Lassen Volcanic National Park stands as one of America's oldest national parks as well as one of its least visited. Escaping the crowds to soak in the beautiful varied terrains that this park has to offer make it a wonderful destination to explore.
After a several hour drive we stopped at Manzanita Lake to stretch our legs with a quick 4 mile jaunt to Chaos Crag and back. After a quick lunch we opted to explore the half mile loop that winds around Manzanita Lake before departing and were rewarded with fantastic views of Lassen Peak to the south.
While it may not appear very difficult at first glance, climbing the steep hills of this cinder cone volcano proved to be quite the challenge. Each step forward along the steep trail comprised of sand and loose pyroclastic debris was negated by a half step slide back, making for a heart pumping climb. Lugging 40 pound packs certainly did not help!
Reaching the top afforded excellent views in all directions, the most surprising of which was the view into the belly of the volcano itself. With the wind howling around the rim it seemed like a no brainer to visit the bottom! With each step down the winds faded and drew silence, leaving the impression that we had left Earth for another planet.
After a frigid night camping in the backcountry we made our way back to Cinder Cone to watch sun rise over the Painted Hills. As dawn broke warm tones filled the atmosphere and left a stunning glow on the east side of Lassen Peak.
Having visited Arizona's Painted Desert and Death Valley's Artist Palette I was particularly interested in seeing the Painted Dunes of Lassen and they did not disappoint! Lying between the base of Cinder Cone volcano and the Fantastic Lava Beds its no surprise that this small area is full of color from the layers of oxidized volcanic ash.