Why does the official four-mile summit round trip exceed twice the selected official dataset approach distance?

gap · gap-lassen-cinder-source-profile-variation

NPS publishes a four-mile summit round trip, while the three selected official vector features total 1.58296735 miles one way. The difference may reflect rounding or additional rim/crater circulation, but the sources do not state how it is allocated. Consumers should preserve both profiles rather than force equality.

Open question. The following evidence does not resolve this gap. Use the recorded question and reason to understand what needs confirmation.

Claims and evidence

Source profile variation

Dataset approach to base miles
1.24854719
Dataset out and back miles
3.1659347
Dataset trailhead to summit approach miles
1.58296735
Nps published base one way miles
1.2
Nps published summit round trip miles
4
Resolution
preserve both; do not infer which rim or crater circulation accounts for the difference
Evidence and sources (2)

No claim effective interval recorded.

Spatial scope IDs: scope-route-cinder-cone-trail

  1. Evidence stance: supports · Evidence details

    The official USGS Topo Vector trail layer connects the NPS Cinder Cone trailhead coordinate to the cone base with one Nobles Emigrant Trail feature and one Butte Lake To Snag Lake Trail feature, then connects the base to the summit approach with one Cinder Cone Trail feature. Twenty-two additional Cinder Cone Trail features form branched rim, crater, and other-side topology whose visitor roles are not uniquely named in the dataset. Dataset publication warns that temporal changes may have occurred.

    Publisher
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Observer / attribution
    Not recorded
    Observed at
    Unknown
    Retrieved at
    2026-09-23T16:00:00+00:00

    Retrieval time does not establish when an event occurred.

    Observation details · Source details · Original source: U.S. Geological Survey

  2. Evidence stance: supports · Evidence details

    NPS describes a 2.4-mile round trip to the cone base and a four-mile round trip to the summit. At 1.2 miles the trail reaches a fork at the base; hikers take the left/south trail, circle toward the south side, and continue to the top. An additional separate trail continues into the crater. The trailhead is near the Butte Lake boat ramp, and current access and trail conditions require recheck.

    Publisher
    National Park Service
    Observer / attribution
    Not recorded
    Observed at
    Unknown
    Retrieved at
    2026-09-23T16:00:00+00:00

    Retrieval time does not establish when an event occurred.

    Observation details · Source details · Original source: National Park Service

Recorded observations

Browse observations separately (2)

NPS describes a 2.4-mile round trip to the cone base and a four-mile round trip to the summit. At 1.2 miles the trail reaches a fork at the base; hikers take the left/south trail, circle toward the south side, and continue to the top. An additional separate trail continues into the crater. The trailhead is near the Butte Lake boat ramp, and current access and trail conditions require recheck.

Publisher
National Park Service
Observer / attribution
Not recorded
Observed at
Unknown
Retrieved at
2026-09-23T16:00:00+00:00

Retrieval time does not establish when an event occurred.

Observation details · Source details · Original source: National Park Service

The official USGS Topo Vector trail layer connects the NPS Cinder Cone trailhead coordinate to the cone base with one Nobles Emigrant Trail feature and one Butte Lake To Snag Lake Trail feature, then connects the base to the summit approach with one Cinder Cone Trail feature. Twenty-two additional Cinder Cone Trail features form branched rim, crater, and other-side topology whose visitor roles are not uniquely named in the dataset. Dataset publication warns that temporal changes may have occurred.

Publisher
U.S. Geological Survey
Observer / attribution
Not recorded
Observed at
Unknown
Retrieved at
2026-09-23T16:00:00+00:00

Retrieval time does not establish when an event occurred.

Observation details · Source details · Original source: U.S. Geological Survey

Published record history

History lists published operations; it does not reconstruct removed content or confirm that external media remains available.

JSON

Historical evidence is not a guarantee of current conditions.