Hiking the Prospect Peak Trail in Lassen Volcanic National Park
Distance: 7.4 miles / 11.9 km
Elevation Gain: 2,230 ft. (680 m)
The Prospect Peak Trail in Lassen Volcanic National Park is a beautiful day hike out of the Butte Lake Ranger District that winds its way up the gradual east slopes of Prospect Peak to one of the park’s lesser-known volcanic summits.
That said, those interested in venturing out on this seldom-trafficked trail are rewarded with panoramic views above the vast forests that stretch across northern California, with the best views looking west toward Lassen Peak!
This is what makes the Prospect Peak Trail one of the better sunrise adventures in Lassen Volcanic National Park, as the sun rising to the east glows on Lassen Peak to the west before any other surrounding summit.
However, the long 3.7-mile (6.0 km) one-way hike up in the dark is usually less appealing to most visitors than the much shorter hike up the adjacent Cinder Cone Trail.
This is why the Cinder Cone Trail is often hiked before the Prospect Peak Trail when the two are combined into one longer adventure—not to mention, this is also how I recommend combining them if it’s your first time, as the Cinder Cone Trail is best hiked for sunrise in order to catch the early morning light on the Painted Dunes!
Prospect Peak Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Prospect Peak Trail is located in one of two places near the Butte Lake Ranger Station.
First, there is a very small parking area just outside the trailhead for both Prospect Peak and the Cinder Cone, but if the closest area is full, hikers can park in the larger lot that serves both Butte Lake and the Bathtub Lake Trail.
Before arriving, be aware that entrance fees are required to park and hike the Cinder Cone Trail, even though Butte Lake Road does not pass a National Park entrance booth. For this reason, it’s important to leave your entrance receipt or federal recreation pass visible in your vehicle before setting off—or, you risk receiving a citation upon return.
Google Maps Directions: Prospect Peak Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Lassen Volcanic
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
That said, bear spray is purposefully excluded from this list because, while the park is home to Black Bears, bear spray is not allowed in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Hiking the Prospect Peak Trail
The Prospect Peak Trail begins at the joint trailhead that serves both the Cinder Cone and Prospect Peak, as well as other backcountry destinations like Snag Lake, where hikers often camp overnight.
In total, the Prospect Peak Trail only follows the Cinder Cone Trail for the first 0.4 miles (0.6 km).
For the most part, the beginning section on the Cinder Cone Trail follows a fairly flat path, which will only start to become steeper on the long ascent up Prospect Peak.
Fantastic Lava Beds
The Fantastic Lava Beds is this ʻAʻā lava flow that parallels much of the hike to the Cinder Cone on the left-hand side of the trail.
That said, I recommend checking out the Cinder Cone and Butte Lake area on Google Satellite, because the direction of flow can clearly be seen coming out of the Cinder Cone toward both Butte and Snag Lake from above.
Prospect Peak-Cinder Cone Junction
After 0.4 miles (0.6 km), the Prospect Peak Trail splits away from the trail that continues to the Cinder Cone.
Once here, go right at this split to begin hiking up Prospect Peak.
Read My Separate Post: Cinder Cone Trail
After the Cinder Cone junction, the lowest elevations of the hike start off fairly easy, with the trail gradually getting steeper as it approaches the flat summit atop Prospect Peak.
From the trailhead to the true summit—yes, there is a lesser-known summit that is higher than the end of the trail—the Prospect Peak Trail gains roughly 2,230 ft. (680 m) over 3.7 miles (6.0 km).
However, the elevation gain isn’t all that steep over this distance, and it can make for a nice trail run, both up and down, for those who are interested.
Some hikers may want to carry trekking poles on the Prospect Peak Trail.
I say this because once the trail starts climbing above the flat beginning sections, there are very few stretches where the hike truly levels out.
In addition to poles, a hooded sun shirt can really come in handy when hiking in Lassen Volcanic—especially when both the Cinder Cone Trail and Prospect Peak are combined into one long day hike.
The fire scars that can be seen on the trees throughout the lower elevations of the Prospect Peak Trail are from the 2021 Dixie Fire that tore through much of Lassen Volcanic National Park, though the Butte Lake District was largely spared from the most devastating impacts compared to other areas, like Warner Valley to the south.
This hole is one of many left behind from the efforts to contain the 2021 Dixie Fire.
When I crossed the fire line on this hike in the summer of 2025, about halfway up Prospect Peak, the ground cover became much more prevalent, which, for the most part, made the trail easier to follow.
At this inconspicuous section, go left to stay on the Prospect Peak Trail.
Once again, I think it’s important to stress that the tree canopy on the Prospect Peak Trail does not provide much shade, which is I strongly recommend hiking in a hooded sun shirt to stay safe.
These trail markers on the trees may be necessary during the late spring and fall, when there is snow covering parts of the Prospect Peak Trail.
That said, this may also mean that micro-spikes are necessary to hike the trail safely, but I recommend reading reviews before visiting during these off-season months to know for sure.
This abrupt turn to the west marks the point where the Prospect Peak Trail begins heading toward the two switchbacks just below the summit, and it’s a nice sign that there are only 0.9 miles (1.4 km) left before reaching the top of Prospect Peak!
These final two switchbacks ascend the steepest parts of the Prospect Peak Trail, but in reality, they are not all that different from the rest of the hike up to this point.
This is the first of the two switchbacks below Prospect Peak.
When the Prospect Peak Trail switches back for the second time, the summit is only 0.5 miles (0.8 km) away from this point.
This is where Lassen Peak starts to become visible through the trees for the first time!
Prospect Peak-True Prospect Peak Summit Junction
Right as the Prospect Peak Trail begins to level out, it passes a very inconspicuous junction that leads toward the true summit on the right-hand side.
However, the much more obvious Prospect Peak Trail continues straight, and most hikers miss standing on the true summit because this split is not very obvious.
That said, I chose to continue straight toward the end of the trail first, returning at the end to hike up to the true summit.
Prospect Peak
This is the end of the Prospect Peak Trail, where the summit marker can be found, along with beautiful views looking north toward Mt. Shasta.
However, this area is not the true summit, as it is about 5–10 ft. (1.5–3.0 m) lower than the actual summit mentioned previously.
Prospect Peak-True Prospect Peak Summit Junction
To hike to the true summit of Prospect Peak, go right when hiking up, as shown in the first photo, or left on the way back down, as shown in the second photo.
True Prospect Peak
This is the true summit of Prospect Peak, which, according to the National Park Service, stands at about 8,338 ft. (2,541 m), or about 2,119 ft. (646 m) below the summit of Lassen Peak.
