5 Best Things To Do At Crater Lake, Oregon — Our Wanders

You may think you’ve already seen beautiful blue lakes before, but the kind of blue you’ll see when visiting Crater Lake is different. It has such a mesmerizing hue, and it’s so pure and clear unlike anything we’ve ever encountered. “The bluest lake on Earth” — that’s how they call it, and it deserves the title. But it has another title, too: the deepest lake in the USA, with 1943 feet (592 m) depth (which varies a bit throughout the seasons).

It’s certainly among the most unique natural beauties that the state of Oregon offers, and is also among the breathtaking volcanic national parks you can find in the West — Yellowstone, Mount Rainier and Lassen Volcanic. And it’s one of the most spectacular stops if you do a road trip between California and Oregon. This is how we visited it, as well, and this post is about the best things to do in Crater Lake National Park on a short visit.

How was Crater Lake formed? Why is it so blue?

As soon as you lay eyes on the lake, you’ll know it’s volcanic. Not all volcanoes look like the ones in the picture books from your childhood, but this one does. It’s obvious that a giant volcanic crater is filled up with that incredibly blue water here.

The story goes back to about 7700 years ago when Mount Mazama erupted, then collapsed. The violent explosion left behind a deep, almost perfectly circular caldera with steep walls, then rain and snow filled it up with water. Crater Lake is a tranquil, idyllic place today.

That unbelievably blue color is thanks to the clarity of the water. There are no springs or rivers flowing into or out of the lake, all the water comes from snowmelt and rainfall. Hence there are so few particles in the water that the colors of the spectrum are absorbed, making it “the bluest lake on the planet”.

The surface of the lake is ripple-less in calm weather, making it a magic mirror that reflects the surrounding peaks and the twinkling stars at night.

Is one day enough to visit Crater Lake National Park?

One full day is enough to experience the highlights of the park, but it’s even better if you can spend a night there, as well. This allows you to combine the Rim Drive with a few short hikes or boat tours, and to watch the sunset/sunrise over Crater Lake. If you’d like to spend a day hiking, make your visit at least two days.

In any case, you need a car, because that’s the best way to experience this park! Here, check the best rates for car rentals.

1. Drive the Rim Drive

The historic 33-mile Rim Drive follows the caldera rim around Crater Lake, and it offers 30 overlooks and amazing views of the lake and the geologic formations in the caldera. Almost all major park attractions are accessible from the Rim Drive, and the drive itself is one of our very favorite scenic drives in North America!

It’s a paved road, with views of deep blue and numerous pullouts and trailheads along the way. There are some huge parking lots at the most famous vista points (some with restrooms and picnic benches), but most overlooks don’t have names or signage. It usually takes about 2 hours to complete the drive, with 7–9 stops, however, it can easily take a full day if you add several short hikes and a boat trip along the way.

Insider tip: Drive in a clockwise direction so that the pullouts will be on your right which makes parking easier.

What if you don’t want to drive? You can use the Crater Lake Trolley that takes visitors around the rim in the summer. It’s a 2 hours ride with 5–7 stops at the overlooks and is led by a ranger.

2. Get out of your car often!

Drive around the lake, but leave your car often to truly experience the beauties of the Rim Drive. Though the whole drive is a highlight, here are some of the most well-known viewpoints that you certainly don’t want to miss:

• Sinnott Memorial Overlook
• Discovery Point: it’s said to be the location where the first European-American laid eyes on the lake
• Watchman Overlook: everyone stops here because of the fantastic view of Wizard Island
• Devils Backbone
• Cloud Cap Overlook: it’s at the end of a 1-mile road just off the Rim Drive, and it’s the highest paved road in Oregon (at nearly 8000 feet); you bet views are breathtaking
• Pumice Castle Overlook: while most of the drive enchants with blue colors, orange is the highlight of this overlook; Pumice Castle is the nickname of the eroded orange pumice rock formations that resemble the shape of a medieval castle
• Phantom Ship Overlook: in addition to Wizard Island there’s a second, smaller island in Crater Lake that looks like a sailboat, and you get great views of it from this lookout
• Pinnacles Overlook: another short detour off Rim Drive leads to colorful, pinnacle-shaped rocks; the 100-foot tall spires rise from the floor of the canyon, and they were formed when volcanic fumaroles rose through volcanic ash, cementing it into rock
• Vidae Falls: this 100-foot waterfall drops down onto a series of rock ledges, and it’s right by the road

But we stopped at several of the unnamed pullouts, too, and we recommend taking your time during this drive. The stops are the best part of it (and you can’t take a proper picture from a moving car, anyway).

