Walt K
Bumpass Hell
This area is the largest active geothermal feature with fumaroles, hot springs, acid and mud pots in Lassen Volcanic National Park. It is accessed by a 1.5 mile long trail (3 mile round trip) with a 500 foot rise followed by a 250 foot drop into the thermal area. It got its name from a pioneer Kendall Bumpass who discovered the site in the 1860s and brought a newspaper editor to see it and while there Kendall broke through the thin ground crust in the boiling mud/liquid below and burned his leg so badly it had to be amputed -- he later described this place as "hell".
Bumpass Hell
This area is the largest active geothermal feature with fumaroles, hot springs, acid and mud pots in Lassen Volcanic National Park. It is accessed by a 1.5 mile long trail (3 mile round trip) with a 500 foot rise followed by a 250 foot drop into the thermal area. It got its name from a pioneer Kendall Bumpass who discovered the site in the 1860s and brought a newspaper editor to see it and while there Kendall broke through the thin ground crust in the boiling mud/liquid below and burned his leg so badly it had to be amputed -- he later described this place as "hell".