Cinder Cone Trail

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Plan
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Before you go
Evidence

Check before choosing this trip

Rules can change across jurisdictions. Each fact below belongs to the named place; a connected place is not automatically part of your itinerary. This is recorded evidence; recheck current rules and conditions before travel.

Traversed place

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Pretrip current conditions recheck

Required

Yes

Topics

alerts and closures
roads
trails
fire and smoke
snow
facilities

Evidence and sources (1)

No claim effective interval recorded.

Spatial scope IDs: scope-lassen-national-park

Evidence stance: supports · Evidence details
The current-conditions page is the operational source for alerts, roads, trails, fire and smoke, snow, facilities, and closures.
Publisher
National Park Service
Observer / attribution
Not recorded
Observed at
Unknown
Retrieved at
2026-09-22T19:00:00+00:00
Retrieval time does not establish when an event occurred.
Observation details · Source details · Original source: National Park Service

Source: National Park Service. Retrieved: 2026-09-22.

Still unresolved

What road, trail, fire, smoke, snow, facility, and area conditions will apply near departure? Dynamic operating conditions are intentionally not frozen; recheck the official NPS current-conditions page near departure.

Review unresolved questions · Compare connected places and approaches

Route map

This overview is built from a reviewed, versioned source snapshot. It is planning evidence, not navigation-grade mapping.

Interactive map loads when scrolled into view.

StartDestination1.58 miles one way

Download generated GeoJSON · 3 canonical segments · source geometry accuracy not reported

Plan a visit

Requirements and current conditions

Pretrip trail conditions recheck

Recorded for: Lassen Volcanic National Park

Required

Yes

Topics

trail status
road access
snow
bridges
burned area hazards
parking limits

Warning

trail status alone does not establish road or park-wide access

Evidence and sources (1)

No claim effective interval recorded.

Spatial scope IDs: scope-route-lassen-peak-trail, scope-route-brokeoff-mountain-trail, scope-route-cinder-cone-trail, scope-route-bumpass-hell-trail, scope-route-devils-kitchen-trail, scope-route-boiling-springs-lake-trail, scope-route-terminal-geyser-trail

Evidence stance: supports · Evidence details
NPS publishes dated, area-specific trail status, mileage, difficulty, parking notes, snow, bridge, and Dixie Fire impacts and warns that trail status does not establish road or park-wide access.
Publisher
National Park Service
Observer / attribution
Not recorded
Observed at
Unknown
Retrieved at
2026-09-23T03:30:00+00:00
Retrieval time does not establish when an event occurred.
Observation details · Source details · Original source: National Park Service

Routes and geography

Official dataset route segment

Recorded for: Cinder Cone base fork to summit approach

Coordinate reference system

EPSG:4269

Dataset feature id

59a7da12-3876-49c5-a305-4eae8e92d840

Dataset feature name

Cinder Cone Trail

Dataset field

lengthmiles

Distance miles

0.33442016

Distance status

known

End coordinate

Latitude: 40.5482623
Longitude: -121.321298

Geometry snapshot

Feature id: {620A4923-7C20-446B-B8B4-3D05C5F6EFA4}
Media type: application/geo+json
Navigation grade: No
Normalized coordinate reference system: EPSG:4326
Path: geometry/v0/snapshots/nps-lavo-cinder-cone-approach-20260923.geojson
Sha256: 50d218a1cec59453ce4e12aa84a9a0f9768914c10faa715e307b32db764c4b6a
Source coordinate reference system: EPSG:4269

Operational status requires current check

Yes

Route role

official mainline

Source data description

NPS Trails 11/2019

Source load date

2019-12-10T07:53:56.000

Source mode attributes

Bicycle: No
Hiker pedestrian: Yes
Pack saddle: No

Source originator

National Park Service

Start coordinate

Latitude: 40.5525129
Longitude: -121.3190095

Evidence and sources (2)

No claim effective interval recorded.

