Trail Map of Cinder Cone, Lassen Volcanic National Park

Moderate: 5.5 miles, Half day

Overview: Located four hours north east of San Francisco this Northern California park might be a little out of the way, but it’s a prime destination for seekers of tranquility and those with even just a passing interest in geology.

Cinder cones are scattered all around you at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Some are in plain sight and others are overgrown and hidden by forest, but none are more recent and more spectacular than the Cinder Cone that created the Fantastic Lava Beds and the colorful Painted Dunes eleven miles north east of Lassen Peak.

Our five and a half mile day hikes takes you to the top of Cinder Cone where you can marvel at a landscape transformed by volcanic activity.

Elevation gain:
• 800ft (from 6,140 - 6,820ft)

Tips:
• Summer through fall is the best time to experience this trail. Snow covers the Lassen landscape for much of the year, closing roads and obscuring trails. See our links below to National Park Service information on road and trail closures.
• Bug repellent is a necessity early in the summer season when mosquitoes are rife.
• Cinder Cone is popular with backpackers since it's only 11 miles from Lassen peak, yet to reach it by car requires a 40 mile drive from the North park entrance. Despite the distance we think this day-hike is well worth the extra miles, thanks to the great scenery en route.
• The last seven miles of the journey is along a dirt road, which when snow-free is entirely accessible even in a two-wheel drive car with relatively low ground clearance.