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In the remote forests of southern Oregon, a dramatic caldera harbors the deepest lake in the United States.
Cliff-encircled Crater Lake is what remains of a volcano, once taller than Mount Hood, that erupted here nearly eight thousand years ago. The snowmelt- and rain-fed lake is called Giiwas in the Klamath language. For the Klamath Tribes, the original stewards of these lands who continue to live in the surrounding area, Giiwas is the legendary site of a dramatic conflict. It remains a place of great spiritual significance—something respectful visitors will appreciate when they first take in the sight.
Part of what makes Crater Lake so spellbinding is how far ultraviolet light descends into the waters, what national park experts consider some of the clearest in any lake. Light filters down hundreds of feet into the 2,000-foot pool, allowing its colors to change with the moods of the sky. When a first-time visitor cruises along the Rim Drive, the lake can appear so overwhelmingly azure, so cobalt, so cerulean, so sapphire that, well, you might start to run out of ways to describe its many shades of blue.
Today, Crater Lake is preserved in Oregon’s only national park, where the body of water is obviously the marquee attraction but far from the only one. There are a myriad of ways to observe the lake and surrounding old-growth forests, including trails to scenic viewpoints and geological marvels, gentle waterfalls, and some of the most cinematic snowshoeing in the state.
Here’s how to get the most out of a trip to Crater Lake National Park, where the long trek to get here rewards you with views unlike anywhere else in the American West.
How to get to Crater Lake National Park
Flying into the closest airport to the park with commercial flights—Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport (MFR)—puts you within 75 miles of the park’s headquarters. MFR offers daily flights via major domestic and international airlines including Alaska, United, Delta, and American. But most visitors will plan a road trip to Crater Lake from the nearest major city, Portland, where the Portland International Airport offers far more connections. (You’ll need a car to properly explore the park anyway.) The drive from Portland to Crater Lake takes about four and a half hours, but you can always make the park one stop on a grander Oregon road trip.
When to visit
Crater Lake gets on average more than 40 feet of snowfall each year, making it one of the snowiest places in the United States. While the park remains open year-round, many key roads and attractions operate only a few months out of the year.
July and August are generally the most dependable times to visit, when the park is full of life and wildflowers—Rim Drive is typically open, the trolley buses circle the lake, and guided boat tours whisk visitors to Wizard Island. May, June, and October are unpredictable, with the northern park entrance and Rim Drive not opening until at least mid-June in recent years (in 2022, East Rim Drive didn’t open until July 15). For experienced winter drivers and snowsports lovers, winter is a magical time to visit for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing.
As there are no set opening or closing dates, you’ll want to monitor the park’s page where they post updates on current conditions. In the summer months, be sure to keep an eye on the park’s updates on wildfire activity as blazes are common.
What to do in Crater Lake National Park
Rim Drive and car-free tours
Every trip to Crater Lake centers on the views, and you’ll find panoramic vantage points along Scenic Rim Drive. The seasonal highway, which opens to traffic from late spring until the fall, passes 30 scenic overlooks and pullouts, where you can take in the majesty of Crater Lake, its craggy cliffs, and mystical Wizard Island. You’ll want to give yourself at least two hours to explore the 33-mile road, which forms one leg of the 500-mile Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway. It’s also a popular route for road cyclists. If you’d rather let someone else do the steering so you can focus on the views, hop aboard the Crater Lake Trolley, which picks you up at Rim Village—the heart of the action in the park—for a narrated two-hour bus tour led by park rangers. Running seven days a week in the height of summer, usually starting in July, the buses stop at the most popular places to photograph the lake.
Hiking and snowshoeing
To really get to know the park, you’ll need to lace up your boots. There’s, in fact, only one way to reach the waters of Crater Lake and it requires a strenuous and scenic hike along the steep 1.1-mile Cleetwood Cove Trail, at the bottom of which you can swim on hot summer days. It’s one of several trails commencing from Rim Village, with the much easier and more accessible Discovery Point Trail being among the most popular for its views from the rim. Sun Notch Trail leads to Phantom Ship Overlook, where you can observe an island whose silhouette resembles a tall-masted ship. More than half a dozen seasonal trails give you views of the lake, with many more leading through thick forests such as the Pinnacles Valley Trail, which passes through an unusual landscape marked by volcanic spires. When snow falls, the park turns into a playground for Nordic skiers and snowshoers. Each winter, rangers lead free snowshoe tours around the park with no experience needed and snowshoes provided.
Boat tours to Wizard Island
The most photographed perspectives on Crater Lake are seen from the many pull outs along Rim Drive. But if you want to get a different point of view, book a guided boat tour via Crater Lake Hospitality, the official concessioner for the park. The ranger-led tours pick up at water’s edge, meaning passengers need to be prepared to hike the strenuous Cleetwood Cove Trail. There are two tour routes you can choose from, one that circles the parameter of the lake and another that stops at Wizard Island, the ancient cinder cone where you can hike up to the summit upon landing.
Waterfalls in the park
There are several waterfalls around the park, but the most iconic two are easy to check out while taking a spin around the lake. The most visited is Vidae Falls, conveniently a matter of steps away from Rim Drive. Set on a forested bluff, the spring-fed falls gently tumble some 115 feet down three drops. Not far from Vidae Falls is another popular cascade, Plaikni Falls, which you’ll find along a short and easy hike. A 2-mile there-and-back trail leads to the falls, where snowmelt pours over a mossy green cliff.
Where to stay at Crater Lake National Park
There are several towns within a day-trip distance of Crater Lake—most notably Klamath Falls, Medford, and Ashland—that all make for cool basecamps if you’re exploring the wider region. Ashland is the most picturesque of the bunch and home to the Tony Award-winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival. But to truly experience the park in all its glory, you’re going to want to spend the night so you can watch both the sunset and sunrise over the lake.
The lodge
Perched on the edge of the rim, almost 1,000 feet above the lake’s surface, Crater Lake Lodge is the most scenic place to wake up in the park. The historic lodge opened more than a century ago, and though much of it was significantly rebuilt in the mid-’90s, it retains character distinct to the great lodges of the American West. The quarters are rustic but comfortable, with the most sought-after rooms looking out over the lake. It’s the lodge’s common areas that really stand out, with large stone fireplaces inside and a front patio populated with rim-front rocking chairs.
Camping and cabins
With a backcountry permit (and sufficient experience), you can set up for the night in the wilderness, beneath towering conifers. For most visitors, the less adventurous version of roughing it is Mazama Campground, with 121 tent sites and spots for 75 RVs in the old-growth forest. As with much of the park’s attractions, the campground is seasonal with no set operating dates, but typically opens in June. It's a reservation-only space from July to September. If sleeping on the ground isn’t your thing but you still want a woodsy experience, check out the furnished and ADA accessible Cabins at Mazama Village, which come with creature comforts like showers and real beds.
For more travel inspiration, read our complete guide to the best national parks in the U.S.
