This is a real gem and one of my favorites. It takes you into the remote northeast corner of Lassen Volcanic National Park for a 14-mile backpacking trip, but you can also do it as a long dayhike. Its top features is a climb to the top of Cinder Cone, where’ll you see the huge extrusion of basalt lava that erupted from its base. You’ll also visit Snag Lake, one of the largest and most beautiful in Lassen Volcanic National Park. The journey begins and ends at the campground at Butte Lake.
It’s Hike 38 from 100 Classic Hikes in Northern California, third edition. The trek is also described in Hike 14 of 75 Hikes in California’s Mount Shasta and Lassen Volcanic National Park Regions, revised edition.
Painted Dunes viewed from the summit of Cinder Cone in Lassen Volcanic National Park. (Photo by Marc Soares)
