Ridge Lakes

Location: Lassen Volcanic National Park, California – Mineral, California

Distance: 2 Miles Out and Back Time: 1-2 Hours

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Elevation Gain: 1,045 Feet

Season: Spring, Summer and Fall (Typically May/June-October/November)

Foot Traffic: Light

Date Hiked: Thursday, July 12, 2018

Overview

This short, 2 mile round trip hike, is one of the shorter trails leading into Lassen’s back country, allowing hikers to see the beautiful alpine lakes or ridge lakes. Although the trail is short, it doesn’t waste any time getting down to business, and heads rather steeply and unrelentingly uphill. While the trail travels through a dense canopy and is pretty, the real highlight is the payoff, a little less than one mile in, when you arrive at the beautiful Ridge Lakes. Although called Ridge Lakes, the “lakes” often combine (due to snow pack) to form what appears to be one lake.

Trail Description and My Story

Ridge Lakes is a trail that my wife and I had attempted or planned on doing a few times before, but due to heavy snow pack, trail closures or other hiking plans, we had never actually gotten to it. I was super excited on this day as we drove towards Lassen National Park. Knowing that we would finally get to hike ridge lakes, bright and early on this gorgeously clear day. After parking at the Sulphur Works parking lot (less than five minutes from the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center), we made our way towards the restrooms near the back of the parking area. From here we would start on the trail and immediately began climbing.

The trail was incredibly straight forward as we followed under a dense canopy upon arriving at the start of a few switchbacks. To be completely honest, I wasn’t paying that much attention to the trail at this point. The ascent was fairly steep and I was rather surprised at just how steep it was. Knowing it was only one mile to the lake, I put my head down and just pushed forward as fast as possible to get this tough section behind us. Before I knew it, we had reached a little ravine and I could see what appeared to be our topping out point, not too far in the distance. Within a few minutes of following the ravine, we had reached the hilltop and arrived at Ridge Lakes.

Arriving at Ridge Lakes

The lake was stunning, with beautifully clear water and nestled into a little bowl with stunning meadows in every direction.

I decided to make my way around the lake, knowing there was a second lake incredibly close by. After a little bit of exploring, I realized I was being a bit foolish. There was no second lake. Due to the heavy snow pack the upper and lower lake had combined to make one spectacular lake.

My wife sat by the lake and took in the incredible scenery as I elected to wade into the frigid water for a bit. We spent quite a bit of time in this area and never saw a single sole through our entire trip. The solitude and beauty of the meadows was more than I had expected. After a bit of time we finally, reluctantly made our way down the trail.

The way down went rather quick as my wife and I discussed how we were both caught off guard by the original ascent. I would honestly say that this trail is moderate in difficulty level, and it goes by very fast, but I could also see how some may struggle with the short but steep climb. Regardless, it goes by quick and you can either take your time or elect to bust through it and get it out of the way. Once at the lake, the short climb will be forgotten and the majestic setting will overtake the thoughts of tiredness. While this isn’t my favorite hike in Lassen, it is definitely worthy of a quick, early morning hike and still leaves plenty of time to explore a lot of other areas in the park later in the day.

Getting to the Ridge Lakes Trailhead

From the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center, continue heading into the park along Lassen Peak Hwy. Within five minutes you will reach the small parking area on the left hand side of the road just before the sulphur works area.

Ridge Lakes/Sulphur Works Overlook Parking Lot

Notes, Questions and Thoughts

Is this a fee area?

• Yes. Ridge Lakes is located inside of Lassen National Park, so a national park pass or day pass must be displayed when parked.
  • Entrance passes are $30/day per vehicle and are good for re-entry for up to seven days from the day of purchase. Another great option is to purchase the annual America the Beautiful Pass which is good for one year and allows visitors to access all National Parks, Monuments and Recreation Areas. Prices for each Annual Pass are listed below.
    • Annual Pass = $80
    • Lifetime Military Pass = Free
    • Lifetime Senior Pass = $80
    • Annual Senior Pass =$20
    • Persons with Permanent Disabilities (Documented and Verifiable) = Free
    • 4th Grader Pass = Free
      • Free pass valid for the duration of the 4th grader’s school year though the following summer (September-August)
      • Lassen National Park Annual Pass = $55
      • Lassen National Park 7 Day Pass = Apr 15- Nov 30 Private Vehicle = $0- $10 (Private Vehicle Dec 1-Apr 15) –

Are dogs allowed?

• No, dogs are not allowed on the trails in Lassen National Park.

Are there restrooms at the trailhead?

• Yes, restrooms are located adjacent to the start of the trailhead, in the parking area.

Please recreate responsibly. Respect hikers and all visitors and wildlife. Help make everyone’s experience better by keeping the nature experience as authentic as possible. Leave no trace and pack out everything that you pack in. Please remember that we are visitors and stewards of these special places. Help keep these places as wild as possible while not diminishing the outdoor experience of others.