Great views and Tyler and Eddie's Favorite cache nearby make this a rewarding hike. Terrain is steep and you need good hiking shoes.
From Highway 20 take Bruner Drive at:
39º 02.592 122º 46.522.
Drive up to the two water storage tanks and hike from there.
WARNING: This is rattlesnake country. Be sure to make noise as you walk and poke around with a stick as you search. Don’t reach into places you can’t see into and don’t get your face into places where you could be bitten without first poking around with the above-mentioned stick. Not a good idea to walk forward or backward without checking the ground around you.
Across the lake Mt. Konocti stands tall over the northern end of the Sonoma volcanic field. Molten lava currently lies relatively near the surface in this little understood volcanic region.
Considered an active volcano by some geologists, Mt. Konocti (Con-oct-eye) last erupted a few thousand years ago. One such eruption blew a gaping hole in the side of the mountain that is visible from this spot. That large peninsula you see in the lake is material that used to be the side of the mountain.
Although it might appear to have been a Mt. St. Helens type eruption it was actually caused by accumulated ground water seeping too close to the shallow molten rock. The water flashed to steam and had no outlet for the tremendous buildup of pressure. The resultant bowl-like crater appears to be a nice collector of water that could assist in repeating the process. Hopefully, there are adequate steam vents to prevent a new disaster. Today we find a nice golf course in that crater along with residential development that extends up the side of the mountain. It might never erupt again, or then again... would you invest in a home located on a volcano?
Clear Lake is anything but clear. We used to stop to swim along the Highway 20 frontage, however, the algae has all but taken over this side of the lake. Average lake depth is 35’ with a few areas reaching 50’ to 65’. One of California’s oldest lakes, it will very gradually fill in to become a large marsh and eventually a broad valley.
Need Cache - Will Travel