Prospect Peak

Prospect Peak starts deceptively mellow — a forested path that lulls you into thinking this will be a casual stroll. That illusion fades as the trail breaks out of tree cover and begins its relentless push toward the summit of this shield volcano. Much of the route is sun-exposed, and you'll pass through stretches scarred by the 2021 Dixie Fire, where blackened snags stand like sentinels against the sky. The footing is mostly packed volcanic soil with loose cinder near the top. At the summit, you're rewarded with a panoramic sweep that includes Lassen Peak, the Caribou Wilderness, and on clear days, Mount Shasta floating on the northern horizon. The crater at the top is a quiet reminder you're standing on a volcano. This one is built for hikers who earn their views and don't mind a little post-fire landscape grit.