Crater Lake National Park guide · 1 min read
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.
It begins on East Rim Drive, roughly four and a half miles east of North Junction, and drops down from the lake's northern side. The trail first opened in 1960. Thousands of people walk it each year, which makes it the busiest trail in the park.
Expect a steep route that falls about 700 feet over 1.1 miles. The walk down is the easy part, while the climb back to the rim is where most of the effort lands, so gauge your fitness before you set out. The inner walls of the caldera are steep and unstable, so the park limits public entry to this trail and to the shoreline within 300 feet on either side of the Cleetwood dock. People with mobility impairments should know the route is not accessible.
Once at the lake, many visitors go swimming, and cliff jumping is another favorite pastime. Swimming is allowed in the lake itself. The water stays cold even in summer, around 59 degrees Fahrenheit or 15 degrees Celsius, but plenty of people still go in. Anglers can fish from the shore, and some hike down for that purpose alone.
A concessioner runs boat tours from the Cleetwood Marina dock, circling the lake with a stop at Wizard Island, where passengers can get on and off. If you would rather see the water from a boat than from the trail, these tours offer that option.