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

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
Evidence stance: supports · Evidence details
The NPS Public Trails FeatureServer returned one exact endpoint-matched public trail LineString for each of the three already-published Cinder Cone summit approach segments. All three are identified as existing trails. Mapping method, map source, source date, and XY accuracy are unknown for these features; the geometry is planning evidence and is not represented as navigation-grade.
Publisher
National Park Service
Observer / attribution
Wayproof official geometry service review
Observed at
Unknown
Retrieved at
2026-09-23T17:30:00+00:00
Retrieval time does not establish when an event occurred.
Observation details · Source details · Original source: National Park Service
Recorded artifact references
- geometry/v0/snapshots/nps-lavo-cinder-cone-approach-20260923.geojson
- sha256:50d218a1cec59453ce4e12aa84a9a0f9768914c10faa715e307b32db764c4b6a
References are not a confirmation of current availability.

Official dataset route segment

Recorded for: Nobles and Butte Lake junction to Cinder Cone base fork

Coordinate reference system

EPSG:4269

Dataset feature id

135126a8-5f47-4663-abde-3b8198df215c

Dataset feature name

Butte Lake To Snag Lake Trail

Dataset field

lengthmiles

Distance miles

0.86346248

Distance status

known

End coordinate

Latitude: 40.5525129
Longitude: -121.3190095

Geometry snapshot

Feature id: {02F2A299-CEE6-421E-A859-4FA49B107830}
Media type: application/geo+json
Navigation grade: No
Normalized coordinate reference system: EPSG:4326
Path: geometry/v0/snapshots/nps-lavo-cinder-cone-approach-20260923.geojson
Sha256: 50d218a1cec59453ce4e12aa84a9a0f9768914c10faa715e307b32db764c4b6a
Source coordinate reference system: EPSG:4269

Operational status requires current check

Yes

Route role

official mainline

Source data description

NPS Trails 11/2019

Source load date

2019-12-10T07:53:56.000

Source mode attributes

Bicycle: No
Hiker pedestrian: Yes
Pack saddle: Yes

Source originator

National Park Service

Start coordinate

Latitude: 40.5600241
Longitude: -121.3069839

Evidence and sources (2)

No claim effective interval recorded.

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

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
Evidence stance: supports · Evidence details
The NPS Public Trails FeatureServer returned one exact endpoint-matched public trail LineString for each of the three already-published Cinder Cone summit approach segments. All three are identified as existing trails. Mapping method, map source, source date, and XY accuracy are unknown for these features; the geometry is planning evidence and is not represented as navigation-grade.
Publisher
National Park Service
Observer / attribution
Wayproof official geometry service review
Observed at
Unknown
Retrieved at
2026-09-23T17:30:00+00:00
Retrieval time does not establish when an event occurred.
Observation details · Source details · Original source: National Park Service
Recorded artifact references
- geometry/v0/snapshots/nps-lavo-cinder-cone-approach-20260923.geojson
- sha256:50d218a1cec59453ce4e12aa84a9a0f9768914c10faa715e307b32db764c4b6a
References are not a confirmation of current availability.

Official dataset route segment

Recorded for: Cinder Cone trailhead to Nobles and Butte Lake junction

Coordinate reference system

EPSG:4269

Dataset feature id

cf935092-79f2-4a53-b21b-c53e5be92029

Dataset feature name

Nobles Emigrant Trail

Dataset field

lengthmiles

Distance miles

0.38508471

Distance status

known

End coordinate

Latitude: 40.5600241
Longitude: -121.3069839

Geometry snapshot

Feature id: {F278D5AC-344D-4BB8-B2F3-3451B9FCF776}
Media type: application/geo+json
Navigation grade: No
Normalized coordinate reference system: EPSG:4326
Path: geometry/v0/snapshots/nps-lavo-cinder-cone-approach-20260923.geojson
Sha256: 50d218a1cec59453ce4e12aa84a9a0f9768914c10faa715e307b32db764c4b6a
Source coordinate reference system: EPSG:4269

Operational status requires current check

Yes

Route role

official mainline

Source data description

NPS Trails 11/2019

Source load date

2019-12-10T07:53:56.000

Source mode attributes

Bicycle: No
Hiker pedestrian: Yes
Pack saddle: Yes

Source originator

National Park Service

Start coordinate

Latitude: 40.5638179
Longitude: -121.3022149

Evidence and sources (2)

No claim effective interval recorded.

