Crater Lake National Park is one of the most remarkable places to visit in the U.S. Located in the Cascade Mountains in Southern Oregon, Crater Lake was formed by the now-collapsed volcano Mount Mazama and is 1,949 feet deep. There is nothing quite like seeing it in person.

Most visitors come here from California, arriving around high noon. If you are making the trip here, I highly recommend that you stay awhile. When we were visiting, we camped out at Diamond Lake Resort, just 11 miles north from the park entrance for one week. This gave us plenty of time to really ALMOST see it all with so many sunsets and sunrises in between. In this blog I will share with you moments from Scenic Rim Drive, Wizard Island, Phantom Ship Overlook, Plaikni Falls, Phantom Ship Overlook, the Pumice Desert, Crater Lake National Park Lodge and more!

The view from the Lookout near the Visitor’s Center and Gift Shop

With 41 feet of annual snowfall, snow can be visible throughout Crater Lake National Park year-round. These photos were captured at the end of July.

Wizard Island

Wizard Island at Crater Lake National Park is one of the most prominent features you will see on the lake. It is a volcanic cinder cone that is mostly underwater. Boat tours are available through the National Park Service to Wizard Island.

Scenic Rim Drive

Crater Lake’s Rim Drive is the road that wraps around the entire distance of Crater Lake. It is 33 miles long and can feel very narrow at times throughout the park, with steep drop offs. It takes a minimum of two hours to drive around the lake (including sightseeing stops along the way). There are 30 overlooks along the way and the maximum speed limit is 35mph. With annual snowfall of 41 feet, Rim Drive generally opens in May and closes in November. Bikes are also allowed to ride Rim Drive at Crater Lake — it is the ride of a lifetime!

Trolly tours are available through Crater Lake National Park.

Phantom Ship Overlook

The Phantom Ship at Crater Lake National park is remnant of an ancient volcanic cone that was engulfed in the growing Mazama volcano, according to the National Park Service. One of the best views of the ‘Phantom Ship’ is at Phantom Ship Overlook (pictured below).

Plaikni Falls

Plaikini Falls is located on Crater Lake’s East Rim Drive at the South end of Mount Scott. This is an easy 1 mile, wheel chair accessible trail with beautiful rock wall views, old growth trees and butterflies along the way.

Cleetwood Cove Trail

To get to the bottom of Crater Lake, you would need to take the strenuous 1.1 hike down Cleetwood Cover Trail. This hike is equivalent to 65 flights of stairs (don’t forget to multiply that by two, because you would need to come back up to!). Cleetwood Cove has a gravel trail with steep drop offs along the way. Once you are at the bottom you can take a dip in Crater Lake (it is VERY, VERY cold, you will need to acclimate to prepare yourself for this — by going in and out of the water in short increments of time. I know this first hand, and it is so exhilarating swimming in Crater Lake.).

Cleetwood Cove Trail is also where you would need to go to take one of the boat tours that Crater Lake National Park has to offer.

The Pinnacles

The Pinnacles at Crater Lake National Park are hardened volcanic matter. They look like large spires coming out of the ground along the canyon. The Pinnacles has one of the lesser traveled trails at Crater Lake. Most visitors come to see the lake without ever seeing the Pinnacles. It is definately a sight to see!

Clark’s Nutcracker

The Clark’s Nutcracker plays an integral part in the Cascade region and Crater Lake National Park as it disperses the pine seeds back into the soil.

Stellar’s Jay

The Stellar’s Jay is a common sight to see all throughout Crater Lake National Park and the Cascades.

Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel

The Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrels can be seen all throughout Crater Lake National Park. I was amazed to see them running up and down the highly elevated volcanic walls. It is important to remember not to feed them.

Mule Deer

The Mule Deer is one of the largest mamals to be found at Crater Lake National Park, along with Elk, Bears and Mountain Lions.

Pine Trees at Crater Lake

There is no way that you could possibly ignore how beautiful the trees are at Crater Lake National Park. They endure some of the harshest winters here, and as a result they have some unique character. You will notice that some of them lean in certain directions, that is a result of the harsh winter winds that make them grow that way.

The Watchman Observation Station

The Watchman Observation Station was designed by Francis Lange and built in the early 1930s. It served as a lookout tower for nearby fires, and features expansive views of Crater Lake and the surrounding area beyond it. I’m not going to lie, I am kind of afraid of heights. Not that it keeps me from doing things, just being at Crater Lake tested parts of myself that I was not comfortable with (especially looking down at the steep terrain). The hike to the Watchman Observation Station was not something that interested me (especially doing the hike alone). You can see just how high it sits above Watchman Peak which is 8,013 feet. The hike to get there is a moderate 3 miles round-trip.

The Pumice Desert

The Pumice Desert at Crater Lake National Park is a dry meadow that encompasses 3,055 acres of land. It is located along the road from the North entrance of the park. Its vastness will take your breath away, with clear views of Mount Thielsen. The sunsets here are incredible.

Crater Lake Lodge

There are two available lodging options at Crater Lake: the Crater Lake Lodge and The Cabins at Mazama Village. Reservations can be made up to one year in advance.

The Lodge first opened in 1915 and was reconstructed and earth quake stabalized in 1995. It is open mid-May through early October and has 71 rooms. Some of the rooms overlook the lake.

Besides lodging at Crater Lake, there are other options available in the surrounding area including Diamond Lake Resort, which is just 11 miles to the North.

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Don’t forget to travel slow

This was one of my personal favorite moments captured at Crater Lake. I waited for over thirty mintues for this cloud to pass the valley and crest the edge of Crater Lake’s volcanic wall. This is a good reminder to travel slow. Some moments are at their best when you wait for them.

Crater Lake National Park