Every Trail Tells a Story
Schonchin Butte Trail
Short, steep climb with one of the most expansive views in northeastern California.
Stand beside a working fire lookout, living history from the CCC era.
Watch the landscape glow at sunrise or sunset – lava flows, Mount Shasta, and Tule Lake all in one sweep.
The summit, capped by a historic fire lookout, gives you a chance to see the monument laid out in all its volcanic splendor – cinder cones, lava flows, sagebrush flats, and in the far distance, mighty Mount Shasta. Sunrise and sunset are particularly magical here, when light and shadow paint the cinder cone and surrounding lava country in shifting colors.
The butte takes its name from Schonchin John, second in command to Captain Jack during the Modoc War of 1872-73. Schonchin and his band resisted removal to the Klamath Reservation alongside Captain Jack, and his name lives on in the monument’s maps. Like Captain Jack’s Stronghold, Schonchin Butte carries a story that ties the Modoc homeland to the rugged volcanic terrain that helped them resist overwhelming odds.
Perched on the summit is the Schonchin Butte Fire Lookout, built in 1939 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The sturdy tower remains in use today, part of a network of lookouts scanning northern California for wildfires. During fire season, staff are often stationed here, and if they’re not too busy, they sometimes welcome visitors up for a closer look. Even from the base of the tower, though, you’ll find locator maps that help interpret the near and far landscapes – an excellent tool for identifying the surrounding buttes, flows, and landmarks.
From this vantage point you can trace the Schonchin Lava Flow stretching northeast, pick out the jagged edge of the Callahan Lava Flow, and follow the ridgeline of the Medicine Lake Highlands. On a clear day, you’ll see far beyond the monument: Mount Shasta rising snowcapped to the west, the Warner Mountains to the east, and the broad shimmer of Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge to the north, where millions of migratory birds gather. Few spots in northern California combine history, geology, and scenery so well in one short climb.
From the Lava Beds Visitor Center, drive 2.5 miles north on the main park road. Turn right at the signed turnoff for Schonchin Butte and continue one mile on a graded dirt road to the trailhead. The road is usually passable for passenger cars, though washboarding and dust are common in summer.
The trail begins at the base of the cinder cone, where there’s little mystery about your destination – the summit looms directly ahead. The path wastes no time in gaining elevation, zigzagging up long, steady switchbacks across a slope cloaked in sagebrush and dotted with juniper.
The climb is just under a mile, but with 600 feet of gain, it’s enough to get your heart pumping. Happily, benches are strategically placed along the way, perfect for catching your breath while admiring the expanding views. Early in the hike, you may glimpse Tule Lake spreading northward; higher up, Mount Shasta begins to dominate the horizon.
At the top, the payoff is immediate. The mile-high summit opens to a sweeping panorama of lava country, one of the finest viewpoints in the entire monument. Whether you come for sunrise, when the land glows pink and gold, or for sunset, when the shadows stretch long across the lava, Schonchin Butte is a place to linger.