Chaos Crags, Lassen Volcanic National Park

When the cliffs of Chaos Crags sheared off and tumbled down into the valley they also blocked a local creek, creating what is known today as Manzanita Lake - the beginning of our short 3½ mile hike.

The hiking trail winds its way through a surviving section of thick evergreen forest running parallel to the jumbles, slowly ascending and eventually thinning out as you climb towards the timberline.

The trailhead is located close to the north entrance of the park. Take a turn off the 44 toward Manzanita Lake campground (just next to the visitor center and museum) and the start of the trail is at the first bend in the road.

There's only room for a handful of cars at the trailhead, but there's plenty more spaces available back at the visitor center, or further down the road towards the campground store and restrooms.

Leaving the forested trail behind, the last part of our journey sets out across the chaos jumbles and negotiates a route through the mess of pink rock fragments.

The final destination of this trail is Chaos Crags Lake - though if you're tackling this trail late in the season, Chaos Crags Puddle might be a better name.

Blasted out of the ground by the force of the Chaos Crags rockfall, this large depression in the landscape collects water from the melting snow above, only to evaporate away to virtually nothing by the end of the summer.

If you're looking for a cooling dip however, you have only less than two miles hiking remaining before you're back at Manzanita Lake.