10 Fascinating Volcano Trails

Some trips with you Winds past waterfalls Or wander among the wildflowers, but if you want explosive drama, there’s nothing like walking on a trail volcano. In these wild places, molten rock rose and steam split the earth, violently repainting the landscape. Every step is a reminder that the earth beneath is very much alive.

These fiery landmarks are closer than you might think, as there are trails all over the United States that lead through lava domes, craters, and ash fields that are creative outtakes of the Earth.

Let’s take a look at 10 tracks that track those powers, but remember that some of these molten marvels are just a snooze. It is always important to check current conditions and safety protocols before heading out, as closures and other critical changes can occur overnight.

1. Cerro La Jara Loop // Valles Caldera National Park, New Mexico
2. Kelly at The Britest Staves and Lake Fotul, Hawaii
3. Ubehebe Crater Rim Trail // Death Valley National Park, California
4. Trails in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes // Katmai National Park, Alaska
5. Crater Rim Trail // Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Oregon
6. McLoughlin Mountain Trail // Rogue-Siskiyou River National Forest, Oregon
7. Lava Falls Trail // Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
8. Upper Broken Trail // Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Idaho
9. Monitor Ridge Trail // Mount St. Helens, Washington
10. Bumpass Hell Trail // Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Cerro La Jara Loop // Valles Caldera National Park, New Mexico

Hiking Cerro La Jara is like entering a small exotic land. The name translates to “Rockrose Hill” in Spanish – A A nod to difficult plants That lives here – and you will get a real volcanic trail. This excursion revolves around the rhyolite dome in the middle of Valles Caldera, a giant volcanic bowl formed by a volcanic eruption 1.2 million years ago It was so massive that it left behind a crater 12 miles wide. In 1964, NASA brought Apollo astronauts Here to study the formations, discovering cooled lava may be good training for the barren lunar landscape. The trail is easy 1.5 mile hike Past prairie dog colonies, grasslands and views of other caldera domes. It’s less ‘one small step’, and more ‘a pleasant afternoon walk’.

Kelly at The Britest Staves and Lake Fotul, Hawaii

Few hikes let you walk on an ancient lava lake, but the Kīlauea Iki Trail, a four-mile loop, does just that. In 1959, a spectacular eruption occurred I filled this hole With fountains of molten magma shooting nearly 2,000 feet into the air. Today, the floor has cooled into cracked black rock you can walk across, with steam vents reminding you that the volcano is just at rest, just catching its breath, really. The Kīlauea Iki Trail connects to the longer Crater Rim Trail around Kīlauea’s caldera peak, where a recent eruption occurred October 2025. It’s one of the most active volcanoes on the planet, making closures common, but when conditions are safe, it’s like stepping inside the heart of a pulsating volcano.

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Ubehebe Crater Rim Trail // Death Valley National Park, California

In a desert already famous for its contrasts, the Ubehebe Crater adds another layer of drama to Death Valley. But this half-mile-wide chasm was not carved by wind or water, and owes its construction to steam. Underground magma hit the groundwater here about 2,000 years ago, creating… Phrytic eruption He dug a hole 500 feet deep in the ground, a formation known as A But a volcano. Walking along the 1.5-mile trail offers stunning views down the crater, while the loose ash reminds you of the force it takes to create a hole of this size. Smaller and older craters dot the area, so hiking feels like taking a walk through nature’s demolition derby.

Trails in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes // Katmai National Park, Alaska

In June 1912, Novarupta unleashed the The largest volcanic eruption From the twentieth century — 30 times stronger From Mount St. Helens, where ash plumes rise more than 100,000 feet. The explosion covered the surrounding landscape in hot ash and pumice, beginning a surreal new world for the explorer Robert Griggs It is called the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. Today, a bus ride from Brooks Camp in Katmai connects hikers to the valley’s main trails. Walking across the Plain of Ashes feels eerie in an environment somewhere between ruin and rebirth, where streams cut through soft sediments and fumarole fields, making the valley floor appear raw more than a century later.