3. Take a boat ride to Wizard Island

Where in the world can you see a volcano within a volcano? Wizard Island in Crater Lake is exactly that! It’s a small, picturesque cinder cone, with Wizard Island Summit rising 763 feet (233 m) above the lake. What’s visible is actually only the top of a 2500 feet (762 m) submerged volcano at the bottom of the lake. And you can take a boat trip to Wizard Island — given you booked it in advance.

We tried to purchase a ticket without prior reservation (huge mistake! but we were not that experienced in visiting North America’s national parks at that time), and all were sold for the day. You can check and book the available boat tours on this website. There are tours that circumnavigate you around the lake and also shuttles to Wizard Island.

The boats depart from Cleetwood Cove. It’s accessible only on foot, and Cleetwood Cove Trail is a steep one that drops 700 feet down to the lake. You’ll need about 45 minutes to descend to the boat ramp.

Once on Wizard Island, you can hike the 2.2 mile Summit Trail which is surprisingly steep, with 760 feet of elevation gain. Or you can relax on the shore and jump in for a swim.

4. Take a scenic trail

You know our opinion: the best way to explore a national park is to tackle the trails. So don’t miss hiking at Crater Lake, even if you only have one day in the park. There are many short and scenic trails, some with lake views, others featuring wildflower meadows or waterfalls. The routes are a mix of open peaks and old growth forests, and they might be steep, but none of them are too long. Day hikers, this park is made for you.

If only have a day, do some short hikes

Since we only had a day to spend in Crater Lake National Park, we aimed for several shorter trails to enjoy a variety of natural beauties.

Cleetwood Cove Trail was our absolute favorite. It’s the only trail with lake access, and if you have time for only one hike, this should be it. It’s relatively short (2.2 miles round-trip), but surprisingly steep. It treated us with stunning views all the way, and we enjoyed cooling down our feet in the lake at the end.

Discovery Point Trail is a two mile hike that starts from Rim Village, follows the rim and offers great views of Wizard Island. It’s usually open all year.

Watchman Peak is a moderate 1.6-mile round-trip to an old fire lookout with panoramic views. It looks over Wizard Island and is a popular sunset spot.

Garfield Peak is a strenuous 3.6-mile scenic round-trip. It starts near the Crater Lake Lodge and requires about 3 hours to complete.

Pinnacles Valley Trail is 1 mile long and offers a nice reward for very little effort: close views of the volcanic spires.

Castle Crest Wildflower Trail is very short and easy (0.4 mile), even small kids can do it, and it takes you through a meadow that’s full of wildflowers in the summer.

Annie Creek Canyon Trail is a 2.1 miles loop. It doesn’t have lake views, but offers pretty canyon views instead.

If you have several days, choose a day hike

Unfortunately, we had to make it back to San Francisco in time, so we couldn’t add another day to our West Coast road trip. But we did some research about longer hikes we’d love to do next time. 🙂

Mount Scott is a strenuous 5 miles roundtrip trail that leads up to distant views of Crater Lake, but a 360-degree view of the park.

Stuart Falls Trail is a bit further from the Rim Drive (and the crowds), starting south of Mazama Village. It doesn’t offer lake views, but it takes you over a ridge and to a waterfall. It’s about 11 miles one-way.

5. Visit Plaikni Falls

This short trail offers something different than the typical (wonderful) panoramic views of Crater Lake. It’s a refreshing hike in the lush green forest to lovely Plaikni Falls. While it’s not the largest, most majestic waterfall you’ve ever seen, the scenery makes it special, and you can find some shade and solitude here on a busy, hot summer day.

Can you swim in Crater Lake?

While it’s not a true swimming destination, you can swim in the lake if you want to. However, access to the lakeshore is only possible if you hike down to Cleetwood Cove. That’s the only legal and safe access to the shoreline.

Boat tours also depart from here, and this is the place where you can go in for a swim, or even find cliff jumping spots. It’s a rocky cove, no beach and no lifeguards. Also, you must remain within 100 feet of the shore within the marked areas. Not that I can imagine anyone who wants to stay in the water for long.

Because this lake is cold! In the summer, the surface can warm up to 55–60°F (12–15°C) — not a temperature that’s comfortable to stay in the water for long. We enjoyed hiking down to Cleetwood Cove, and the steep switchbacks offered wonderful lookout points after every turn. The water is brilliant turquoise on a sunny day, and it tempts for a dip. But we resisted and only cooled our feet down in the ice cold water. 🙂

Don’t underestimate this trail though, it’s only a 2.2 miles there and back hike, but it’s like climbing about 71 stairs on your way up.

Is kayaking allowed on Crater Lake?

No. Kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding or any other inflatables are not allowed in Crater Lake, because it’s a protected wilderness. Swimming, wading, fishing — these are the options you can choose from.

Best time to visit Crater Lake

Crater Lake is magical all year. However, your experience and opportunities as a visitor will be quite different in each season.