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

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
Evidence stance: supports · Evidence details
The NPS Public Trails FeatureServer returned one exact endpoint-matched public trail LineString for each of the three already-published Cinder Cone summit approach segments. All three are identified as existing trails. Mapping method, map source, source date, and XY accuracy are unknown for these features; the geometry is planning evidence and is not represented as navigation-grade.
Publisher
National Park Service
Observer / attribution
Wayproof official geometry service review
Observed at
Unknown
Retrieved at
2026-09-23T17:30:00+00:00
Retrieval time does not establish when an event occurred.
Observation details · Source details · Original source: National Park Service
Recorded artifact references
- geometry/v0/snapshots/nps-lavo-cinder-cone-approach-20260923.geojson
- sha256:50d218a1cec59453ce4e12aa84a9a0f9768914c10faa715e307b32db764c4b6a
References are not a confirmation of current availability.

Published route description

Recorded for: Cinder Cone Trail

Base fork miles from trailhead: 1.2
Base round trip miles: 2.4
Crater trail is additional: Yes
Route to summit: take the left/south trail at the base fork and continue to the top
Summit round trip miles: 4

Evidence and sources (1)

No claim effective interval recorded.

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

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

Published route profile

Recorded for: Cinder Cone Trail

Elevation change ft

846

Elevation range ft

6061
6907

Round trip miles

Round trip time hours

Evidence and sources (1)

No claim effective interval recorded.

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

Evidence stance: supports · Evidence details
Cinder Cone Trail starts at the Butte Lake parking area; it is a four-mile round trip taking about three hours with 846 feet of elevation change. The trailhead is southwest of the Butte Lake boat ramp.
Publisher
National Park Service
Observer / attribution
Not recorded
Observed at
Unknown
Retrieved at
2026-09-23T03:30:00+00:00
Retrieval time does not establish when an event occurred.
Observation details · Source details · Original source: National Park Service

More planning facts

Official mapped coordinate

Recorded for: Cinder Cone trailhead at Butte Lake

Alternate name: Butte Lake West Trailhead
Latitude: 40.563788
Longitude: -121.30221
Map id: 40993263-b62b-4118-94c1-983fd352e367
Parking is separate mapped entity: Yes

Evidence and sources (1)

No claim effective interval recorded.

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

Evidence stance: supports · Evidence details
The public NPS Cinder Cone embedded-map configuration identifies the Cinder Cone Trailhead (alternate name Butte Lake West Trailhead) through its NPS Carto overlay at latitude 40.563788 and longitude -121.302210. It separately identifies Butte Lake Parking, so the trailhead and parking lot are not silently collapsed.
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

Source profile variation

Recorded for: Cinder Cone Trail

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

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
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

Explore related places

Access and approaches (2)

Land and management (3)

Routes and related places (2)

Before you go

These open questions need confirmation; Wayproof does not fill them with guesses.

Which exact Cinder Cone vector branches represent the recommended summit circulation, rim paths, and separate crater descent?

The official dataset preserves 22 additional Cinder Cone Trail features beyond the selected trailhead-to-summit approach. They form nested and parallel rim, crater, and other-side branches, but neither the feature attributes nor the NPS prose uniquely assigns every atomic feature to a visitor role. Wayproof preserves the complete approach and does not guess the remaining circuit.

Open question. Linked evidence does not resolve this gap.

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

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
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

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

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. Linked evidence does not resolve this gap.

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

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
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

What exact segment traversal connects each remaining published Lassen trailhead and destination, including shared junctions and alternatives?

Wayproof publishes complete, bidirectional, distance-bearing trailhead-to-summit approaches for Lassen Peak and Brokeoff Mountain, plus a bounded summit approach for Cinder Cone; a connected distance-bearing parking-to-basin-entry graph for Bumpass Hell; and the atomic shared approach plus around-lake network for Boiling Springs Lake. Cinder Cone rim/crater circulation and the full Bumpass basin circulation remain explicit route-specific gaps. It also publishes ordered, bidirectional Warner Valley topology for Devils Kitchen and Terminal Geyser, but atomic leg distances remain unknown where route descriptions print only cumulative positions. These remaining questions still require route-specific reconciliation.

