Best time to visit Crater Lake National Park
The short answer
Best months to visit Crater Lake National Park: July–September. Daily highs run about 65–75°F, with about 70% of July's visitors.
Hardest months: December–March, mostly because of cold weather.
How we picked these months: each month is scored on daily highs (65–82°F is ideal), rain, snow and seasonal closures, then reduced by up to 30% for crowds, measured against the park's busiest month. We list the months within 15% of the top score (at most 5).
Weather and crowds by month
Crater Lake National Park month by month
Park-wide averages across 5 locations. Crowds compare each month with the park's busiest month: Quiet is under 35% of it, Moderate under 60%, Busy under 85%, Peak above that.
| Month | Rating | High / low | Rain | Snow | Crowds | Closures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Poor | 34° / 23°F | 1.0 in | 46.5 in | Quiet | North Entrance |
| February | Poor | 33° / 21°F | 0.9 in | 43.0 in | Quiet | North Entrance |
| March | Poor | 36° / 23°F | 1.0 in | 37.5 in | Quiet | North Entrance |
| April | Poor | 41° / 26°F | 1.1 in | 26.8 in | Quiet | North Entrance |
| May | Poor | 50° / 32°F | 1.4 in | 11.1 in | Quiet | North Entrance |
| June | Good | 62° / 40°F | 1.2 in | 2.5 in | Moderate | North Entrance |
| July | Best | 73° / 49°F | 0.5 in | – | Peak | – |
| August | Best | 73° / 50°F | 0.6 in | – | Busy | – |
| September | Best | 64° / 43°F | 1.7 in | 2.1 in | Moderate | – |
| October | Poor | 52° / 36°F | 2.5 in | 9.2 in | Quiet | – |
| November | Poor | 39° / 27°F | 2.0 in | 27.9 in | Quiet | North Entrance |
| December | Poor | 32° / 23°F | 1.6 in | 51.0 in | Quiet | North Entrance |
Weather by location
Parks with a big range of elevation can differ a lot from one area to another. Open a location to see its own numbers.
Park-wide (center of the park)
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35°F | 24°F | 1.0 in | 47.3 in |
| February | 34°F | 22°F | 0.9 in | 44.5 in |
| March | 37°F | 24°F | 1.1 in | 38.5 in |
| April | 42°F | 27°F | 1.1 in | 27.8 in |
| May | 51°F | 33°F | 1.5 in | 11.7 in |
| June | 63°F | 41°F | 1.3 in | 2.7 in |
| July | 74°F | 50°F | 0.5 in | – |
| August | 74°F | 51°F | 0.6 in | – |
| September | 65°F | 44°F | 1.9 in | 2.1 in |
| October | 53°F | 37°F | 2.7 in | 9.6 in |
| November | 40°F | 28°F | 2.1 in | 28.2 in |
| December | 33°F | 24°F | 1.7 in | 51.4 in |
Rim Village
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31°F | 21°F | 1.0 in | 47.3 in |
| February | 30°F | 19°F | 0.9 in | 44.5 in |
| March | 34°F | 20°F | 1.1 in | 38.5 in |
| April | 39°F | 23°F | 1.1 in | 27.8 in |
| May | 47°F | 30°F | 1.5 in | 11.7 in |
| June | 59°F | 37°F | 1.3 in | 2.7 in |
| July | 70°F | 46°F | 0.5 in | – |
| August | 71°F | 48°F | 0.6 in | – |
| September | 61°F | 41°F | 1.9 in | 2.1 in |
| October | 49°F | 34°F | 2.7 in | 9.6 in |
| November | 37°F | 25°F | 2.1 in | 28.2 in |
| December | 30°F | 21°F | 1.7 in | 51.4 in |
Cleetwood Cove
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35°F | 25°F | 0.8 in | 44.4 in |
| February | 34°F | 23°F | 0.9 in | 39.9 in |
| March | 37°F | 24°F | 0.9 in | 35.6 in |
| April | 43°F | 28°F | 0.9 in | 25.0 in |
| May | 51°F | 34°F | 1.2 in | 10.2 in |
| June | 63°F | 40°F | 1.0 in | 2.3 in |
| July | 74°F | 48°F | 0.6 in | – |
| August | 74°F | 50°F | 0.7 in | – |
| September | 65°F | 43°F | 1.5 in | 2.0 in |
| October | 53°F | 36°F | 2.2 in | 8.7 in |
| November | 41°F | 29°F | 1.7 in | 27.3 in |
| December | 34°F | 25°F | 1.4 in | 50.1 in |
Mazama Village
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35°F | 23°F | 0.9 in | 46.1 in |
| February | 34°F | 22°F | 0.9 in | 41.7 in |
| March | 38°F | 23°F | 1.0 in | 36.5 in |
| April | 43°F | 27°F | 1.1 in | 25.6 in |
| May | 52°F | 33°F | 1.5 in | 10.4 in |
| June | 64°F | 41°F | 1.3 in | 2.1 in |
| July | 75°F | 50°F | 0.6 in | – |
