Broken Top Loop & Buffalo Caves
Broken Top Loop Trail
A loop trail encircling the Broken Top cinder cone, passing Buffalo Cave and a variety of lava landforms. With few visitors, it offers a full sense of the volcanic landscape.
The loop is about 2.9 km long and circles the Broken Top cinder cone. Along the way you'll see layers of cinder, collapsed lava tube trenches and pressure ridges. Buffalo Cave, midway along the route, is a small lava cave (a permit and headlamp are required). The terrain is gently rolling, and the walk takes about 1.5 hours. There's no shade or water along the route. Start from the Broken Top parking area at the southern end of the loop, and combine the hike with the Tree Molds Trail.
Opening hours
All day while the road is open
Nearby sights
- Indian Tunnel
- Tree Molds Trail
- Inferno Cone
- Cave Area (Beauty, Boy Scout & Dewdrop Caves)
- Spatter Cones & Big Craters
- Devils Orchard
- North Crater Trail
- North Crater Flow Trail