Open question. Linked evidence does not resolve this gap.

Pretrip trail conditions recheck

Required

Yes

Topics

trail status
road access
snow
bridges
burned area hazards
parking limits

Warning

trail status alone does not establish road or park-wide access

Evidence and sources (1)

No claim effective interval recorded.

Evidence stance: supports · Evidence details
NPS publishes dated, area-specific trail status, mileage, difficulty, parking notes, snow, bridge, and Dixie Fire impacts and warns that trail status does not establish road or park-wide access.
Publisher
National Park Service
Observer / attribution
Not recorded
Observed at
Unknown
Retrieved at
2026-09-23T03:30:00+00:00
Retrieval time does not establish when an event occurred.
Observation details · Source details · Original source: National Park Service

Sources, evidence, and history

Planning facts above are readable first. Open these records when you need to audit a source or see when knowledge changed.

Evidence for 8 published claims

Published ChangeSet history

wp-20260923-lassen-destinations-route-depth — ADD route-cinder-cone-trail: Publish official-source Lassen destination identities, named hiking routes, evidenced starts, route profiles, and route-condition rechecks without inventing segment topology.
wp-20260923-cinder-route-geometry-pilot — REPLACE claim-route-segment-cinder-base-fork-summit: Reference the reviewed NPS source-geometry snapshot for the published Cinder Cone approach so consumers can reproduce its map without live network access.
wp-20260923-lassen-cinder-cone-route-graph — ADD claim-route-segment-cinder-base-fork-summit: Publish the official distance-bearing Butte Lake-to-Cinder Cone summit approach while preserving unresolved rim and crater branch roles.
wp-20260923-cinder-route-geometry-pilot — REPLACE claim-route-segment-cinder-nobles-junction-base-fork: Reference the reviewed NPS source-geometry snapshot for the published Cinder Cone approach so consumers can reproduce its map without live network access.
wp-20260923-lassen-cinder-cone-route-graph — ADD claim-route-segment-cinder-nobles-junction-base-fork: Publish the official distance-bearing Butte Lake-to-Cinder Cone summit approach while preserving unresolved rim and crater branch roles.
wp-20260923-cinder-route-geometry-pilot — REPLACE claim-route-segment-cinder-trailhead-nobles-junction: Reference the reviewed NPS source-geometry snapshot for the published Cinder Cone approach so consumers can reproduce its map without live network access.
wp-20260923-lassen-cinder-cone-route-graph — ADD claim-route-segment-cinder-trailhead-nobles-junction: Publish the official distance-bearing Butte Lake-to-Cinder Cone summit approach while preserving unresolved rim and crater branch roles.
wp-20260923-lassen-cinder-cone-route-graph — ADD claim-cinder-cone-official-trailhead-coordinate: Publish the official distance-bearing Butte Lake-to-Cinder Cone summit approach while preserving unresolved rim and crater branch roles.
wp-20260923-lassen-destinations-route-depth — ADD claim-lassen-trail-conditions-recheck: Publish official-source Lassen destination identities, named hiking routes, evidenced starts, route profiles, and route-condition rechecks without inventing segment topology.
wp-20260923-lassen-cinder-cone-route-graph — ADD claim-cinder-cone-route-detail: Publish the official distance-bearing Butte Lake-to-Cinder Cone summit approach while preserving unresolved rim and crater branch roles.
wp-20260923-lassen-destinations-route-depth — ADD claim-cinder-cone-trail-profile: Publish official-source Lassen destination identities, named hiking routes, evidenced starts, route profiles, and route-condition rechecks without inventing segment topology.
wp-20260923-lassen-cinder-cone-route-graph — ADD claim-cinder-cone-source-profile-variation: Publish the official distance-bearing Butte Lake-to-Cinder Cone summit approach while preserving unresolved rim and crater branch roles.

Canonical data is historical evidence, not a guarantee of current conditions. Recheck volatile facts before travel.