I am 49 and my wife is 47. We have five boys ages 5 — 13. We began our hike up Cinder Cone from the parking area at Butte Lake. I recommend that you buy the leaflet at the beginning of the hike. There are 14 numbered stops which correspond with a brief paragraph description. I read those to my family along the way. I encouraged my boys to be quiet as possible. The sounds of the area are as impressive as the views. The Fantastic Lava Fields were awe-inspiriting. The hike alongside them was quite impressive. We glimpsed our first look at Cinder Cone through some trees. I recommend stopping under these trees, hydrating, and eating. The hike up the volcano was very rigorous for my wife and me. The boys did well. I had the backpack for the family. I would recommend using the backpack as «frontpack» to keep your weight moving forward up the cone. The loose footing on the cinder and stones made the ascent very arduous. I had to stop four or five times and labored with my breathing. I’m not overweight and exercise daily on an elliptical(3 – 4 miles). However, the payoff is an incredible 360-degree panorama of Mount Lassen National Park. A gorgeous view of Mt. Lassen, Mt. Prospect(a shield volcano), Butte Lake, the delicate painted dunes, and Snag Lake. The view from the rim of the cone down into the volcano is well worth the effort as well. I recommend striking your heel into the soft trail on your way down. I also recommend you wear a good pair of hiking shoes for this hike. Bring plenty of water. But cloud cover and winds are likely in this area.
Mel G.
Place rating: 5 Santa Fe, NM
Coolest hike I’ve ever done in my life. And I literally had the entire cinder cone to myself. I don’t even know what else to say about it. Just awe-inspiring. And yes — I agree with the other reviewers, the hike up this puppy is no joke! Ain’t nothing wrong with taking lots of breaks — the altitude by the time you get up there is something fierce. But miraculously worth it.
Rachel W.
Place rating: 5 Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The previous reviewer described it well. I would only add that something fun to do is to run/slide down the trail, because that is faster and a lot more fun! The hike up the cone was pretty strenuous… bring water and a stick would be nice. The views from the top are AMAZING. A camera is a must.
Ray B.
Place rating: 5 Citrus Heights, CA
I’ve hiked the Cinder Cone Nature Trail twice now. Once in June and once in October. The relatively flat trail to the Cinder Cone is about 1.2 miles and is sometimes a little difficult to follow but its not too bad. Just look for the tracks of the other hikers and stay parallel to the Fantastic Lava Flow. My eight year old daughter hiked the entire trail(we totaled 5 miles in our wanderings) and she says she wants to go back. The climb up the Cinder Cone is a different story. Hiking in volcanic ash is like climbing in fine sand — it takes some effort. The trail up the Cinder Cone is about half a mile and gains about 500 feet. But the views are so worth it. Don’t forget to dress in layers. It might be chilly/windy at the top. At the top of the Cinder Cone, you can walk around the well defined rim and even descend into the caldera if you have the energy to climb back out. The parking lot near the trail head has pit toilets. The trail head has a few signs describing the area. There are also pamphlets available for $.50 that correlate to signed posts along the nature trail. Finding the trail head isn’t too hard. From Old Station take highway 44 a few miles and turn right at the Butte Lake Campground. A gravel road takes you 5 – 6 miles to the day use parking area.
