Crater Lake National Park
09.13.2021
This lesser-known National Park flies under the radar but had been near the top of my list to visit for years (since before Instagram)! Its otherworldly presence paired with the park’s many mysteries beckoned me in like a moth to a flame. So, we scheduled our two day visit to Crater Lake for after Labor Day and found the crowds to be absolutely non existent.
Watchman’s Peak 1.7 Mile Out and Back
We arrived at Crater Lake National Park in early morning darkness, navigating the winding road through the woods to the south entrance and up the switchbacks to the rim before the sun even started to show. The obvious spot for stargazing and sunrise view was Watchman’s Peak and it did not disappoint. Not only did we witness one of the most insane sunrises from the best overlook in the park, but we had the trail and it’s outlook to ourselves the entire out and back. Mind you, it was little more than 30*F degrees out but the uphill climb warmed us up.
Cleetwood Cove 1.1 Mile Out and Back
The only way to reach the shore of Crater Lake is to hike down the Cleetwood Cove switchback trail. Usually people only make this descent because they want to get in the boat to visit Wizard Island but, due to a pandemic, the boat was not available during our visit. We still wanted to see and touch the water so we made the hike and it was 100% worth it. The water was tranquil and clear and we even saw a guy catch a fish!
The Old Man
One of the coolest mysteries on Crater Lake is the Old Man; a 30 foot hemlock log that floats completely vertical, just the top 3 feet exposed above the water. He wanders around the lake at a rate of about 60 miles every 3 months and has been doing so for over 100 years without showing any signs of rotting away1. Scott and I hoped to spot the Old Man during our visit and thought we had, but when we later asked a Park Ranger for confirmation, we learned we had had mistaken it for the science buoy which marks the deepest part of the lake. This is why there’s no picture before this paragraph.
Tip – bring binoculars so you don’t have to borrow the Park Rangers when looking for The Old Man!
Mount Scott 2.5 mile Out and Back
Mount Scott is the highest peak in the park at 8,939 feet above sea level. The hike to reach this summit is a challenging, steady incline with elevation, loose gravel, and patchy vegetation adding to conditions. It was quite hot when we made the trip up and while the lookout offers many rocks to rest on, there are relatively few shade trees. The view of the lake is quite distant but the panoramic of the entire surrounding area is beautiful, so we consider it a worthwhile experience as we enjoy a challenging hike and that sense of accomplishment at the top while soaking in all the views.
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the USA, measuring a maximum depth of 1,950 feet.
Crater Lake National Park
Castle Crest Wildflower .4 mile Loop
This short loop brought us joy. It’s a simple and easy walk across a small creek and through a meadow where lots of wildflowers bloom and animals sometimes linger. We didn’t get to see too many flowers due to the time of year (less than 1 week after our visit, Crater Lake got it’s first snowfall of the season) but we enjoyed this trail’s diversity. It does not offer any views of the lake.
Rim Road
Easily the most popular way to see the park is driving the 30+ mile rim road and stopping at every single outlook which all offer great views of the lake and it’s surrounding vegetation. You’ll see everything from flag trees to mossy pines to pumice meadows not to mention the amazing deep blue lake below. My two favorite rim road stops were Phantom Ship Outlook and Watchman’s Peak. Each give aerial views of two different protrusions in Crater lake; Phantom Ship Pinnacles and Wizard Island.
Tip: Bicycling the Rim Road would also be a great and active way to experience Crater Lake National Park.
Pinnacles
I don’t know if making the long drive down Pinnacles Road was worth it as I’m not a huge geology geek, but it was an unusual sight.
Crater Lake is not a crater but a caldera formed by the collapse of the volcano called Mount Mazama.
Everybody’s National Park
Wildfire Smoke
We’re grateful to have had mostly great weather while in the park. On the afternoon of our second day, wind blew in wildfire smoke and filled the caldera causing the lake to be non-visible from the rim. It also allowed for capturing some crazy color during sunset.
Plan ahead
If you want to do more than drive around the lake on your way through Oregon on the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, remember to plan ahead. The two largest cities nearby are Bend and Klamath Falls and both are over 1.5 hours away. We opted to make this drive rather than stay in backcountry accommodations or camp but it was an investment in time and fuel. We also chose to pack all of our food and water in a cooler so we could picnic in the park at our leisure rather than drive to one of the two small and busy park shops to buy sandwiches. Check out our full 11 Day Oregon Road Trip Itinerary for more inspiration.
Our visit was focussed around hiking and we found the official Crater Lake Park Brochure Map to have all the information we needed. Cell service in the park was available whenever we happened to look at our phones, but usually only two bars in strength.
Finally, if you plan to visit in September like we did, be sure to look out for bike-only weekends as all motorized vehicles will not be allowed on the rim road. Crater Lake is a stunning place and well worth a calculated and leisurely visit. Enjoy!
