Sifford Lakes 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
Kings Creek Falls: Cascades and Stone Steps0:00 / 0:24
“Kings Creek Falls trailhead is coming up, the start of a two-hour hike through meadow and cascades to a fenced waterfall overlook. Expect roughly two to three miles, with a steep climb back.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lassen Volcanic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Why Snow Turns Pink
- Kings Creek Meadow: A Roadside Wildlife Pause
- Kings Creek Picnic Area and Cold Boiling Lake
- Terrace Lake Trailhead: Three Lakes or Two
- 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 Sifford Lakes Trail
A longer way to the lakesSifford Lakes is a 6.
Sifford Lakes is a 6.4-mile round-trip loop from Kings Creek Trailhead, linking Kings Creek Falls, Bench Lake and the first Sifford Lake. It is a moderate, sun-exposed walk; allow about three to four hours if you want time for the waterfall viewpoint and lake stops. The falls viewpoint is a natural turn-back point if you want a shorter outing.
Along Kings CreekA short side path off the creek route reaches Kings Creek Falls, where the water drops about 50…
A short side path off the creek route reaches Kings Creek Falls, where the water drops about 50 feet. Retrace it to the junction before continuing around the lake circuit.
Bench Lake and the Sifford basinA climb reaches shallow Bench Lake, which often dries by late summer.
A climb reaches shallow Bench Lake, which often dries by late summer. Farther along, a faint path leads to the first Sifford Lake; the 6.4-mile circuit turns back from this lake. A faint extension reaches a second lake about half a mile farther on. The other lakes require cross-country travel. When the surface is calm, the conifers across the first lake make a reflection worth catching.
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.
