The Cinder Cone Trail in Lassen Volcanic National Park might be the most surreal hike I've taken in California. The destination is a perfectly symmetrical 350-year-old volcano you can climb up and walk into, with red volcanic dunes and jagged lava beds spread out below. There are flowers and trees growing out of bare gravel, a forest with no understory, and a crater you can stand inside. Here's what I noticed.

Lassen Volcanic National Park is one of the lesser-visited national parks in California, yet it is by no means less beautiful or interesting. In this article, I will share my experience and best tips for hiking from Cold Boiling Lake to Bumpass Hell, where one encounters the awe-inspiring scenery of wildflower meadows, tiny streams, and turquoise lakes, all leading to the largest hydrothermal area in Lassen Volcanic National Park.