Butte Lake to Widow Lake Trail

Butte Lake to Widow Lake is an out-and-back into Lassen Volcanic’s east-side backcountry, starting at the Butte Lake parking and day-use area and ending beside Widow Lake. From that access, the full walk is about 7.7 miles round trip, with roughly 1,170 feet of climbing; allow 3.5 to 4 hours. The official trail table lists 4.5 miles round trip but doesn’t say where its measurement starts, so use the longer parking-area total to plan. I’d save this for a day when you want the walk itself, not just a quick lake stop.

The route climbs to a view above Butte Lake, drops toward Butte Creek, then follows the far side around the lake. At the fork for Snag Lake, take the Widow Lake branch. A stream, meadow and boulder field mark the final approach, followed by a short steeper climb to flatter ground beside the water. Turn around at Widow Lake and retrace the same route; the longer routes toward Snag Lake continue beyond the junction and aren’t part of this hike.

Start at the Butte Lake parking/day-use area. The access road closes in winter. No drinking-water source or food stop was confirmed at the trailhead or on the route, so carry what you need for the full walk. The trail crosses fire-affected forest; the National Park Service warns that standing dead trees can fall without warning. Pets aren’t allowed on park trails or in lakes.