The remnants of an ancient volcano release sulfuric steam into the air in this eerie world of fumaroles and bubbling mud pots, where a mine and spa once stood.
Sulphur Works is an otherworldly plateau comprising steamy crevasses, stained rocks and views of green valleys and hills. A wooden boardwalk hovers above this terrain of geothermal activity, allowing you to safely get a closer look. Admire the extraordinary color palette of the rocks splayed across this sulfur field.
Smell the odor of rotten eggs from hydrogen sulfide, as you stroll along the wooden planks. Beside you, steam rises from the vents in the colorful ground. Listen to the rumbles of fumaroles and see the bubbling of mud pots.
Read the information plaques along the boardwalk for context about the geology and natural history behind this fascinating realm of sulfur. The wooden pathway is 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) long and is an easy walk for the entire family. Be careful to stay on the boardwalk to avoid serious injury from the very hot volcanic features.
Consider the intriguing history of this section of the park, which was part of a sulfur mine in the 1800s. Mathias Supan, the Austrian businessman who set up the mine, later converted it into Supan’s Springs, a spa resort with natural mineral baths. A small town arose around the spa, featuring a restaurant and a gas station. The National Park Service purchased the land here from the Supan family in the 1950s.
Look for the largest of the boiling mud pots, which is 5 feet (1.5 meters) across. It is part of an ancient volcano and still contains magma deep below the surface. The terrain is constantly changing and is affected by the seasons. In winter, a thick layer of white snow covers the ground beyond the areas where steam rises.
Find Sulphur Works a little south of Lassen Peak in the heart of Lassen Volcanic National Park. Leave your car in the Sulphur Works parking lot, which has its own viewpoint of the lush valley before it. Stay in the area for such highlights as Chaos Crags, Manzanita Lake and Brokeoff Mountain. Note that the highway accessing Sulphur Works closes for the snowy winter season.
