This was a great overnight hike to Snag Lake. Start at the Butte Lake Campground which is down a well-marked dirt road about 6 miles from Highway 44. For overnight hikes, you'll need to obtain a back country permit which is free and available by simply filling out the forms available in a drop box at the ranger station. If you follow the loop counter clockwise, there is a brochure available at the trailhead for $.50 that details the geological features along the way (the same info is available on the trail markers along the way).
I followed trail around counter clockwise, and was surprised to find the first 5 miles of the 7 mile trail to grassy creek was all ground lava bed and was comparable to hiking 5 miles on a sandy beach. The trail itself was not terribly difficult but the sand + altitude wore me out. Grassy Creek at the south end of Snag Lake was the perfect place to set up camp, and so thought about 3 other groups when I was there. Mid July, there was not much of a creek left, but by looking at Google Maps, it fills in very high in other seasons. The hike up Cinder Cone was very steep at a pitch of about 35 degrees at some points, but is not too long and well worth it for views of the painted dunes and the Fantastic Lava Beds (marked on the map below).
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 14 miles round trip
KML file:
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Lassen National Park Trail Maps:
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View Snag Lake in a larger map
