Kings Creek Falls
Lassen Volcanic NP (park highway) · near Mineral / Chester · Shasta Cascade
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- out-and-back
- Distance
- 2.6 miles
- Elevation gain
- 500 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- July–October · Best flow early-mid summer; the return is uphill
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- Yes
- How the permit works
- $30/vehicle Lassen NP entrance. Small trailhead lot fills midday. Gated by the park-highway opening. Dogs prohibited.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 1 of 5
What is here
- Features
- 40-ft waterfall · 'The Cascades' stepped whitewater · Kings Creek meadow · Mid-park convenience
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- The cascade steps get slick and icy — take the horse-trail loop on the return if the rock is wet. At ~7,400 ft the air is thin; pace the climb out.
The guide
A punchy, high-payoff waterfall hike right off the park highway near its highest point. The trail drops through meadow and fore…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Kings Creek Falls — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 40.4527, -121.456