The trail to Devils Kitchen, which begins at the Warner Valley trailhead, is a delightful hike through meadows and forest that will take you to Lassen’s second-largest hydrothermal area. The first 0.4 miles of the trail will lead you through a meadow and over Hot Springs Creek via small footbridges and boardwalks.
The mule ear is in bloom in large patches in June and early July, making this hike excellent then.
At the first intersection, turn right to continue towards Devils Kitchen and follow the footbridges and boardwalks through marsh and woodlands to the intersection for Dream Lake Basin at 0.6 miles. Go right again and continue towards the meadow, where the trail follows Hot Springs Creek before climbing through forest and woodland. At the third intersection, turn right for the last 0.9 miles to Devils Kitchen. The trail rises and dips, crossing two seasonal streams before rising one last time to the rim of Devils Kitchen. Continue the last 0.2 miles downhill to a bridge that crosses milky Hot Springs Creek, where a loop trail will lead you through the sense-reviving boiling mudpots, steam vents, and boiling springs of Devils Kitchen.
Wander among the crackled yellow and red mounds, where steam whirls from fiery cracks in the ground. Sounds of plopping, hissing, and belching fill your ears. Kids begin to hold their noses with the smell of “something” cooking lingering in the air.
This trailhead is also where you can take the Boiling Springs Lake hike and Terminal Geyser. If you are interested in the other geothermal areas of Lassen, you can check out Sulphur Works, Bumpass Hell, and Cold Boiling Lake; these three hikes can be accessed from the main park road.