Summer is the high season. From July to September all park roads and trails are open, and you can choose from a variety of activities: driving the Rim Drive, hiking, swimming, camping, boat tours, taking part in ranger-guided programs.

Winter is a real snowy wonderland, but your options are limited. The Rim Drive usually closes from November (or earlier if there’s significant snowfall), and reopens fully only in mid-June or late-June. The West Rim often reopens sooner, sometime between mid-May and June, but it depends on the snow conditions in the current year. You can check the opening dates on the National Park Service website here.

The only place which is accessible all year is Rim Village that you can reach from Highway 62. These are plowed in winter. Most visitor facilities and trails in the park are also closed between October and May, with the exception of the main visitor center. Probably ranger-led snowshoe hikes are your best option to experience the winter beauties at Crater Lake.

What’s the best time to visit then? It depends. Early July is great if you want to do the Rim Drive, go hiking and camping. Unlike later in the summer, wildfire smoke is not an issue in the beginning of July. But late September or early October can be just as great. Though temperatures drop, tourism also dramatically drops by then, and it doesn’t typically snow until November, so you can drive and hike around in the park. We visited in mid-July, and enjoyed the sunny weather and the wildflowers.

Where to stay?

Crater Lake is in southern Oregon, and you can visit it on a day trip from Klamath Falls, Medford or even Bend. Accommodation within the national park is limited and more expensive (as it’s usually the case for any national park in the USA), but it gives you the chance to be right there by the lake and close to all the trails.

You have three options within the park: Crater Lake Lodge, the Cabins at Mazama Village or camping.

Crater Lake Lodge is one of the rustic historical national park lodges, and it dates back to 1915. It’s the most luxurious place to stay in the park, many of its rooms look right over the lake. It has an impressive Great Hall, and even if you don’t stay there for the night, you can have breakfast or dinner to enjoy the atmosphere. Crater Lake Lodge is not open all year though, only between late May and mid-October.

The Cabins at Mazama Village are right next to the Mazama Campground, but they offer a roof, a comfy bed and hot showers. They’re also usually open from late May until mid-October.

You can also look for rooms in nearby Fort Klamath, or 15 minutes drive further away, in Chiloquin. North of the park there’s Crescent, with a few lodges and motels.

Crater Lake campgrounds

Camping can be fun, and the climate in this area is relatively warm and dry in the summer. Crater Lake National Park has two campgrounds, but they’re extremely popular, so make your reservation well in advance.

Mazama Campground is the largest and most well-equipped of the two, but you need to reserve most of the sites in advance for July, August and September. It has both tent and RV sites. Mazama Village offers a variety of services: gas station, café, grocery store, laundry, dump station, showers and flush toilets. It has a few sites with electrical hook-ups.

Lost Creek Campground is smaller and much more basic than Mazama Campground, with 16 tent sites. But the sites there are always first-come first-served. This campground offers flush toilets, piped water, fire rings, picnic tables and food storage lockers.

Camping within the park is only allowed at the campgrounds or with a backcountry permit. It’s prohibited in the park’s pullouts, picnic areas or parking lots.

Campsites near Crater Lake National Park

Even though there are only two campgrounds within the national park, there’s plenty more outside of the park boundaries, but still close enough.

A few campgrounds that offer both tent and RV sites in the Prospect area: Abbott Creek Campground, Union Creek Campground, River Bridge Campground, Farewell Bend Campground, Natural Bridge Campground. Crater Lake RV Park has more than 50+ RV sites available all year.

There are several campgrounds on the shore of Diamond Lake, north of the park: Diamond Lake Campground, Broken Arrow Campground, Thielsen View Campground. Diamond Lake RV Park has 100+ RV sites and is open from mid-May to mid-October.

Chiloquin is about 50 minutes drive from the Rim Village, but it has a few more RV parks in case you can’t find any available spots closer. Waterwheel RV Park, Melita’s RV Park and Walt’s RV Park all have a limited number of RV sites. Collier Memorial State Park Campground offers both RV and tent sites.

Things to do near Crater Lake

We don’t even attempt to list all the natural beauties of Oregon, but if you visit it on a road trip, we’d like to give you some ideas about other possible places to visit near Crater Lake.

Crater Lake is located in Southern Oregon, and there’s plenty to do in this area, especially if you’d like to spend your time outdoors. A few great options to add to your itinerary are: the Upper Klamath Canoe Trail, Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway, Umpqua Hot Springs & Umpqua National Forest, or the countless lakes around La Pine (Odell Lake, Waldo Lake or Paulina Lake).

If you return to I-5 on the route from the north entrance, make two quick and nice stops at two bonus waterfalls: Whitehorse Falls in the Umpqua National Forest, and an easy walk to Toketee Falls.

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Originally published at https://ourwanders.com on March 20, 2022.