Have you been to Lassen National Park? It’s surprisingly unknown even here in California! But with jaw-dropping views, volcanoes and painted hills, and memorable hikes, it’s well worth a visit. The Cinder Cone Hike at Lassen National Park is one of our favorite travel memories. Here’s why we loved this Lassen National Park hike with kids.
It’s great for kids and teens.
It’s a serious workout!
It can easily be done in half a day.
The views are a-ma-zing.
It’s perfect for learning about volcanoes & geology.
How long does the Cinder Cone hike take?
If you stay at the Manzanita Lake Campground, you can do this Lassen National Park hike as a half-day trip. It’s a 45-minute drive east on Highway 44. Once you arrive at the Butte Lake parking lot, you’ll see the trailhead. You’ll need three hours (or less) to complete the hike with time to take in the views from the top. There’s not much there besides a parking lot, bathroom, and Butte Lake, so bring plenty of water and snacks.
What is the Cinder Cone?
Before you do the hike, it’s helpful to have a bit of background about this amazing Lassen National Park hike and the site.
This cinder cone was formed after an eruption in 1666. Because the lava beds contain rocks that look so young, explorers in the 19th century claimed that the volcanic explosion occurred around 1850. Later, however, scientists were able to identify the correct year using carbon dating of an aspen tree that lived at the edge of the lake but was trapped in the lava flow.
Cinder Cone is a 700-foot tall volcano made up of loose rock that’s dark brown to orange in color. This rock is called scoria, a type of igneous rock formed when lava expelled during a volcanic explosion cools in mid-air and therefore contains gas bubbles that were trapped inside during this process. You’ll notice that the volcano contains a double-rimmed crater with walking paths that go around and down into the crater.
The surrounding area that’s visible from the top of Cinder Cone is almost as amazing as the volcano itself. With the explosion came expansive black lava flows and the red-tinged fields of pumice known as the Painted Dunes (above).
There are also two lakes nearby — Butte Lake and Snag Lake. The first, which you will see when you park and access the trailhead, used to cover much of this area but was cut off by the lava beds. The second, Snag Lake, was actually created when lava flows blocked a creek. And from the top of Cinder Cone you can see the 10,463-foot peak of nearby Mt. Lassen.
What is the Cinder Cone hike like?
All the lava around the area makes this Lassen National Park hike memorable! Shortly after starting out on the trail, the Fantastic Lava Beds come into view on the left side. This huge expanse of black lava rocks is part of several flows of lava that spread from Cinder Cone after the explosion.
The trail takes you past the lava beds and through a lightly forested area before it starts to climb as it approaches Cinder Cone. Note that the trail does not have shade (bring lots of water!) and that it’s mostly sandy, which makes it more tiring to walk on.
When you approach the cone, you’ll see the trail that goes up to the top.
While climbing Cinder Cone, you’re walking on loose rocks, and they move as you step. The trail up the mountain isn’t long, but it goes almost straight up and is difficult because the rocks shift under your feet as you go. Once you complete that climb, you can walk around the rim of the volcano and take in the surrounding views.
You can even hike down into the crater!
Can I do the Cinder Cone hike with kids?
Yes! Compared to the Mt. Lassen hike, this Lassen National Park hike is much easier. My older son did this hike twice: once with his 5th grade class at age 10 and once with us a year later. My younger son was 8.
However, this hike is not easy because of the challenging ascent, so it might be too challenging for young children or people with mobility or stamina issues. One option is for everyone to hike to the base together and then anyone who cannot go up can wait below — there are some fallen trees that provide a shaded place to wait.
Read more: California Travel Tips
Click here for more information. Let me know if you have questions about this Lassen National Park hike and check out this other lesser-known national park, guide to Pinnacles National Park, another lesser-known national park in California.
Photo credit: Painted dunes by Paul on Flickr
Wow, this looks stunning! I was actually meant to go to Lassen last fall, but of course we had to cancel due to the pandemic. I hadn’t made it very far into the planning before canceling, so this will be helpful if and when I ever make it there!
We loved that park! I hope you can get there later this year–I’m sure you’ll love it too. Let me know if you have any questions.
We loved the cinder cone hike! Our 4 year old stayed back down so my wife and I had to take turns going up with our other 2 kids; what an amazing view! One thing to, its bear territory! On the hike back to the Butte lake parking lot, we saw not 1/2/3 but 4 bears!!! Including one juvenile black bear that refused to leave the trail and we had to wait (and pray) patiently for it go away (which it did after about 20 mins)!
I have seen plenty of bears in the mountains but didn’t hear anything about bears while we were in Lassen. Good to know! I’m sure that was scary!