Crater Rim Trail // Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Oregon

It extends 20 miles Around the edge of a vast volcanic basin, this hike shows off the stunning sweep of Newberry Volcano, one of the Cascades’ most underrated (and barely asleep) giants. Newberry last erupted about 1,300 years ago, making it a geologically young volcano. It sent out streams of lava that caused it to shine Large obsidian flowwhich hikers can pass today. In addition, the caldera contains two sparkling lakes – Bolina and Est – which make the trail look positively alpine. Ash cones and hot springs dot the landscape, offering a sweeping view of volcanic landmarks almost across the region 1200 square miles. If you don’t have the stamina for a full nine-hour trek, shorter trails allow you to explore fun features like mile-long lava tubes.

McLoughlin Mountain Trail // Rogue-Siskiyou River National Forest, Oregon

Mount McLoughlin isn’t ready to shake anymore, but its cone shape dominates southern Oregon. Although it is dormant, having last erupted tens of thousands of years ago, it is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, which very much poses a future threat. McLoughlin’s summary is: Five mile challenge Which climbs through forests, pumice slopes, and eventually, some chunky lava. It is a classic stratovolcano: a steep, cone-shaped “composite” volcano built of alternating layers of ash and lava flows. From the top, the view offers a panorama of volcanoes that reminds you that the entire Cascade range is built on fire. Some parts didn’t finish breathing fire.

Lava Falls Trail // Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

The Grand Canyon is known more for erosion than volcanic eruption, but it has a volcanic background written on the cliff walls. It plunges from the North Rim into the Colorado River 2.8 miles The Lava Falls Trail winds through layers of volcanic basalt laid down by the Uinkaret volcanic field. Over thousands of years, volcanic eruptions have poured lava into the valley, blocking the river’s advancing path at some points. Hiking this trail gives participants a front-row seat to the layers of black rock stacked against the red canyon walls. Prepare for another uphill climb, but given the array of geological forces here – lava, water, eruption and erosion – the Lava Falls Trail offers one of the most stunning short stints to go to the river’s edge.

Upper Broken Trail // Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Idaho

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to walk on the moon? The aptly named Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve gives those who have dreamed of being an astronaut the next best thing. NASA used the site as Another training ground for the Apollo astronauts in 1969 because the region’s meandering lava flows extended for miles, similar to the appearance of a lunar Earth. Cinder cones crack upward like black teeth, and twisted tree casts mark where molten rock has swallowed entire forests. The Broken Top Loop Trail is a popular and easy trail. 1.8 mile hike They weave through lava fields, around small craters, past lava tubes, and encircle the park’s smallest cinder cone. With the last eruption only about 2,000 years ago, this park features new geological action.

Monitor Ridge Trail // Mount St. Helens, Washington

Little hiking comes with the goal of seeing the bowels of the volcano, but climbing the mountains 4,500 feet over five miles on Mount St. Helens He does. While most of the lava and ash from its notable 1980 eruption went upward, some went sideways when a huge explosion of hot gas, ash and rock erupted sideways. The forest area was two hundred and thirty square miles Flattened Airborne ash was scattered across the seven seas within weeks. The eruption left behind a horseshoe-shaped crater, a dome of lava, and a still-scarred blast zone. Hikers can take the Monitor Ridge Trail through pumice plateaus and ancient lava flows to the edge of this little sleepy beast. From the top, you can look straight into the fiery heart of the volcano, which reminds adventurers that this peak is not a ruin. Mount St. Helens is still active and looking to make some noise.

Bumpass Hell Trail // Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Lassen Peak It last erupted in 1915but the area boils with the promise of powerful lava. Nowhere is this more evident than in Bombas Hill, the largest hydrothermal area in the park, which can be accessed via a Three-mile round-trip trail. The trail passes through bubbling clay pots, fizzy fumaroles, and sulfur-stained earth of various shades. The smell of sulfur like rotten eggs that surrounds hikers is unmistakable, and the constant hiss of steam feels like the ground is trying to warn you. It’s a trip that proves that you don’t need to see lava barreling towards you to know that a volcano is alive.