Reflection Lake and Lily Pond

The Lily Pond and Reflection Lake Loop is a beautiful trail that wanders around the water features that it is named for.  The trail starts across the Loomis Museum.  The Lily Pond portion of the trail is 0.6 miles and hikers can pick up a trail brochure to follow along with corresponding posts.  The trail starts off meandering through a forest where the green pine trees pop out from the dark rock that dots the forest bed.  The trail eventually wraps around to the lily pond, where if you are lucky, you might even see a flowering pad. The trail remains fairly flat and before hikers finish the loop, they should take a right turn to the west and follow along Reflection Lake. 

Reflection Lake gets its name due to its ability to beautifully reflect Lassen Peak and Chaos Craig. Hikers will stroll to the far end of the lake where they can find a wonderful sport to sit and enjoy the view.  The loop around the lake is about ¾ of a mile and worth the additional steps.  Once hikers soak in all of the views they can return to the trailhead and complete the loop. 

This trail is short, but packs a punch.  Hikers can enjoy the outstanding views of the mountains and be immersed in the forest.  This hike is great for families or anyone short on time.  The whole trail is relatively flat and can get crowded.  For hikers hoping to beat the crowds they should start early to enjoy the sounds of nature with fewer human interactions.  When hikers are finished, they can enjoy the visitor’s center and campground general store. There are also plenty of amenities such as restrooms and drinking water. For visitors that want to explore this National Park, this hike is a great introduction to the volcano and surrounding areas.