Lassen Volcanic National Park guide · 1 min read
Warner Valley: Boiling Springs Lake and Devils Kitchen
Warner Valley is a small, remote region in the south-central part of Lassen Volcanic National Park, and it sees far fewer visitors than the sites along Highway 89.
Its trails wind through lush meadows and forests where you may spot wildlife, and its best destinations are hydrothermal areas reached at the end of a hike.
The Devils Kitchen Trail starts at the Warner Valley trailhead and covers 4.2 miles round trip, with about 440 feet of elevation change, so plan on roughly two hours. Early on, small footbridges and boardwalks carry you across a meadow, and the path then crosses Hot Springs Creek before climbing to the rim of Devils Kitchen. Among the park's hydrothermal areas, Devils Kitchen ranks second in size, and its steam vents and bubbling mud pots make it a quieter stand-in for Bumpass Hell.
The Boiling Springs Lake Trail is a brief walk that also starts at the Warner Valley trailhead. The water in the lake sits near 125 degrees, and along parts of the shoreline and the streams that drain it, you will find mud pots and steam vents. Because the ground around the lake is unstable, keep to the marked route the whole way.
Terminal Geyser makes a longer outing at about 5.8 miles, but the feature itself is a fumarole that releases steam rather than a geyser. Drakesbad Guest Ranch also sits in the valley. Its buildings are kept in the style of the 1920s, and the ranch offers visitors a rustic retreat experience.
