Chaos Crags Trail

Overview

The Chaos Crags Trail trailhead is marked by a small sign, at a small parking area, on the left (east) side of the road to Manzanita Lake Campground, about a tenth of a mile after turning off the main road, CA89/44.<br><br>The Chaos Crags Trail starts off in a meadow dotted with fir trees. Almost immediately, the trail leaves the meadow and enters a beautiful old growth fir forest. It follows Manzanita Creek for about the first .4 miles, climbing gradually. The roar of the creek can be heard to the right, but the creek can not be seen, as it is down a steep embankment. <br><br>About .4 miles from its trailhead, Chaos Crags Trail veers left and leaves Manzanita Creek behind. It descends slightly, crosses a stream that flows into Manzanita Creek, and then climbs gradually again, as it continues through the fir forest. There are areas that have seen fires and avalanches, as well as untouched areas as the trail travels through the fir forest.<br><br>The trees become sparser and Chaos Crags comes into view ahead, as the Chaos Crags Trail reaches the Chaos Jumbles about a mile from its trailhead. Chaos Crags is a cluster of six dome volcanoes that last erupted about 1,000 years ago. The Chaos Jumbles are a huge barren rocky area. Trees were covered and all the rocks were deposited by a huge rock avalanche that broke loose off Chaos Crags about 350 years ago. <br><br>The trees thin and there is a lot of manzanita in the ground cover, as the trail goes along the edge of the Chaos Jumbles for almost a mile. There are great views to the left (north) of the trail. Especially interesting is nearby Table Mountain, a long mountain with heavily forested upper slopes. Table Mountain's lower slopes can be seen and are covered by a thinner forest, the Dwarf Forest. The Dwarf Forest is a rejuvenating forest in a very rocky area that was also covered by the rock avalanche that created Chaos Jumbles, and covered the original forest on the lower slopes of Table Mountain.<br><br>Chaos Crags Trail reaches its high point on the rock

Trail Stats

Photos

There is a lot of fire damage in the forest ('17), yet there is still beauty in it, such as all the woody fungus growths on the charred timber.

There is a lot of fire damage in the forest ('17), yet there is still beauty in it, such as all the woody fungus growths on the charred timber.

This is the Crags Lake shoreline in Chaos Crater of the Chaos Crags – a cluster of six dome volcanoes.

This is the Crags Lake shoreline in Chaos Crater of the Chaos Crags – a cluster of six dome volcanoes.

A huge, beautiful old-growth fir grows along the Chaos Crags Trail.

A huge, beautiful old-growth fir grows along the Chaos Crags Trail.

The densely forested upper Table Mountain is contrasted by the rocky, sparsely forested lower areas, as seen from the rocky Chaos Jumbles. A rock avalanche from Chaos Crags left rocks all the way to lower Table Mountain.

The densely forested upper Table Mountain is contrasted by the rocky, sparsely forested lower areas, as seen from the rocky Chaos Jumbles. A rock avalanche from Chaos Crags left rocks all the way to lower Table Mountain.

The light is perfect if you head out in the early morning on Chaos Crags Trail.

The light is perfect if you head out in the early morning on Chaos Crags Trail.

This view is looking down at Crags Lake from the rim of Chaos Crater – one of six volcanoes at Chaos Crags.

This view is looking down at Crags Lake from the rim of Chaos Crater – one of six volcanoes at Chaos Crags.

View of Chaos Crags from the shore of Crags Lake.

View of Chaos Crags from the shore of Crags Lake.

This is Chaos Crags. A rockslide (dust cloud in upper center) is coming down. Chaos Crags is a cluster of six dome volcanoes that last erupted about 1,000 years ago.

This is Chaos Crags. A rockslide (dust cloud in upper center) is coming down. Chaos Crags is a cluster of six dome volcanoes that last erupted about 1,000 years ago.

Enjoy this view on the approach to Chaos Crags – a cluster of six volcanoes that last erupted about 1,000 years ago.

Enjoy this view on the approach to Chaos Crags – a cluster of six volcanoes that last erupted about 1,000 years ago.

Tags