Hiking the Terminal Geyser Trail in Lassen Volcanic National Park
Distance: 6.2 miles / 10.0 km
The Terminal Geyser Trail in Lassen Volcanic National Park is a little-known day hike out of Warner Valley that leads to one of the park’s least-visited thermal features.
This is largely because the Terminal Geyser is the farthest thermal feature to reach from the Warner Valley Trailhead, with both Devil’s Kitchen and Boiling Springs Lake being much shorter roundtrip hikes.
However, what really makes the Terminal Geyser Trail something to consider is that it only adds an additional 1.7 miles (2.7 km) onto the hike from Boiling Springs Lake—a place that I already regard as a must-see when visiting Lassen Volcanic National Park!
All this to say, the Terminal Geyser Trail past Boiling Springs Lake isn’t all that difficult, and it can move fairly quick, given that the elevation change isn’t that significant.
Terminal Geyser Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Terminal Geyser Trail is located at the Warner Valley Trailhead, just before Drakesbad Guest Ranch, which is the same trailhead used for every day hike that begins in Warner Valley.
Before arriving, know that entrance fees are still required to park and hike within Warner Valley, which is why it’s important to leave your entrance receipt or federal recreation pass visible in your vehicle before setting off—or, you risk receiving a citation upon return.
Google Maps Directions: Terminal Geyser Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Lassen Volcanic
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
That said, bear spray is purposefully excluded from this list because, while the park is home to Black Bears, bear spray is not allowed in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Hiking the Terminal Geyser Trail
The Terminal Geyser Trail begins on a short connector that leads to the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), located a short distance up the road.
Terminal Geyser-Warner Valley Campground Junction
After just 0.1 miles (0.2 km), the Terminal Geyser Trail reaches the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).
Here, the PCT continues in both directions, with the path to the right leading to the Warner Valley Campground and the path to the left leading to all the day hikes further up Warner Valley.
That said, go left at this junction to continue hiking to the Terminal Geyser.
If you look closely, you can see some Mule Deer in the photo below!
Once the Terminal Geyser Trail meets the PCT, the two share the same path for roughly 0.8 miles (1.3 km) until they go their separate ways just before Boiling Springs Lake.
The one thing that becomes pretty apparent when visiting Warner Valley today is just how severe the impacts of the 2021 Dixie Fire were in this area, as Warner Valley was one of the hardest-hit areas in all of Lassen Volcanic National Park!
To learn more, keep reading, as I have more thoughts on this below.
This is the first and only time the Terminal Geyser Trail crosses Hot Springs Creek.
After crossing Hot Springs Creek, the Terminal Geyser Trail crosses a number of very small, unnamed creeks that tend to make this section fairly muddy—especially when the ground is already much more saturated in the early summer season from seasonal snowmelt!
What are Locals Saying About the 2021 Dixie Fire?
This is where the Drakesbad Guest Ranch can clearly be seen from the Terminal Geyser Trail for the first time.
That said, I learned a lot when I last visited the Guest Ranch in Warner Valley, Chester, and Lake Almanor about the fire and how the locals are responding in its wake.
To keep it short, it seems pretty safe to say that many of the residents who live south of Lassen Peak were pretty upset with the federal government’s handling of the fire, given how severe the devastation was!
Some would have liked to see a better effort to maintain the forests and reduce fuel buildup; others are upset that the firefighting efforts couldn’t have done more to save more. But of all there is to complain about, the source of the fire was man-made, which is what’s truly the most upsetting to everyone who call this area home!
Terminal Geyser-Devil’s Kitchen Junction
The next time the Terminal Geyser Trail splits is where it, along with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), meets the Devil’s Kitchen Trail—the most popular day hike out of Warner Valley.
Once here, go left at this split to continue hiking toward Boiling Springs Lake and the Terminal Geyser beyond.
Read My Separate Post: Devil’s Kitchen Trail
Terminal Geyser-Drake Lake Junction
Just 0.1 miles (0.2 km) after leaving the Devil’s Kitchen Trail behind, the Terminal Geyser Trail passes the junction for Drake Lake.
Here, go left to stay on the much more obvious Terminal Geyser Trail.
Following the Drake Lake junction, the Terminal Geyser Trail continues south with the PCT for the next 0.25 miles (0.4 km), until the two go their separate ways.
North Terminal Geyser-Pacific Crest (PCT) Junction
This is where the Terminal Geyser Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail split from one another.
That said, go right at the junction to continue hiking toward Boiling Springs Lake and the Terminal Geyser.
After the PCT junction, there is only 0.25 miles (0.4 km) left to hike before the trail reaches the start of the loop around Boiling Springs Lake.
