This area is located 1 1/2 miles from the parking area at Lassen Volcanic National Park.

"Bumpass Hell is named after Kendall Vanhook Bumpass, a cowboy who worked in the Lassen area in the 1860s. One day Bumpass stumbled upon the area and his leg was badly scalded when it broke though a thin crust above a mud pot. He told his friends and townspeople about it, describing it as "hell." A newspaper editor was interested in the story and convinced Bumpass to take him to this place. Unfortunately, Bumpass' leg broke through the crust again - this time it had to be amputated."

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_areas_in_Lassen_Volcanic_National_Park