Seeing Medicine Lake Volcano from a plane4 ★
By volume the largest volcano in the Cascades, a broad shield so gentle it barely looks like a mountain. Look for Glass Mountain's obsidian flow and the lava tubes of Lava Beds National Monument to the north.
8 of our routes pass it. California · rated 4 of 10
The easy pick
Portland to Sacramento: sit on the left, 40 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas to Eugene | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | 61 min after takeoff |
| Phoenix to Eugene | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | 98 min after takeoff |
| Portland to Burbank | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 40 min after takeoff |
| Portland to San Luis Obispo | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 40 min after takeoff |
| Portland to Sacramento | Left | 40 min after takeoff |
| San Diego to Eugene | Right | 72 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to San Luis Obispo | Right | 52 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Sacramento | Left | 56 min after takeoff |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day. Where the best seat for the whole flight is on the other side, you'd trade this sight for more elsewhere.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Medicine Lake Volcano from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (4 of 8). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Medicine Lake Volcano from a plane?
Mid-flight: see the table for when on each route.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
Mount Shasta Goose Lake Mount McLoughlin Gearhart Mountain Lassen Peak Las Vegas (LAS) Phoenix (PHX) Portland (PDX) Sacramento (SMF) All routes