Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. It is also among the deepest in the world and is 1949 feet (594m) at its deepest point. The much photographed pristine blue waters owe their purity to the fact that there are no streams into the lake. Only snow and rain fill the lake. There are also no streams leading out of the lake so all of the water that leaves is a result of evaporation. It is a closed ecological system and, but for the historic introduction of several fish species, two of which still remain, there would be no fish in the lake either.

It was the country’s fifth national park and was created in 1902.

The area gets an average annual snowfall of 533 inches. This accumulates in the park to a depth of about 10-15 feet of snow. Based on climate models it is estimated that it took about 740 years to fill the lake whose maximum width is six miles. The surface temperature of the lake is about 55°F.

Located in the Cascade Mountains, Crater Lake was formed by the eruption and collapse of Mount Mazama 7,700 years ago. Mount Mazama has erupted multiple times over the past half-million years but is dormant today. The ash cinders and pumice that repeatedly exploded upward eventually built up the mountain to a height of about 12,000 feet. The final climactic eruption, which destroyed the mountain and left the caldera, spread ash over 5,000 square miles to a depth of six inches. It is estimated that the eruption spread 150 times as much ash as Mount Saint Helens did in 1980.

The eruption was witnessed by the Native Americans who passed down the story in their legends. The Klamath people told the story of a battle between two chiefs, one from the world below, whose home was Mount Mazama, and the other from the world above. The battle ended with the destruction of Mount Mazama which was the home of the chief from the world below.

The 33-mile Rim Drive circles the caldera at an elevation of between 7,000 and 8,000 feet (2,483m). The surface of the lake is at an elevation of 6,173 feet, so the steep walls rise up between 1,000 and 2,000 feet. It is a beautiful trip around the lake with plenty of places to stop and enjoy the views.

If you’d rather not do the driving yourself, and prefer a guided tour, there’s a concessionaire that gives trolley tours of the rim. The tour takes about two hours with 5 to 7 stops at overlooks.

No trip to Crater Lake national park would be complete without taking the Ranger guided boat trip around the lake. It’s interesting, informative and an opportunity to see these amazing blue waters up close. To get to the boat dock you have to descend the Cletewood Cove Trail, which is a 1.1 mile trail that drops 700 feet from the rim to the lake. The trail is a series of steep switchbacks that can be a challenge for some people. This trail is described in more detail below in the section on hiking.

The basic Ranger guided boat tour takes about two hours. There is no restroom on the boat, so you should take advantage of the facilities at the trail head or boat dock before you leave on a boat tour.

There is also a separate Wizard Island tour that takes you out to the island for a three-hour stay. It’s not a very big Island but you can hike or take a swim in the 55° water. I didn’t take this tour but it sounds like the kind of thing to try to schedule around lunch and have a little picnic out there. I don’t know if taking food out there is allowed. The lake is considered a very sensitive environment and that can possibly be a limiting factor.

In the summer months. It would be advisable to make reservations for any tour. They only take reservations on about half of the seats leaving the other half for first-come, first-served. This may work out or you may get shut out.

Wildlife

Among the mammals that make this their home are bobcats, foxes, squirrels, Canadian lynxes, beavers, pronghorns porcupines, coyotes, badgers, deer, elk martens and black bears. Among the birds are peregrine falcons, bald eagles and spotted owls.

Lodging

Crater Lake Lodge

The historic Crater Lake Lodge overlooks the lake, 1,000 feet below, at Rim Village. Built in 1915, it was an impressive structure in the mold of the famous national parks lodges. Even though it was on the National Register of Historic Places, the lack of funding to maintain the structure led the Park Service to fear its collapse. In 1994, the Great Hall was dismantled so it could eventually be restored and the rest of the structure was gutted. It was rebuilt and maintains the character of the original lodge. The building and rooms were modernized to meet the demands of today’s structural, fire and hotel room standards. The room that I had, while it was adequate, seemed on the small size and the window was small and one had to stand to look out of it and see the lake. The dining room overlooks the lake so you have beautiful views of the lake with the Cascade Mountains as a backdrop.

