Hiking to Terrace, Shadow and Cliff Lakes in Lassen Volcanic National Park

Looking for more information about Lassen Volcanic National Park?
Check out my Lassen Volcanic National Park Guide. For more great hikes, try Kings Creek Falls or Bumpass Hell.

CURRENT INFO

For information and updates about day hiking in Lassen Volcanic National Park, visit Lassen’s hiking webpage. For trail reports, go to the Terrace, Shadow, and Cliff Lakes Trail posting on AllTrails. Note that while the AllTrails post shows the trail ending right at Shadow Lake, the trail continues a little further, taking you about a quarter of the way around the lake.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Because the Terrace, Shadow, and Cliff Lakes Trail is within Lassen Volcanic National Park, you need a valid National Parks Pass, such as the America the Beautiful Pass, or you can pay the $30 entrance fee. It’s well worth purchasing a pass if you plan to visit other national parks or monuments, or do much hiking in national forest lands. The standard annual pass costs $80. Check to see if you qualify for a free or less expensive pass. For example, fourth graders can get a free pass to use together with their families. Seniors can purchase a one-time lifelong pass.
• There is parking alongside the road at the trailhead, but no other services. Use GPS or a park map as a guide to get there, and keep an eye out for a small brown sign with a hiker figure labelled “Terrace Lake”. You’ll likely see other cars already parked. The trailhead is located on a winding section of the road, midway between the King’s Creek trailhead to the east and the Lassen Peak trailhead to the west.
• Pets are not allowed on any hiking trails in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
• Because of its high elevation, the trail for Terrace, Shadow, and Cliff Lakes is closed due to snow much of the year. Depending on snowmelt, the trail usually opens in June or July, and closes again when snow starts to accumulate in the fall. Please check the Lassen Volcanic National Park webpage for current status info.

HIGHLIGHTS

Each lake along the trail is stunning in its own way. Lassen Peak looms large over Terrace Lake, Shadow Lake is a shining expanse of turquoise, and Cliff Lake sits like a shimmering jewel at the foot of tree covered slopes. If it’s a hot day, come prepared to swim!

THE KIDS’ TAKE

Our four-year-old, T, particularly enjoyed this hike, and took great pride in the fact that he went “in” all three lakes (wading in two, and swimming in one). With three lakes strung along a two mile path, this trail offers many great places for picnics and playtime.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

Since Terrace, Shadow, and Cliff Lakes lie within Lassen Volcanic National Park, there is no shortage of places to explore! Busy hikers could do both this trail and the hike to nearby Kings Creek Falls in one day. To experience a different side of the park, hike to Bumpass Hell to view some of Lassen’s hydrothermal oddities.

During our visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park, we camped at Manzanita Lake Campground. It’s in a beautiful location near Manzanita Lake, and the small camp store is worth a stop for the soft serve ice cream cones alone. Nearby Summit Lake is a great place to swim and paddle, and hosts a small campground as well.

On our first full day at Lassen Volcanic National Park, we set out from our campground at Manzanita Lake, hopes high for a beautiful hike despite the smoke that hung in the air surrounding the campground. As we headed south on Lassen Volcanic National Highway, it was heartening to see some clear blue skies ahead. I paid careful attention to our navigation system as the road wound its way into the mountains. Following a hairpin curve, we saw cars parked along the road. We had reached the trailhead.

Lassen Peak looms large over the start of the hike, framed by stalwart evergreens. Soon, we were on our way down the dusty trail, keeping a careful eye out for rocks and roots. This first section of the hike proved to be the most treacherous, but as long as you don’t take it at a run (I’m looking at you, kids), it’s not too difficult.

It wasn’t long before we could see the first of three magnificent alpine lakes shimmering through the trees below us. Terrace Lake is small, but its translucent emerald green waters and grassy shoreline invite you to linger. We made a mental note to spend some time here on the return – for now, we were focused on reaching all three lakes before lunch.

Just over a small hill, Shadow Lake came into view. The largest of the three lakes, Shadow was actually quite sunny on our visit, its deeper waters reflecting the calm blue of the sky. The trail hugs the lakeshore, then drops lower again as it meanders through meadows dotted with pine trees.

Last but not least, we approached Cliff Lake, our final destination. A cheerful, bubbling creek leads you to the lake, where a mountainous backdrop contrasts with the subtle blue-green water. As we continued on the trail along the shore, a couple of other hikers called out to us.

“There are lots of baby frogs up ahead,” they told us. “Over where the little creek flows into the lake.”

Baby frogs? We were intrigued. But would we be able to find them? As it turns out, the other hikers weren’t exaggerating. There were indeed a whole lot of tiny frogs, dozens upon dozens, hopping to and fro among the rocks where a trickle of water led to the lake. They were babies only in the sense that they had just left the tadpole stage behind. Like young puppies or human toddlers, it seemed they couldn’t possibly sit still. They leapt and bounded from rock to rock with abandon. I worried we might step on them, but they instinctively jumped out of our way as we gingerly walked past.

Unfortunately, their speed and small size also made them almost impossible to photograph, although I managed to get one successful photo. How many frogs can you spot below? I counted 15(!), most of them lurking in the blurry shadows.

Away from the frogs, we found a spot to enjoy lunch near the water’s edge. Michael and I considered which lake would make the most inviting swimming spot. The shoreline around Cliff Lake was bushy, with more logs and other obstacles in the way. Shadow or Terrace Lake would be the best bet, we figured. T was too eager to wait, however, so we helped him strip off his socks and boots and wade into Cliff Lake.

“You’ll get to go swimming soon,” I promised him as I dried his feet before we continued our hike.

We made our way back to Shadow Lake, stopping to wade in the water and enjoy the serenity of the place. While the hike to Terrace, Shadow, and Cliff Lakes hadn’t been crowded, a few other small groups sat along the shore while one or two swam. There was more than enough room for us to spread out and enjoy the peaceful setting, which everyone appeared more than happy to do.

Back on the trail, we made our way to nearby Terrace Lake for our final stop. Here, we decided, would be the best swimming spot. After all, the day was warm, but the water was not! We hoped the shallower Terrace Lake wouldn’t be quite as chilly as Shadow.

Well, let me tell you, Terrace Lake was still mighty cold! J, not a fan of cold water, sat on the shore, not even willing to go wading. The rest of us swam. I’ll admit we didn’t swim for very long, but we did it. And after a dip in the deeper water thoroughly chilled us, it felt quite pleasant to simply wade in the ankle-deep water near the beach.

Refreshed and rejuvenated, we changed back into our hiking clothes and headed back up the trail to our car. It was a wonderful introduction to Lassen Volcanic National Park, and I could hardly wait to explore more.