Iceberg Lake, Chain Lakes Loop, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, September 2025 Traversing the highlands between two volcanic behemoths—Mount Baker (10,781’) and Mount Shuksan (9,131’)—the Chain Lakes Loop is a premier day hike in the northern Cascades of Washington’s Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. There are few dull moments, with open views of the two peaks and …
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Strenuous climb up Lassen Peak Trail to the summit of a recently active volcano with 360-degree panoramic views.
Five-mile stem-and-loop trek to remote Drake Lake in the Warner Valley area of Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Devil's Kitchen is Lassen's second-largest geothermal area and a thoroughly smelly experience in the park's Warner Valley area.
Moderate hike on the Pacific Crest Trail from Warner Valley to Terminal Geyser, Little Willow Lake, and Boiling Springs Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Sandwiched between two precipitous peaks, the Sun Notch Trail is a short and scenic circuit hike in Oregon’s Crater Lake National Park that features five fine views of Crater Lake in quick succession. From the caldera rim, situated atop a cliff that drops more than 1,000 feet, hikers can see Wizard Island, the Phantom Ship, …
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Oregon’s Crater Lake, America’s deepest lake, is also arguably its bluest. Fed entirely by rain water and snowmelt, this natural wonder and centerpiece of Crater Lake National Park was formed after the explosion of an ancient volcano—Mount Mazama—about 7,700 years ago. Volcanic features dot the landscape around the lake, including the Pinnacles, a set of …
Plunging 129 feet over a moss-laden cliff, Burney Falls is arguably California’s most impressive waterfall north of Yosemite—so beautiful and picturesque that President Teddy Roosevelt reportedly dubbed it the “eighth wonder of the world.” The falls are now the centerpiece of 910-acre McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park—11 miles north of Burney, California—and can be accessed …
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The alluring McCloud Falls is a must-see destination along northern California’s Route 89, also known as the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway. Situated 20 miles east of the town of Mount Shasta, McCloud Falls includes three tumbles along the McCloud River, each separated by a short hike or drive. Lower Falls, a short walk from a …
California Route 89—also known as the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway or Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway—spends nearly 30 miles weaving through Lassen Volcanic National Park. In addition to circling the park’s namesake (Lassen Peak, 10, 457’), this scenic drive connects low-lying lakes with high-altitude meadows and geothermal features and provides access to more than a …
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