| August | 75°F | 51°F | 0.6 in | – |
| September | 65°F | 44°F | 1.6 in | 2.0 in |
| October | 53°F | 37°F | 2.4 in | 8.5 in |
| November | 40°F | 27°F | 2.0 in | 27.8 in |
| December | 32°F | 23°F | 1.6 in | 50.9 in |
Wizard Island
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33°F | 23°F | 1.0 in | 47.3 in |
| February | 32°F | 21°F | 0.9 in | 44.5 in |
| March | 35°F | 22°F | 1.1 in | 38.5 in |
| April | 41°F | 25°F | 1.1 in | 27.8 in |
| May | 49°F | 32°F | 1.5 in | 11.7 in |
| June | 61°F | 39°F | 1.3 in | 2.7 in |
| July | 72°F | 48°F | 0.5 in | – |
| August | 72°F | 49°F | 0.6 in | – |
| September | 63°F | 43°F | 1.9 in | 2.1 in |
| October | 51°F | 35°F | 2.7 in | 9.6 in |
| November | 39°F | 27°F | 2.1 in | 28.2 in |
| December | 31°F | 23°F | 1.7 in | 51.4 in |
Crater Lake National Park by season
Spring (March–May)
Spring (March–May) is a difficult time to visit Crater Lake National Park. Daily highs average 36–50°F and lows 23–32°F. Expect about 1.2 in of rain a month and 25.2 in of snow, with up to 47 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 8–23% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards. Closures listed by the NPS: North Entrance.
Summer (June–August)
Summer (June–August) is a good time to visit Crater Lake National Park. Daily highs average 62–73°F and lows 40–50°F. Expect about 0.8 in of rain a month; some snow can linger on the ground. Visitor numbers run 45–100% of the busiest month, which is busy by this park's standards. Closures listed by the NPS: North Entrance.
Fall (September–November)
Fall (September–November) is a mixed time to visit Crater Lake National Park. Daily highs average 39–64°F and lows 27–43°F. Expect about 2.1 in of rain a month and 13.1 in of snow, with up to 4 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 8–46% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards. Closures listed by the NPS: North Entrance.
Winter (December–February)
Winter (December–February) is a difficult time to visit Crater Lake National Park. Daily highs average 32–34°F and lows 21–23°F. Expect about 1.1 in of rain a month and 46.8 in of snow, with up to 39 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 4–5% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards. Closures listed by the NPS: North Entrance.
For what to do in each season, see our guides to trip planning, fees and hours, trails, camping and things to do, where the planning page also has our written advice on when to go. In-depth topic guides cover individual places and hikes.
Seasonal closures
Closures listed in the NPS operating hours, shown as month and day. Exact dates change every year with snow and staffing.
- North Entrance: closed about Nov 1 – Jun 15
- North Entrance Road, and West and East Rim Drives close for the season on November 1 (or earlier if there is significant snowfall).
- The North Entrance Road and West Rim Drive tend to open in early June.
- The East Rim Drive typically opens in early July.
- The park's North Entrance, off of Oregon Highway 138, is usually open from June through October.
What the National Park Service says about the weather
July, August, and September are your best bets for warm, dry weather. In May, June, and October, sunny days alternate with periods of rain and snow. Winters at Crater Lake are long and snowy. Storms from the Pacific Ocean dump an annual average of 41 feet (13.5 meters) of snow at park headquarters. When it's raining or snowing, the lake is usually hidden by clouds. Crater Lake is completely invisible about 50% of the time in the winter!
Weather: modeled monthly averages for 2014-2023 (Open-Meteo Archive API), averaged over 5 locations. Modeled grid cells can read cooler than weather stations in deep canyons and deserts, and warmer or colder at high elevation. Visits: monthly recreation visits for 2021-2024, National Park Service.
