Juniper Lake, Cinder Cone and Red Cinders Loop

This is a roughly 22.3-mile loop from the Juniper Lake access, linking Juniper, Horseshoe and Snag Lakes with the Cinder Cone and Butte Lake area, then returning by the Red Cinder Cone side. It is a hard, remote, full-day hike; allow about 11 hours. The stored line measures 22.33 miles, while another published listing gives 22.8, so use an offline route map and expect more than 22 miles. The route joins individually named trails rather than following one single signed path.

Published climbing estimates range from about 3,400 to 3,700 feet. You cross high, remote terrain and loose cinders, so the mileage and footing make this a strenuous outing even without a single dominant climb. Carry food and all the water you expect to need. Juniper Lake has no drinking water or cell service; water at Butte Lake is seasonal, so do not plan around a refill. Download your route and check the junctions before leaving the Juniper Lake Day Use Area.

The circuit moves between lake and forest sections before reaching the volcanic terrain. Its written directions name Horseshoe Lake, Juniper Lake, Snag Lake Loop, Cinder Cone, Butte Lake, Red Cinder Cone Loop and the Juniper-to-Snag connector. Signs may identify these component trails rather than the whole circuit. The full-loop line is not an official park-published route, and its mileage varies between listings; treat the stored line as the best-supported version, not a guarantee that every junction is signed as one loop.

The standout stretch is the steep Cinder Cone climb over loose, sand-like cinders. From the cone, the route reaches its crater rim and opens views across the Painted Dunes and Fantastic Lava Beds, with Lassen and Prospect Peaks and Snag Lake in the wider panorama. Stay on the established tread on the colored dunes; walking across them scars the fragile surface. If a 22-mile day is too much, the separate Cinder Cone hike from Butte Lake is about four miles round trip to the summit.

Cinder Cone and its neighboring lava flows are volcanic features. A portion of the cone trail also follows the Nobles Emigrant Trail, part of the California National Historic Trail. The park’s numbered interpretive stops add context on the cone and the emigrant route; this is a worthwhile break on a route otherwise defined by distance and terrain.