Subway Cave Interpretive Trail
California
Free — you'll pick up right here.
1.1 mi
Distance
11 ft
Gain
No verdict for this trail
We won't guess. Here is exactly what we do and don't know.
What we do know
Inside Lassen National Forest
2 managing-area boundaries mapped — agency alerts for them feed this page automatically.
Boundary data
What's missing
No access route mapped
We don't yet know which road reaches this trailhead, so we can't tell you if it's gated.
Nobody's filed a report here yet — be the first.
Why you'll love it
Here's your day, mapped
Subway Cave Interpretive Trail
Suggested plan · check conditions before you go
Meals
Gear for the day
Elevation & route
- Distance
- 1.1 mi
- Elevation gain
- 11 ft
- Highest point
- 4,358 ft
- Lowest point
- 4,334 ft
Photos
Directions & GPX
Permits & access
- Managing agency
- Forest Service
- Bikes
- Allowed
- Surface
- Natural
- Accessibility
- Not an accessible trail (Forest Service accessibility status)
Source for bikes, surface, accessibility: USDA Forest Service National Forest System Trails (EDW)
About this trail
Subway Cave Interpretive Trail is a short out-and-back hike in California covering 1.09 miles with 18 feet of elevation gain. The trail follows a straightforward path to Subway Cave, offering an accessible interpretive experience.
Facts about this trail
The climb
- High point
- 4,358 ft
- Total climbing
- 11 ft
- Length
- 1.1 mi
- Shape
- Loop
Source: Roamze elevation profile and trail geometry (DEM samples along the mapped route)
When to go
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Manzanita Lake, CA weather station, 13 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan41° high22° low
- Feb42° high22° low
- Mar46° high24° low
- Apr50° high27° low
- May61° high35° low
- Jun70° high41° low
- Jul79° high46° low
- Aug78° high45° low
- Sep72° high41° low
- Oct59° high33° low
- Nov47° high26° low
- Dec39° high22° low
The station sits about 1,400 ft higher than this spot, so expect it to run a little warmer here.
Where it is
- Hat Creek Ranger District · Ranger district
- Lassen National Forest · National forest
- Nearest town
- Old Station, California · 0.9 mi
- Managed by
- Forest Service
Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS PAD-US 4.1; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Lassen National Forest as of Oct 10, 2026:
SAFETY ALERT - South Antelope Bridge out, Do Not Cross
critical · posted Aug 24, 2026
critical · posted Aug 24, 2026
Lassen National Forest Camping Restrictions
information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Lake Almanor Area Camping Restriction
information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Lake Almanor Recreational Trail Restriction
information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: USFS forest alerts
Nearby
- Cave CampgroundCamping0.2 mi
- PARHAM'S POINT TRAILHiking1.5 mi
- Spattercone Crest TrailHiking1.7 mi
- Hat CreekCamping1.8 mi
- Potato Butte 6Hiking2.2 mi
- Plum ValleyRock climbing2.7 mi
- RockyCamping2.9 mi
- Hat Creek Fisherman's TrailHiking3.2 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Add to a trip & share
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
PARHAM'S POINT TRAIL
~3 min drive
16.36-mile out-and-back trail in California with 2,898 ft elevation gain and loss.
Hat Creek Fisherman's Trail
~5 min drive
8.03-mile out-and-back trail in California with 590 ft gain.
Cinder Cone Trail
~18 min drive
Start: Butte Lake parking area Round-Trip Distance to Base: 2.4 miles Round Trip Distance to Summit: 4 miles Round-Trip Time: 3 hours Elevation Change: 846 ft Elevation: 6,061 - 6,907 feet Trail Surface: Cinders (similar to course sand) Season: Approximately June through…
Butte Lake Trail
~18 min drive
4.5-mile out-and-back hike in California with 2,164 ft elevation gain and loss.
Photo: theforestprimeval, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Cypress
~18 min drive
22.3-mile out-and-back trail in California with 3,217 ft gain
BIG LAKE
~20 min drive
16.16-mile out-and-back trail in California with 2,520 ft elevation gain
Butte Lake To Snag Lake Trail
~20 min drive
17.56-mile out-and-back hike in California with 2,255 ft elevation gain and loss.
Bathtub Lake Trail
~18 min drive
2.66-mile out-and-back trail in California with 661 ft elevation gain.
NORTH BATTLE CREEK
~20 min drive
6.44-mile out-and-back trail in California with 1,180 ft elevation gain and loss.
Sunflower Flat
~18 min drive
A commemorative plaque marks the Nobles Emigrant Trail which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Twenty-four miles of the 300-mile-long wagon route skirt through the northern edge of the park. Most of the original route in the park remains intact…