Crater Lake National Park, located in southeast Oregon, is home to the deepest lake in the United States. This breathtaking destination is famous for its crystal-clear blue waters, dramatic cliffs, and ancient volcanic history. The park was established in 1902, making it the fifth oldest national park in the United States.
Crater Lake was formed over 7,700 years ago after the eruption of Mount Mazama, a massive volcano that collapsed to create the caldera. Over time, the caldera filled with rainwater and snowmelt, forming the lake we see today. The lake’s remarkable clarity and deep blue color result from its depth and the purity of the water, which contains no incoming streams or rivers. It was some of the bluest water we have ever seen!
Getting There
Crater Lake National Park is located about 100 miles from the nearest major airport in Medford, Oregon. There are no major towns or cities near the park, with Klamath Falls being the closest, about an hour southeast.
Where to Stay
Inside the park, you can stay at the historic Crater Lake Lodge, which provides stunning views of the lake. Outside the park, the nearby options can be scarce. Look for accommodations in Ashland, Medford, and Klamath Falls.
Things to Do
Rim Drive
The best way to experience the park is by driving along Rim Drive. Rim Drive is a 33-mile loop that circles the entire lake.
The scenic drive offers more than 30 overlooks, each providing a unique perspective of the lake and its surrounding landscapes. But to be quite frank, like with many other scenic overlooks that offer different perspectives of the same thing, you will likely start getting overlook fatigue if you stop at each one.
Consider instead stopping at a few of the more popular overlooks along the way. Two of our favorites were the Watchman Overlook, which offers a panoramic view of Wizard Island, and Skell Head Overlook.
We tried making it to Cloudcap Overlook, the highest point on Rim Drive but were turned around at Skell Head Overlook due to construction.
Another popular overlook is the Phantom Ship overlook, where you can see a small island that resembles a ghostly ship emerging from the mist.
Wizard Island
In the middle of Crater Lake is a small island called Wizard Island. A private company operates boat tours and shuttles to Wizard Island during the summer months.
The boats leave from the north side of the park and to access the boat dock you will need to park your car across from the Cleetwood Cove Trail and then hike down to the water.
The trail to the boat tours is a little over a mile and drops approximately 700 feet. The hike down to the dock takes approximately 30-45 minutes.
We decided against the boat tour based on feedback we received from some friends who live locally. It is a cool thing to say you did, but ultimately not something we felt we needed to experience. And having now been there, we can safely say it’s okay that we didn’t shuttle to the island. The island is small, leaving little hiking to be done.
Hiking
There are over 90 miles of trails within the park ranging from easy walks to challenging hikes.
Castle Crest Wildflower Trail – This trail is a short and family-friendly hike and offers a beautiful display of wildflowers in the summer.
Cleetwood Cove Trail – as mentioned earlier, this more strenuous hike is the only trail that leads down to the lake’s shore, where you can dip your toes in the water and catch the shuttle to Wizard Island.
Watchman Lookout Station – this is about a three-quarter mile hike up to the lookout tower at the Watchman Overlook that provides arguably the best views of Crater Lake and Wizard Island!
Snowshoeing and Cross-Country Skiing
During the winter months, Crater Lake transforms into a snowy paradise. The park offers guided snowshoe walks, which are a great way to explore the winter landscape. Cross-country skiing is also popular, with trails that take you through quiet forests and along the rim of the caldera.
Our family of Floridians has so far opted against the winter visit; there was enough snow on the ground for us to play with in the middle of the summer!
Time
From the northern park entrance sign to Merriam Point was less than a 15-minute drive. From there we spent about three hours driving around Rim Drive and walking around some of the easier trails before stopping at the Rim Visitor Center.
Overall there is little need to spend more than a day at this park; and if you are crunched for time, a few hours will suffice.
Final Note
When we were last at the park, they were doing a large construction project that had part of Rim Drive shut down requiring you to turn around and drive back the way you came.
We had entered the park from the north and at North Junction opted to head east first (clockwise) before having to turn back around at Skell Head Overlook. As of a recent check on the website, they are still working on the road.
