Lassen national park tips ?

[Satchel Buddah]

Hi all,
My better half is treating me to 4 days a the Drakesbad guest ranch in Lassen in a couple of weeks.
Lassen is a first for us and I was wondering if some of you might have recommendations for dayhikes - We have appetite for either long and strenuous, or short and easy, as long as the beauty unfolds . Maybe on horseback as that might be an option, snow willing. Considering packing snowshoes just in case...
Expecting a bit of snow still at lower elevations, and a whole lot at higher elevations. Sadly It does not seem like painted dunes will be accessible.
thank you for your hinsights!!

[dave54]

Painted Dunes would be quite an ambitious day hike from Drakesbad anyway, and driving from Drakesbad, to Chester, around the Park to the Butte Lake trailhead to Painted Dunes/Cinder Cone is a long drive one way (2.5 hours per google maps).
Not sure how many roads will be open by then.

From Drakesbad, you can hike south on the PCT to a nice overlook above Willow Lake. You can continue to the county road from Chester to Domingo Springs campground (water/restroom). Since there is no cell coverage at Drakesbad, you can get your digital fix at the overlook, check your email, post to Facebook etc. (Just kidding. Digital detox is one of the best reasons to go to Drakesbad).
From Drakesbad you can also hike to Kings Creek Falls -- 30 foot falls. Devils Kitchen is a smaller geothermal area with fumaroles and mudpots. Sifford Lakes are a collection of small glacial tarns and gets few visitors.
The hike to the top of Mt Harkness is popular. There is a lookout tower and a nice view of the Almanor Basin.
The Park brochure map shows a trail from Drakesbad to Drake Lake and the Park Boundary. The trail continues into the National Forest but is on an irregular maintenance schedule (seldom maintained). Too bad, because that old FS trail accesses some nice lakes, creeks, and meadows that get almost no visitors. Proposed Wilderness.

https://www.nps.gov/carto/app/#!/maps/alphacode/LAVO

[Satchel Buddah]

Thank you Dave! For painted dunes, that's what I was looking at, driving around, but it seems that access road is under 10+ feet of snow these days. I could not help to be lured by the pretty pictures I saw. But it would be a shame to burn a precious half a day driving around. I am guessing that will have to be another trip

[c9h13no3]

Was going to ski Lassen Peak this weekend, but it looks to be a bit too warm. You like snowshoes?

Burney Falls is totally worth the trip.

[dave54]

Here is a site for the topos. (A cool site that not too many know about. Free topos for National Forest Lands.)

https://data.fs.usda.gov/geodata/raster ... states.php

Reading Peak and Mt Harkness quads.

Print on 8.5x11 paper and the scale is 1" = 1 mile. Photopaper makes a real clean map with no fuzziness or bleeding.

[balzaccom]

We've liked the hike to Devil's Kitchen from Drakesbad. And if you can get there (road is probably still closed). Juniper. Lake us huge and nice. You could also look at Caribou Wilderness. Tons of lakes within easy hiking distance