Cinders

Cinders Trail is part of the Old Caves Trail System.

From the trailhead, Old Caves Crater Trail takes you through volcanic cinder fields and Ponderosa Pines to the base of an extinct cinder cone volcano. As you climb Old Caves Crater the vegetation changes to a mix of mostly pinion and juniper trees with a few ponderosas.

The trail heads towards the base of the cinder cone, then travels up the side where you'll encounter switchbacks before it turns towards the interior of the crater and up to the rim. At the top of the rim, the trail splits. Head off to the right to go to the "old caves" and off to the left to go to the summit. From there, the trail goes down the other side of the crater rim and comes back out near the trail system in the flats where you can get back to the trailhead.

There is another trail (Crater Loop Trail) which loops completely around the base of the volcano, then through a tree covered cinder field and on back to the trailhead.

Cinders Trail Statistics:

• Difficulty: Easy
• Length: 0.61 miles
• Trailhead Elevation: 6677 feet
• Elevation Gain/Loss: 95 feet
• Use: All non-motorized