Crater Lake National Park guides
12 in-depth guides to Crater Lake National Park, in reading order: what to see, how to get around, and what to know before you go. Back to the Crater Lake National Park overview.
Crater Lake's Short July-to-September Window
July through mid-September is when most visitors come, and roads and trails are clear of snow then.
41 Feet of Snow: Crater Lake Winters
Crater Lake receives an average of 41 feet of snow each year, carried in by storms that roll off the Pacific Ocean.
Rim Drive's 33-Mile Loop of Overlooks
Rim Drive runs 33 miles along the caldera and passes 30 historic overlooks. Each one was planned to frame a particular view, whether a stretch of the lake, a geologic formation, or a subalpine meadow.
Cleetwood Cove: The Only Way to the Shore
Cleetwood Cove Trail is the sole legal path to the shore of Crater Lake, so it is the way to stand at the water's edge instead of viewing the lake from above.
Boat Tours and Fishing at Wizard Island
Boat tours on Crater Lake offer a view of the water from lake level. The concessioner Explor Crater Lake runs them daily through summer, and a ranger joins most trips.
Garfield Peak and Watchman Summit Views
The Garfield Peak Trail is a 3.3-mile round trip that climbs steadily along the south rim of Crater Lake.
Milky Way Nights in a Dark Sky Park
Stargazing is one of the main reasons to stay out after dark at Crater Lake National Park.
Mount Mazama's Collapse and the Deepest Lake
About 7,700 years ago, Mount Mazama, a volcano in southern Oregon, erupted violently. Its summit gave way and sank into the chamber that had supplied its lava.
The Pumice Desert and Volcanic Ash Landscapes
Just past the North Entrance, a forest of mountain hemlock and Shasta red fir gives way to lodgepole pines and stands burned by wildfire.
Sacred Lake and America's Fifth National Park
Sitting high in the Cascade Mountain Range of southern Oregon, near Klamath Falls, a massive caldera holds the deepest lake in the United States.
Crater Lake Lodge and Mazama Village Stays
Two lodging options sit inside Crater Lake National Park, both run by Explor Crater Lake, the park's concessions operator.
Rim Village Promenade and Historic Rustic Architecture
Rim Village sits on the south rim of Crater Lake, and many people get their first look at the lake from here.
