Cinder Cone & Brokeoff Mountain
Days Three & Four - Crater Lake & Lassen Volcanic National Parks - 2025
A trip up the steep slopes of Cinder Cone, followed by a long hike up the stunning Brokeoff Mountain in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
1. Fantastic Lava Beds #1
Erupting in the mid-17th century, the Cinder Cone volcano sent gigantic flows of lava eastward, forming what is now known as the Fantastic Lava Beds.
After lunch in Burney, I made my way to Butte Lake, the trailhead of Cinder Cone in Lassen Volcanic National Park. As mentioned previously, Cinder Cone is located in a remote part of the park disconnected from the rest; the access road is a well-maintained dirt road, but do note there is still a Park Pass checkpoint near Butte Lake.
2. Cinder Cone #1
Cinder Cone is a 750-foot / 230-meter tall, well, cinder cone volcano.
I didn’t have much of a plan other than climbing Cinder Cone as I still needed to make my way to my hotel in Chester, California, about an hour away. I figured I’d reach the summit then figure things out from there.
3. Fantastic Lava Beds #2
The vast lava flow from Cinder Cone dammed a nearby stream in two points, forming the current Butte and Snag Lakes.
The scenery leading up to Cinder Cone is fantastic, a mix of volcanic rock and towering pine trees.
4. Cinder Cone #2
Cinder Cone has two craters at its summit …
The climb up Cinder Cone is pretty brutal with a consistent grade around 35%. I counted 1,112 steps from the base to the bottom, but your results may vary. Just take your time … and lots of water, as this hike is mostly exposed on dark rock which radiates the sun’s heat.
5. Cinder Cone #3
… Although it is believed that both the outer rim and the inner crater were formed during the same mid-17th century event.
All in all, the hike is very rewarding and well within the capability of anyone willing to take their time.
6. Fantastic Lava Beds #3
When this location was surveyed in the 1870s, it was believed that Cinder Cone must have erupted recently due to the “newness” of the lava, perhaps even only being a couple of decades old …
I had considered walking to Snag Lake (seen at right in the picture above), but I was so gassed from the climb I decided to just walk down Cinder Cone’s backside and lazily return to my car.
7. Fantastic Lava Beds #4
… But subsequent radiocarbon dating has placed the lava flow as dating from the mid-17th century, further supported by tree ring analysis which supports a major volcanic event nearby around 1666.
This did allow me to take in all the views from the summit, which are superb.
8. Cinder Cone #4
Looking at a trail map of Cinder Cone, you may be tempted to take the slightly less steep rear trail to the summit, but I’m here to tell you that the rock on the south side of the volcano is much, much looser and more jagged than on the more-commonly walked north side. If you choose to go up or down the alternate trail, I highly recommend using a hiking pole. You’ve been warned!
9. Fantastic Lava Beds #5
I made my way to Chester, California for the first of my four nights there. Now is as good a time as any to say that there are very, very few hotels near Lassen Volcanic National Park, with the majority in and around Chester. These fill up incredibly fast, so if you want to spend a relaxing evening indoors, book early!
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10. Brokeoff Mountain #1
Brokeoff Mountain is a 9,239 foot / 2,816 meter tall mountain and the high point remnant of the former Mount Tehama.
I had a much-needed relaxing evening in Chester (despite all the hiking I did, this really was one of the laziest trips I’ve ever taken, honestly) before turning in. Waking up early -but not so early as to miss the hotel breakfast, of course- and feeling pretty able, I decided for my first day in Lassen Volcanic National Park I’d tackle Brokeoff Mountain. While Brokeoff Mountain is shorter than Lassen Peak, the total elevation gain of the trail is quite a bit greater. As a result, Brokeoff Mountain is considered a more difficult climb.
11. Brokeoff Mountain #2
Mount Tehama -like Mount Shasta today- was a large stratovolcano, and was significantly eroded over the last half million years.
Arriving at an empty trailhead parking lot, I knew I’d have the whole place to myself. Thankfully, there are no brown bears in the park and mountain lion sightings are incredibly rare, so hiking by myself was not too concerning. As is typical on my more difficult out-and-back hikes, I decided to gut out the hike while scouting out vantage points before taking the camera out of the bag at the summit. Brokeoff Mountain was no different. It took me a little over two hours at a leisurely pace to complete the 3.5 mile / 5.6 kilometer walk to the summit.
12. Brokeoff Mountain #3
Due to its prominence as a result of the nearby erosion, the peak of Brokeoff Mountain affords excellent views in all directions …
Thankfully it was an incredibly gorgeous day, the views only broken by faint wildfire smoke. Nonetheless, you could clearly see Mount Shasta over 70 miles / 110 kilometers away.
13. Brokeoff Mountain #4
… including towards adjacent Lassen Peak.
You also get a great view over Lassen Volcanic National Park, including a stunning profile of Lassen Peak.
14. Brokeoff Mountain #5
All in all, I can say without exaggeration the Brokeoff Mountain hike is among the best I’ve done in a U.S. National Park.
15. Brokeoff Mountain #6
The hike itself is moderately difficult - the distance is long and at higher elevation; however, the trail is incredibly well-marked and maintained, and there aren’t too many aggressive uphill stretches.
16. Brokeoff Mountain #7
I suspect anyone with an average level of fitness could complete the round-trip journey in a day, assuming -of course- they brought enough water since there is no reliable source on the trail.
Three more photographs from my Brokeoff Mountain descent follow.
17. Brokeoff Mountain #8
18. Brokeoff Mountain #9
19. Brokeoff Mountain #10
Returning to my car, I knew I’d have a long couple of days of serious hiking ahead of me and it wasn’t smart for me to push myself too hard out the gate. So I decided to make my way back to Chester, take a well-earned shower, and take a recovery afternoon.
