What is a cinder cone volcano?
Cinder cone volcanoes are the most common, smallest, and simplest type of volcano. They look like steep cone-shaped hills with a notable crater at the top.
At A Glance: Cinder Cone Trail
Length: 4.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,050 ft
Difficulty: moderate (strenuous for the hike up the volcano)
Trailhead: Butte Lake Parking in Lassen National Park
Best For: Unique hike up to the top of a cinder cone volcano
Cinder Cone Trail
The Cinder Cone Trail is one of the most popular trails in Lassen National Park. It leads you up to the top of a cinder cone volcano where you can walk the rim and enjoy a variety of views.
The first half of the trail leads you through a forest along the Fantastic Lava Beds. Some of the trees were burnt from the Dixie Fire, the largest California fire in history that burned 69% of the park. Despite the burns, there were still many trees that survived and were still standing.
Once you arrive at the base of the cinder cone volcano, you’ll be greeted with a steep slope. This is when it gets a bit more challenging. Loose pumice and dirt dominates the trail, which makes hiking up it a tad difficult and unstable. For every two steps forward, you get pushed one step back. It requires a lot more exertion due to the steepness because you’ll sink and slide down. I’d recommend bringing hiking poles to better help you!
The trail proceeds around the rim of the crater and there’s also a trail to go down to the middle of the crater. Views of the colorful painted dunes and sparsely growing trees are visible from the west side of the trail. You can also spot Lassen Peak, Snag Lake, and the Fantastic Lava Beds from there.
It’s quite an unique hike, and if I were to do only one hike in Lassen National Park, this would be it!
Happy Trails!
