Manzanita Lake Loop is a wonderful, easy trail that loops around the glistering Manzanita Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park. It is one of the few trails in the park with beautiful views of the iconic Lassen Peak. Manzanita Lake Loop is best to visit in summer and fall; however, it is also a popular trail for snowshoeing in the winter. This trail is perfect for beginner hikers, families with children, or those who want a quick stretch. Manzanita Lake Loop was our recovery hike after spending a few days hiking in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Manzanita Lake Boat Launch & Day Use Area:
40.532547, -121.564057
Loomis Museum & Ranger Station:
40.536613, -121.561765
Both trailheads have paved parking. Manzanita Lake Boat Launch & Day Use Area has a lot more spaces.
Lassen Volcanic National Park charges an entrance fee. The fee varies depending on the vehicle used to enter the park (car, motorcycle, bike, on foot, or on horseback). For more information, click here. If you have an America the Beautiful Pass or an annual pass, you can use either of those instead.
1.9 miles loop
52 ft
Easy
30 minutes to 1 hour
The best time to visit Manzanita Lake Loop is June through October. In the winter, this trail is also popular trail for snowshoeing.
There are restrooms next to the Loomis Museum.
Pets are not allowed on the trail!
Manzanita Lake Loop trailhead starts from the Manzanita Lake Boat Launch & Day Use Area. We have the coordinates listed above. Since this is a loop around the lake, technically, you can start anywhere. However, most people start from the boat launch or Loomis Plaza because there is parking at these two spots. Parking is easiest to find at the boat launch, while parking at the Loomis Museum & Ranger Station is often full in the summer. We parked at the Boat Launch & Day Use Area.
If you want the official start of the Manzanita Lake Loop, you can start at the Loomis Museum and Ranger Station. We started our hike near the boat launch because we were there already. Since this is a loop, you can do either direction. From the boat launch, if you go clockwise, you’ll get to the best spots to see Lassen Peak sooner. We went clockwise first.
Near the boat launch, there are picnic tables and wonderful views of the lake. When we were there, we also saw many chunky geese waddling around. There are also rental kayaks that you can rent for a day out on the lake. After leaving the kayak rental area, we followed the dirt trail as it circled the lake. Along the way, there are many beautiful views of the lake. We even saw someone fly fishing in the water. The further we hiked, the more beautiful the trail became. This side of the Manzanita Lake Loop trail is really the more scenic side. The views of the lake are amazing.
Eventually, the dirt trail turns right onto a gravel path. Here, we saw a few baby squirrels and many ducklings. They were so cute! Along this gravel path, you’ll also get some of the best views of Lassen Peak. Here, with the water being so calm, you can see the majestic Lassen Peak reflecting against the mirror-like lake surface. Depending on the angles, you can also see both Lassen Peak and Chaos Crags together. Even when the path quickly turns back into a dirt trail, you’ll still get impressive views of Lassen Peak and Chaos Crags for a while.
After leaving the view of Lassen Peak, we crossed over a small wooden bridge. Soon after, Manzanita Lake Loop reached the main road. You can also see some buildings here. This is where the entrance station to enter Lassen Volcanic National Park is located. From here, the trail runs along the main Scenic Highway for a short distance before veering away from both the highway and the lake.
Soon, we came upon the back of another building. This is the Loomis Museum area. If you park here, this is the end of your loop. For us, we had a bit more to go. From here, the Manzanita Lake Loop crossed over a longer bridge. Once we crossed the bridge, the trail weaved between the trees before once again running parallel to the lake. Not too long after, it will meet up with the parking lot for the Boat Launch where we parked.
Although this hike isn’t as steep as Paradise Meadow or Kings Creek Falls, it was still very beautiful. It was a perfect hike to stretch our legs. If you love easy lake hikes, check out Hume Lake in Kings Canyon.
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These are the gear that we personally use and find helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
Our favorite biodegradable, eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen!
This is Vy's favorite hiking bag! It has tons of room for snacks and water!
It's always good to bring a GPS tracker with you. We use the Garmin inReach.
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
If you tend to have foot blisters on hikes, get this! We use this all the time.
These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
Compact GoPro pole that extends to 25", perfect to bring on your adventure.
This is our go-to camera for all of our adventures. It comes with us everywhere!
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Hi! We are Dustin & Vy, the proud creators of Live That Adventure. We created this website because we wanted to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. On here, you’ll find everything from hiking, canyoneering, kayaking, and snorkeling to adventure and travel tips, gear reviews, and bucket list items such as bungee jumping or wing walking. We’ll show you the ropes so you can do them too!
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