It Looks Like Bumpass Hell and Kings Creek Falls Have Been Burned by the Dixie Fire

It was terrible news to hear that areas of Lassen Volcanic National Park had been burned by the Dixie Fire, most notably the historic Mount Harkness Fire Lookout. Now, after a firing operation that occurred near the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center, it appears as if the trails to Bumpass Hell and Kings Creek Falls have been burned in the fire.

With the fire continuing to move deeper into Lassen, officials decided to establish fire line to protect the structures near the south entrance of the park. That strategy may have backfired, with winds pushing that fire operation quickly towards beloved outdoor areas. Now, mapping shows that at the very least, the fire reached areas of the trail to Bumpass Hell and Kings Creek Falls.

The first image of mapping will show how the fire reached just south of Lake Helen over Bumpass Mountain, meaning the famed hydrothermal area could be significantly impacted:

Here is a map to show the trail and location of Bumpass Hell:

As for Kings Creek Falls, mapping shows the area of the trailhead burned, but it doesn’t currently look like the exact location of the waterfall is currently burned:

Here is a map of the exact location of Kings Creek Falls:

There is still no word from the National Park Service on what outdoor destinations have burned in the fire. There current strategy seems to be to protect structure at all costs, which make complete sense. The park did announce that the historic Drakesbad Guest Ranch is still intact:

With extreme fire weather descending on the area on Tuesday and Wednesday, firefighters throughout NorCal will have their work cut out for them. Let’s hope for the best.

Here are our last two trips to Bumpass Hell and Kings Creek Falls: