Crater Lake – National Park in Oregon
Crater Lake National Park is one of the most remote and beautiful places in the temperate regions of the USA. The park is more than a four-hour drive from Portland, Oregon, in the southern part of the state. The park is centered around an alpine lake with exceptionally clear waters. The lake's waters are pooled within an ancient caldera (crater in English, or actually a volcanic crater) in the volcanically active Cascade Range. The lake's waters lie almost 300 meters deep above the chasm, or the caldera's rim, creating a landscape of rare beauty. Above the chasm runs Rim Drive, one of the most popular scenic roads in the USA.
How to explore Crater Lake in Oregon?
Crater Lake is a small national park by American standards, offering a variety of ways to explore. The most convenient way is driving on Rim Road, a breathtaking drive that hugs the rim. Along the road, you'll find scenic viewpoints with organized parking. The route leads to several hiking trails, some of which are challenging and include climbing. The path also leads down to the boat dock for those who want to cruise on the lake. Just remember, the descent to the dock is a bit challenging, and the climb back up even more so.
How many days do you need for a trip to Crater Lake National Park?
It's best to dedicate at least one full day for a trip to Crater Lake National Park.
It's highly recommended to find lodging near the park.
Click here to check availability and prices for hotels and motels near Crater Lake National Park…
8 Must-See and Do Things at Crater Lake
- The view from the Rim Village Visitor Center and Sinnott Memorial
- Road trip on Rim Drive
- Boat tour to Wizard Island
- Descend to the lake via Cleetwood Cove Trail
- Enjoy a hike on Watchman Peak Trail
- Snow even in summer on Mount Scott Trail
- Plaikni Falls
- Challenging hike in the exposed rocks and forests of Garfield Peak Trail
Click here for guided hiking at Crater Lake…
Click here for entry to the kids' rope park at Crater Lake…
What is Crater Lake National Park in Oregon?
- Crater Lake, also known as caldera lake, is a charming and clear lake in southern Oregon
- The lake fills a dormant volcanic caldera that is nearly 600 meters deep
- The caldera erupted 7000 years ago and has since been filled with lake water accumulated mainly from rain over thousands of years
- Since there are no streams flowing into or out of the lake, all the water comes from precipitation, which results in the lake's astonishing clarity. This clarity is also due to the extreme cold that prevents the proliferation of microbes
The lake covers 53 square kilometers with a shoreline of 35 kilometers. True to the caldera's form, the lake is round with a diameter of eight kilometers.
- The water surface elevation of the lake is 1800 meters above sea level, roughly three hundred meters below the average rim of the caldera
- On the western part of the lake is Wizard Island, formed by a subsequent volcanic eruption. It's the peak of a lava tube cone created about 6000 years ago. The cone rises about two hundred and fifty meters above the lake. Wizard Island is accessible by boats and is one of the main attractions during a visit to the national park
- Adjacent to Wizard Island are a few small islets that are part of the cone and are formed with the lake's rising tides.
- In the southern part of the lake, another islet called Phantom Ship appears, named because it resembles a ghost ship emerging from the lake's mists.
Click here to download the guided tour app for Crater Lake…
Map of Crater Lake National Park in Oregon
How to get to Crater Lake?
How to fly to Crater Lake in Southern Oregon?
Portland International Airport (PDX) – Portland's international airport is located north of downtown on the southern bank of the Columbia River. Conveniently connected to the city center, it's just a 15-minute drive from the Old Town. The airport is one of the home bases for Alaska Airlines and is well-connected to all major airports in the United States and Canada. It also receives several flights from major European airports and is easily accessible via New York. The airport is about a four-hour drive from the national park.
Rogue Valley International–Medford Airport (MFR) – Medford's secondary airport is the main hub for the entire Southern Oregon region. It is located on the northern edge of the small city of Medford, close to Interstate 5. The airport is served by several Alaska Airlines routes connecting it to Portland and Seattle. There are also routes by American airlines to major cities on the West Coast such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, and Phoenix. The drive from Medford to Crater Lake National Park takes just about an hour and fifteen minutes.
How to get to Crater Lake National Park by car?
The base departure point towards Crater Lake is the city of Portland in northern Oregon. The drive from Portland to the national park takes almost 4 hours. The closest large city to the national park is Eugene, which is connected to Portland via Highway 5. From Eugene, you need to start climbing east on the Cascade Range on Highway 58. The drive to Crater Lake is especially beautiful, taking you through mountainous old-growth forests with breathtaking views. The drive from Eugene to the lake takes about two hours plus a little.
The national park has two entrances:
- The north entrance from Highway 138
- The south entrance from Mazama Village (Highway 62)
When is the best time to visit Crater Lake?
You must visit Crater Lake only in the summer, otherwise, it will be very difficult to explore the place. It is a high alpine lake in a temperate zone, meaning its winter is frozen, and fall and spring are rainy and cold. Between June and September, there's a kind of window of opportunity to discover the lake's incredible beauty.
- In June, the temperatures are cool, but there's almost no rain and plenty of sunshine hours
- July and August are the warmest and driest months, but as a result, they’re also the busiest. During the summer months, the national park is crowded (relatively) and there can also be traffic jams
- September is probably the ideal month to visit the national park, due to the comfortable temperatures and fewer disturbances, but mainly because the end of the summer vacation leaves the park emptier
- The first days of September or the last days of June are the best for visiting the park, considering all factors
In the fall, winter, and spring, you can reach the lake, just keep in mind that Rim Drive is closed and visibility is limited due to fog and precipitation. Be prepared for snow driving conditions that can be extreme, especially in December.
How to Plan a Travel Route in Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
The hike in Crater Lake National Park is an adventure on its own, due to the relatively long distance from the park to any other travel site.
- The national park is more than a four-hour drive from Portland in northern Oregon. You can combine the trip with a tour of Portland, explore Oregon's coast, or even plan a route to Washington State up to Seattle
- The lake is on the way for those who want to travel along the Pacific Coast, located a six and a half hour drive north from San Francisco
The hike within the national park itself is very straightforward.
- For those who just want to drive and enjoy the view, you can head up to Rim Drive and enjoy thirty viewpoints along the caldera with stunning views of the crystal-clear lake.
- It's highly recommended to also go down to the marina on the north side of the lake for a boat ride (access to the marina is quite challenging)
- The national park has a few individual hiking trails, one or two are easy and the rest can be challenging
- The easy hiking trails offer access to viewpoints along the caldera's chasm, while the difficult ones involve climbing mountains around the lake
Click here for tickets to the ropes course park for adults with zip lines at Crater Lake…
Everything you need to know about lodging around Crater Lake Park
Crater Lake National Park is located in a fairly remote area of the Cascade Range in southern Oregon. Accommodation near and within the park is divided into two types:
- Rustic lodge hotels within the national park area and in Mazama, a bit south of the park
- Motels in towns near the national park
The lodge hotels in the national park offer a fun accommodation experience with all the advantages of the landscape and the downsides of evenings and nights when there's really not much to do. The Crater Lake Lodge is located near the Rim Village Visitor Center. Slightly south in Mazama Village, there are additional accommodation options within the park.
There aren't many settlements near the national park, with the closest large towns being the stretch of Altamont and Klamath Falls, a fifty-minute drive to the south. These two towns serve as the main accommodation spots for those visiting the national park.
In the mountain towns, there are quite a few motels from all the major chains including Holiday Inn by IHG, Days Inn, Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, and more. Just north of Altamont, in Pelican City, there are additional motels such as Super 8. There are more motels on Highway 97 on the way between the cities to the lake, and there are more motels in the villages and mountain towns around the park, within an hour's drive.
Everything to See and Do in Crater Lake National Park
Rim Village Visitor Center
Rim Village Visitor Center is the unofficial logistics center of the national park. It serves as a sort of northern gateway to the national park area, although it is on the edge of the South Rim. Just a bit south of it is the Steel Visitor Center, which is the southern entrance gate. Nearby is the popular Crater Lake Lodge, open only from May to the end of September and worth stopping by for the stunning views from the well-maintained trails nearby, which are like a huge balcony.
Steel Visitor Center
The Steel Visitor Center is the more official entrance to the national park and unlike the visitor center below it, it is open all year. It is located at the intersection of the southern access road – Munson Valley Road with the iconic Rim Drive around the lake. This is the place to get all the technical information before your tour in the park, learn about the geology of the area, and consult with local rangers on recommended and suitable trails.
