About
Length (round trip)4 mi
ShapeOut-and-Back
DifficultyHard
Elevation gain800 ft up
Typical time2 hr 15 min
TrailheadButte Lake, north-east corner
SurfaceDeep loose volcanic cinder, no firm footing anywhere
Best seasonJuly to October. The park highway crosses 8,500 feet and is usually buried in snow from November until late June.
DogsNot allowed
What you'll see ⛰️ Summit🌄 Big views

The cone rises straight out of the Fantastic Lava Beds. Every step up slides back, which makes it far harder than the numbers suggest. From the rim you look down on the Painted Dunes - oxidised ash in bands of orange, red and purple.

Tips
The cinder gives no purchase at all - allow twice the time you would for a normal 750-foot climb. Reached by six miles of gravel road to Butte Lake. Do the crater rim loop and the descent into the crater from the top.
Location

Butte Lake, north-east corner

Other Hikers
No one has logged this trail yet.
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