Where Can I Climb A Volcano?
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USGS Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Where Can I Climb A Volcano?

Answer:

Climb A Volcano -
"Family Fun - Picnic at the Top"


Stand at the VERY TOP of a VOLCANO ... bring a lunch and relax and enjoy the view ... whether by foot or by car ... here are a few spots in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, and New Mexico where the entrie family can can "Climb a Volcano and Picnic at the Top" !!!!!!!!!!!

Arizona
  • Sunset Crater
    Sunset Crater Volcano is closed to climbing and hiking. However, other cinder cones in the area may be climbed.

California
  • Black Point, Mono Lake
    The hike to the top of Black Point is not an easy one; consider this an exploration, an adventure! There are no trails or signs to show you where to go. You will be walking through the cinders and ash of the volcano and sometimes progress will be difficult. If you persevere, your discovery of the fissures will seem even more spectacular because their remoteness.

  • Lassen Peak
    A "well-graded" climb of 2,000 feet in 2 and 1/2 miles. Hike at a moderate pace, and take short, frequent rests. Enjoy the ever-changing view! Mount Shasta, 14,161-foot elevation looms seventy-five miles to the northwest.

  • Schonchin Butte, Lava Beds National Monument
    Cinder cones are easily eroded so please stay on the established trails and don't take shortcuts. Frothy lava, cooled in the air, created the large cinder cones throughout the monument. Schonchin Butte's .75 mile trail leads you to a panoramic view from the historic fire lookout. The lookout is staffed from June to September. Children of all ages can earn a Junior Fire Lookout badge.

New Mexico
  • Capulin Mountain
    Have you ever wanted to walk into a volcano? Well, Capulin Volcano is one of the few places in the world where you can do that. A 2-mile road spirals to the summit, ending at a parking area, where two self-guiding trails begin.

Oregon
  • Mount Bachelor
    Near Bend, Oregon
    Ride the Sunrise Lift to mid-mountain, walk over to the Summit Lift, and ride it to the top

  • Brown Mountain
    Between Medford and Klamath Falls
    A scramble over fresh talus. View the south flanks of Mount McLoughlin.

  • Crater Lake
    The 33-mile Rim Drive encirles Crater Lake, with each mile giving a different perspecitve of the lake, rim, and surrounding terrain.

  • Larch Mountain
    Boring Lava shield volcano (4,056 feet), near Portland, Oregon

  • Lava Butte
    Near Bend, Oregon
    In the 1930's the USFS designated Lava Butte as a lookout point and built a spiral road to the top. A 1/4-mile trail circles the crater. This trail offers spectacular views of the Cascade Mountain Range and Deschutes Plateau. A grand vista of volcanic country.

  • Mount McLoughlin
    Between Medford and Klamath Falls
    A "moderately-steep" trail.

  • Newberry Caldera
    20 miles southeast of Bend, Oregon
    From its junction with Road 21 within Newberry Crater, the Paulina Peak road is 4.1 miles long. On a clear day, you can see into Washington and California, and view almost the entire High Cascade Range in Oregon.

  • Pelican Butte
    Between Medford and Klamath Falls
    A "reasonably well-maintained" gravel road leads to the top. It offers a 180-degree panorama of Cascade Peaks from just south of Crater Lake past Mount McLoughlin and onto the volcanoes in the Mountain Lakes Wilderness.

  • Pilot Butte
    At the east city limits of Bend, Oregon
    A spiral road to the top. Pilot Butte is a cinder cone at the east city limits at Bend. Visible from its easily accessible top are the snow peaks of the Cascade Range (listed from the north): Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, Three-Fingered Jack, Mount Washington, North Sister, Middle Sister, South Sister, Broken Top, and Mount Bachelor Ski Resort Area.

  • Powell Butte
    Boring Lava cone, near Portland, Oregon

  • Rocky Butte
    Boring Lava cone, near Portland, Oregon

  • Mount Tabor
    Boring lava cone, near Portland, Oregon
    Miles of trails and roadways wind through tall trees and well-maintained landscape, and most lead to the top, a trip rewarded by breathtaking views of downtown Portland and the West Hills from one side, Mount Hood and the outer Eastside from the other.

  • Mount Thielsen
    Southern Oregon Cascades
    The trail is a steep climb, particularly above timberline beyond which there are no markers. The last 200 feet is a difficult hand-over-hand climb. The view of the east and west sides of the Cascades, from the Sisters to Mount Shasta, is incredible.

Washington State
  • Battle Ground Lake
    North of Vancouver, Washington, approximately 45 minutes from Portland, Oregon
    10 miles of hiking trails, 10 miles of bike trails, and 5 miles of horse trails. The lake's origin is volcanic, and is believed to have been formed as a "Maar" volcano. This type of volcano is the result of hot lava or magma pushing up near the surface of the earth and then coming into contact with underground water. This is thought to have resulted in a large steam explosion, leaving a crater that later formed a lake.

  • Beacon Rock
    35 miles east of Vancouver, Washington
    An easy one-mile trail to the top. Fantastic view of the Columbia River.

  • Mount St. Helens
    50 miles from Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington
    Most climbers complete the round trip in 7 to 12 hours. A climbing permit is required. At 8,365 feet, the rim of Mount St. Helens provides outstanding views of the crater, lava dome, blast area, and surrounding volcanic peaks.

Source of this FAQ:
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/ClimbVolcano/framework.html

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