Rim Drive
The Rim Drive is the essence of a visit to the national park, especially for most visitors who don’t plan on heading out for hiking adventures on the forest trails. The road encircles the entire round lake and runs right next to the edge of the abyss, on cliffs 300 meters above the lake level. It's one of the most beautiful and popular scenic roads in all of the USA. The Rim Drive stretches about fifty kilometers, typically accessed from the Steel Visitor Center (for those coming from the south) or Merriam Point (for those coming from the north). The road is open from May to September only.
Along the road, there are about thirty viewpoints where you can conveniently park your car and admire the view. The must-see viewpoints are:
- Sinnott Memorial – the view from the Rim Village Visitor Center
- Phantom Ship Viewpoint – in the southeast rim, offering a view of the volcanic cone
- Discovery Point – stunning views of Wizard Island
- Cleetwood Cove Overlook – A view from the road on the northern part of the lake for those not intending to descend the trail and reach the dock
- Devils Backbone – Cliff pillars on the eastern part of the lake
- Llao Rock – Viewpoint of a cliff north of the lake
- Pumice Castle Overlook – A yellow rock layer jutting out from the cliffs on the eastern side of the lake
- Cloudcap Overlook – The highest point on the road, on the eastern side of the chasm
- Watchman Overlook – Stunning views of the eastern section of the lake, right above Wizard Island. It is the trailhead for the popular Watchman Peak Trail
- Vidae Falls – Waterfalls in the southern part of the park, near the road
- Pinnacles – Cones of volcanic ash in the southern part of the park
Boat rides on Crater Lake
Crater Lake offers breathtaking views from atop the cliff, for those who want to stay in their car. For those who really want to touch the coveted lake waters (down cliffs of 300 meters), it's definitely worth taking a boat ride on the lake with its crystal-clear vertigo-colored water. The only place where the lake is accessible is at the lower part of the Cleetwood Cove Trail, on the northern side of the lake. At the lower part of the trail, there's a boat dock and you can take a guided tour with rangers. The boats also include fascinating explanations from the rangers about the lake and the places you'll visit on the cruise.
The cruise is available only from July to early September. It's important to know that the descent to the dock is quite challenging, a one and a half-kilometer walk downhill and then the same route uphill, so it's only for those ready to exert themselves!!
The lake cruise is divided into several options:
- A two-hour cruise around the lake, including a view of Phantom Ship and Wizard Island, but without docking and disembarking from the boat
- Five-hour boat tour around the lake on the same route as the two-hour tour, but includes docking at Wizard Island and a hike on the island.
- Direct shuttle boat to Wizard Island only, including as much time as desired for a hike on the island.
Cleetwood Cove Trail
Most people who descend the Cleetwood Cove Trail do so for access to the dock, but the trail itself is definitely worth the effort (the boat ride is just the cherry on top). Besides the dock, it’s one of the few trails in the national park that actually allows you to reach the lake’s clear waters. The full trail is about three kilometers long, descending from the trailhead on the north side of the lake via a winding path to the lake waters. The roundtrip length is approximately three kilometers and includes some quite challenging parts.
Watchman Peak Trail
The Watchman Peak Trail is one of the most popular hiking trails in Crater Lake National Park. The trail starts at the Rim Drive viewpoint and runs close to the edge of the cliff for more than three kilometers. It includes a climb to The Watchman Observation Station, which was used by rangers to monitor fires in the park. The view from the station is simply stunning, offering a panoramic view of the entire lake and Wizard Island right below.
Mount Scott Trail
The trail ascending Mount Scott's peak is located on the eastern side of the rim and rises to over 2,700 meters. The hiking trail stretches almost seven kilometers and begins from Rim Drive, climbing up the mountain. From the summit, there's a breathtaking view of the lake and the Cascade range stretching to the horizon. The view from the mountain includes what's referred to as the Oregon desert, part of the rain shadow desert to the east.
Plaikni Falls
Plaikni Falls are located in the eastern part of the rim above the lake. The trailhead to the falls starts from Pinnacles Road, the road leading to the hiking sites east of the lake. The trail is about three and a half kilometers long, passing through an ancient forest and ending at Sand Creek and the falls.
Garfield Peak Trail
The barren Garfield Peak towers over the lake's chasm to the south, not far from Rim Village. The peak offers breathtaking views of the lake, arguably the most beautiful view there is, but the route to it is challenging, with the trail considered difficult. It is about six kilometers long and includes a rather tough climb through pine forests and then to the barren summit.
