Bumpass Hell Trail and Boardwalk rehabilitation
The National Park Service for rehabilitation of the Bumpass Hell Trail and boardwalk is considering five preliminary alternatives. Acting Superintendent Martha Crusius invites public comment on these alternatives. The alternatives will be modified by this public review and analyzed in an environmental assessment for rehabilitation of the trail.
The popular Bumpass Hell Trail is located across from Lake Helen off the Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway. This short trail offers outstanding opportunities to experience hydrothermal features. In 2015, a portion of the boardwalk leading to the Turquoise Pool was removed because the Pyrite Pool was undermining the boardwalk. Other parts of the trail have not been comprehensively rehabilitated since the 1970s.
To address these and other issues, the alternatives propose to rehabilitate the trail and retain, replace or remove the boardwalk. Viewpoints in several areas may be enhanced and safety and maintenance concerns will be addressed. A short section of trail, closed in the late 1990s, may be reopened to provide better access to some hydrothermal features and during the shoulder seasons.
Because public participation is very important to the success of the project, the NPS encourages your review and comment on the preliminary alternatives. Comments will be accepted through April1. The press release, brief alternative description, alternatives matrix and maps are available electronically for review and comment online by visiting parkplanning.nps.gov/lavo, the website for the NPS’s Planning Environment and Public Comment system.
