Bumpass Hell - Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

When visiting Lassen Park, take time to hike down the narrow rocky incline to the geothermal wonder that is Bumpass Hell. Bubbling mud and aquamarine pools of water await, along with steaming fumaroles that hiss and roar, like a giant underground tea kettle that someone left boiling on the stove. Avoid serious injury and stay on the boardwalks (thank you to the crews who constructed and maintain those, by the way). Enjoy the sulfurous scents as you descend into an alternative geological reality.

More on our trip to Lassen on my other blog, here.

Bonus: a boiling mud pit from the Sulphur Works site right off the main road near the south entrance of the park. Just pull up your car and watch some mud boil.