Lassen Peak is a dome volcano, the southernmost in the
Cascade range. Together with Mount Shasta which lies to the north, Lassen
Peak (also known as Mount Lassen) shapes the skyline of inland Northern
California. It has last erupted in 1914-1915 followed by some minor
volcanic activity in 1921. It was officially declared asleep in 1921.
The trail to the top is 5 miles round trip but despite the short distance
the elevation gain of about 2000 feet makes this hike to be rated as
moderate to strenous in difficulty. The trail starts from the park road
(there is a parking lot at the start of the trail). At first the path
winds through wooded area but pretty quick the vegetation is gone and
you're left to enduring the strong winds blowing from the west. It's a good
idea to bring a jacket. The trail is quite popular when conditions allow.
A round trip takes between 2 and 4 hours.
