Outstanding views of Lassen Peak are visible from highway turnouts near Kings Creek Upper Meadow. This meadow is frequently photographed in its vibrant seasonal colors from the snowy white of spring to the golden hues of fall. Non-native trout species including brown and brook trout hide in the shadows of the winding creek and opportunistic eagles and hawks occasionally drop in for lunch. Black-tailed deer, golden-mantled ground squirrels, Clark’s Nutcracker, and black bear also frequent the meadow.

Wildflowers Grow by the Inch and Die by the Foot

You can both enjoy and protect the delicate vegetation that contributes to this picturesque meadow with simple choices like:

• Enjoying flowers in fragile wet areas from afar
• Resting or picnicking on hard surfaces
• Leaving wildflowers for others to enjoy

Year-Round Water

Snow on Lassen Peak melts and seeps into a ground spring that feeds Kings Creek year-round. In the spring season, the deep snowpack within the meadow also slowly melts into Kings Creek and the surrounding watershed. Lassen Volcanic is comprised of four watersheds. Kings Creek supplies the Upper Feather Watershed which alone supplies approximately 3.2 million acre-feet per year for downstream water users. The quantity and quality of water from park watersheds are is threatened by overcrowded forests, degraded meadows, and a changing climate. Partnerships like the North Fork Feather River Headwaters Forest Restoration Project are crucial to addressing the landscape-level issue of watershed and forest health. 

Nearby Areas

Kings Creek Picnic Area and Trailhead is located ¹/₂ mile north on the park highway via a short turnoff. The area includes picnic sites with charcoal disposal, pit toilets, and the trailhead to Cold Boiling Lake. This area can also be reached by foot via a short connector trail southwest of Upper Meadow.

King’s Creek Falls Hiking Trailhead is located ¹/₄ mile south of here. Parking is limited at this popular trailhead and meadow turnouts often serve as overflow parking. The 3-mile round-trip loop includes a steep climb up cascades above Kings Creek Falls.