One reason to consider wearing pants on both the Boiling Springs Lake and Terminal Geyser Trail is because of Buckbrush, which has fairly large thorns!
In my experience, the Buckbrush wasn’t as bad on the Boiling Springs Lake Trail compared to the Terminal Geyser Trail, largely due to the fact that Boiling Springs Lake is a much more popular day hike.
Boiling Springs Lake Loop Trail
With just 0.1 miles (0.2 km) left before Boiling Springs Lake, the trail splits into a loop around either side.
Personally, I don’t think it makes too much of a difference which direction you decide to go, but know that the best views are on the southeast side of the lake—at least in my opinion.
Read My Separate Post: Boiling Springs Lake Trail
I chose to go right in the counterclockwise direction around Boiling Springs Lake.
Boiling Springs Lake
This is the start of Boiling Springs Lake, a strikingly beautiful turquoise-blue lake heated by geothermal activity and fed by acidic hot springs and groundwater.
According to the National Park Service, Boiling Springs Lake averages around 125°F (51.6°C) year-round, with mudpots and steam vents along parts of the shoreline.
In total, the loop around Boiling Springs Lake is only 0.6 miles (1.0 km), but it’s only 0.3 miles (0.5 km) to reach the start of the true Terminal Geyser Trail.
This is where I think the views start to get better as the trail climbs higher!
Terminal Geyser-Boiling Springs Lake Loop Junction
At the far southern end of the loop, the Terminal Geyser Trail splits from the Boiling Springs Lake Trail.
That said, I personally recommend going left for just 0.1 miles (0.2 km) to see the best views of Boiling Springs Lake and Lassen Peak before continuing farther.
However, to begin the true Terminal Geyser Trail, go right at this split.
Read My Separate Post: Boiling Springs Lake Trail
Once on the true Terminal Geyser Trail, the hike will continue for roughly 1.7 miles (2.7 km) south to the geyser itself, or about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) to the junction where it again meets the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).
Why is the Terminal Geyser Trail Different from the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)?
Short answer: I don’t know!
This is one of the most bizarre trail-planning efforts I’ve seen in a National Park, because there’s literally no point in having two separate, parallel trails that lead to all the same destinations.
Personally, I’ve hiked both the Terminal Geyser Trail and the PCT to the geyser, and I honestly think the Pacific Crest Trail is the easier of the two—so I really don’t understand the need for both.
However, the earliest reports put Dr. H. W. Harkness at the Terminal Geyser in 1874, with later reports of an established trail to the Terminal Geyser by park visitors in the early 1930s—decades before the Pacific Crest Trail was completed in 1993.
So, why didn’t the construction of the PCT follow the Terminal Geyser Trail—who knows? The Pacific Crest Trail follows countless other day hikes throughout the National Park system, but if somebody has a better answer to this question, please leave a comment below!
It really is nice to see new life following the devastating 2021 Dixie Fire.
Don’t forget to wear a good hooded sun shirt for the long out-and-back hike to the Terminal Geyser!
When the Terminal Geyser Trail levels out, there is only about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) left to reach the South Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) junction.
This is where the Terminal Geyser Trail begins its descent to both the PCT junction and the Terminal Geyser shortly thereafter.
Terminal Geyser-Pacific Crest (PCT) Junction
After 1.3 miles (2.1 km) since leaving the Boiling Springs Lake Loop, the Terminal Geyser Trail once again meets the PCT.
However, the two only follow the same path for about 0.2 miles (0.3 km) before the PCT splits away toward Little Willow Lake.
In any case, go straight at this junction to continue hiking to the Terminal Geyser.
Terminal Geyser-Little Willow Lake (PCT) Junction
This is where the Pacific Crest Trail leaves the Terminal Geyser Trail once again.
At this final junction, go left to continue down the hill to the Terminal Geyser, about 0.2 miles (0.3 km) ahead.
After the Little Willow Lake junction, there are no more splits in the Terminal Geyser Trail.
Terminal Geyser
Finally, after a somewhat tedious 3.1-mile (5.0 km) hike, the trail ends at the Terminal Geyser.
However, contrary to its deceptive name, the Terminal Geyser is not a true geyser like most are familiar with throughout places like Yellowstone National Park.
Instead, the Terminal Geyser is better described as a powerful steam vent, or fumarole, that constantly releases steam through a vent in the ground.
South Terminal Geyser-Pacific Crest (PCT) Junction
On the hike back, it’s very common to take either the opposite parallel trail than the one that was taken to the geyser.
Personally, I like the PCT more than the Terminal Geyser Trail, because I think it’s slightly easier—which may or may not be because it’s more trafficked.
In either case, both are roughly the same distance and take about the same amount of time to get back to either junction on the north side of Boiling Springs Lake.