The Cabins at Mazama Village

This is located about 7 miles south of Rim Village and is the only other lodging option in the park.

Other lodging can be found in Fort Klamath (15 miles away) and Chiloquin (21 miles away).

Hiking

There is no hiking or climbing allowed inside the caldera rim to reach the lake. Even if it were allowed hiking would not be easy. The caldera is steep, with unstable rocks and soil that would not make for easy footing. People have died or have incurred serious injuries on the walls of the caldera. If the Park Service catches you there you would certainly be subject to a fine and possibly arrest.

Cletewood Cove Trail

As mentioned above, this is the trail that you take down to the lake or boat dock. It is also the only trail which you can take down to the surface of the lake. At 1.1 miles it is not a long hike but, while descending a steep trail with loose footing is not easy, ascending it is the more difficult task especially for people whose physical abilities are lacking or compromised. The Park Service likens the trip up to climbing 65 flights of stairs. The majority of rescues in the park stem from bringing people up who are unable to hike back up once they have hiked down. There are benches along the way so give yourself extra time to get down for a tour and take your time going back up. There’s nothing wrong with stopping and enjoying the views.

Mount Scott Trail

This is a terrific trail up to the highest point in the park. Mount Scott is 8,929 feet high (2,721m). The trail winds its way up the mountain while all the while you’re looking down over the beautiful blue lake. It’s very picturesque and you’re bound to take many pictures, especially if the day is sunny and the lake its deepest blue. It is also the one place in the park where you can get the entire lake and caldera rim into one photo. It is roughly a 5-mile out-and-back hike that is not too difficult so it gets plenty of traffic.

Pacific Crest Trail

The Pacific Crest Trail runs through Crater Lake National Park in a north-south direction. This trail is the West Coast version of the East Coast’s Appalachian Trail. At 2,653 miles long (4,269km) it is longer than the Appalachian Trail. It runs from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. The trail crosses the park’s main road about 3 miles north of the lake.

Other Points of Interest

The Old Man of the Lake

One the boat ride the rangers may, if they encounter it, point out what looks like a stump floating in the water. It is a 2 foot in diameter, 30 foot long (9m) log that juts out of the water about 4 feet. It has been seen floating upright in the lake as early as 1896. The tree was carbon dated to be about 450 years old and probably entered the water as a result of a rock slide along the caldera. It gets pushed all over the lake by the wind and the boat may or may not pass by it. If you do then you can see, in the crystal clear water, the rest of the tree extending straight down. If you have sharp eyes or binoculars you might be able to spot it from the rim. There are some interesting superstitions regarding the ‘old man’ and the weather.

Pumice Desert

About 5 miles north of the lake the park road crosses over the Pumice Desert. This is a very thick layer of pumice and ash leading away from the caldera. The area is largely devoid of plants because the pumice is extremely porous so the water drains right through it. The ash in the Pumice Desert is 50 feet deep.

The Pinnacles

This is located in the southeastern corner of the park. A road branches off the Rim Drive that takes you into Pinnacle Valley and at the end of the road are the pinnacles. When the very hot ash and pumice came to rest near the volcano, it formed 200-to-300-foot-thick (60 to 90 m) gas-charged deposits. Over the years the hot gas moved to the surface and slowly cemented ash and pumice together in channels. Erosion later removed most of the surrounding loose ash and pumice leaving tall pinnacles and spires.

Crater Lake National Park Photo Gallery

Other National Parks and National Monuments Within a Day’s Drive

Newberry Volcanic National Monument A volcanic landscape that was used for training Apollo astronauts. It is located 100 miles north and is dominated by the 7,985 foot Paulina Peak which you can drive to the top of for outstanding views.

Lava Beds National Monument Located in California about 110 miles south is a stark volcanic landscape of black lava rocks and lava tubes. There is a one-way Cave Loop Road near the visitor center that will give you the sense of the park.

Redwoods National Park where you can see the world’s tallest trees is about 235 miles to the southwest and about a 4 hour drive.

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument The site of the massive 1980 volcanic eruption is 360 miles north and about a 6 hour drive.
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