Established as a national park in 1916, Lassen Volcanic lives up to the "Volcanic" part of its name with ease: this is one of the few areas in the world where visitors all four of the primary types of volcano: plug dome, cinder cone, shield, and stratovolcano.

Bautiful and austere, this symmetrical summit rises in the northeastern part of the park, accessed via a trail from Butte Lake. It's a bit of a slog up the trail made of loose rock, but the views from the peak are tremendous. Multiple craters nest within one another at the summit, and the path around the rim offers 360º paroramas of the surrounding landscape.

Spreading from the base of the Cinder Cone, these vast lava flows separate Butte Lake from Snag Lake in the park's northeastern corner. The jumbles of basalt are impressive, but the grandest geologic display here is found on the flow's edges where the multihued ash of the Painted Dunes adds splashes of orange and red to the volcanic landscape.

Lassen is home to numerous hydrothermal areas, and Sulphur Works is the easiest to get to. In fact, the park road cuts right through this collection of mudpots and steam vents, and paved walkways provide great viewing opportunities.

Lassen's largest hydrothermal area is only accessible in summer and fall when the snows have melted out. A moderate, 3-mile roundtrip hike leads to boardwalks that venture into the heart of the area where steam vents and hot springs bubble and hiss. The activity here hints at the ongoing volcanism in the area.

One of the most challenging trails in the park will lead you to the summit of Brokeoff Mountain where you can gaze across the remnants of a much larger volcano. Brokeoff Mountain is a remnant shoulder of the former Mt Tehama, a major volcanic summit that was active here over 400,000 years ago.

The centerpiece of the park, Lassen Peak is the southernmost volcano in the Cascade Range. Its most recent eruptive period was 1914 to 1921, during which it sent multiple plumes of ash and gas into the skies above northern California. The mountain is quiet today, and intrepid hikers can undertake the 5-mile roundtrip hike to the summit for grand views of the entire park.

Tucked just inside the park's northwest entrance, Manzanita Lake is the first stop for many visitors as they head out on the loop road. Take a quiet walk through the forest on the trail that encircles the lake and look for good views of Lassen Peak reflected in the water on calm, windless days.