| |
|
 |
|
| |
Plan a Road Trip > Explore America > National Parks > Crater Lake National Park |
|
|
| |
|
| |
PO Box 7, Crater Lake, OR 97604
Phone: 541-594-3000
Fax: 541-329-6918
Open All Year
Overview. About 7,700 years ago, Mount Mazama, a 12,000 foot volcanic mountain in the Cascade Range, exploded with such cataclysmic fury that ash from the eruption fell 700 miles away in Canada. The Klamath Indians witnessed the catastrophe, and their lore interprets it as a fight to the death between Llao, the spirit of the underworld who made his home on Mt. Mazama, and Skell, the spirit of the "above world," who dwelled on Mt. Shasta, to the south. Llao lost and his mountain was destroyed. The deep blue lake that formed in the resulting caldera was sacred to the Klamath and still is today. It remained unknown to western explorers until 1853 when John Hillman and a band of prospectors happened upon the lake. It went by several names such as Blue Lake, Deep Blue Lake, Great Sunken Lake, and Lake Majesty, but in 1869, newspaper man John Sutton dubbed it "Crater Lake," for the crater atop the volcanic cone of Wizard Island, and that was the name that stuck.
The next year, Kansas schoolboy William Gladstone Steel decided to read the scrap of newspaper in which his lunch had been wrapped, and a story about the lake piqued his interest. It was another 15 years before he gazed in awe into its incredibly colored water and began his campaign to set aside Crater Lake as a national park. In 1886, preliminary soundings of the lake (made with piano wire) indicated it was more than 1,900 feet deep. It is claimed to be 20 times purer than most drinking water. Theodore Roosevelt signed legislation establishing six-mile-wide Crater Lake, by then confirmed as the deepest lake in the United States, the nation's sixth national park in 1902.
What to see and do. Stop by the Steel Information Center to acquaint yourself with the park, then proceed to the Sinnott Memorial Overlook for a panoramic view of the lake. Drive clockwise along the rim of the caldera on the 33-mile Rim Drive, stopping at each overlook for a new and spectacular lake view. Picnic areas are available at several points along the Rim Drive. Hike to the summit of the Watchman or Mt. Scott (the highest point in the park at 8,929 feet), or take Cleetwood Trail to the lake's edge and hop on the boat tour. Hike the park's easy nature trails, or load your pack and head into the backcountry. The Pacific Crest Trail, which extends along the mountainous spine of the west coast from Canada to Mexico, passes through the park. Be sure to see the Pinnacles, eerie rock needle remnants of fumaroles, exposed when the volcanic ash around them eroded. Trailers are not permitted on Pinnacle Road.
The summer season at Crater Lake is very short: from late June through September. Snow comes early and accumulates quickly, closing the Rim Drive and the northern entrance road by October. Route 62 remains open, however, and although few of the services are open, the park is active with cross-country skiers and snowmobilers. Winter hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., November to April. Snowmobiles are only allowed in the park on the north entrance road to the Caldera rim (distance of 9 miles). Off-trail riding is prohibited.
The Steel Information Center is open all year, from 9 AM to 5 PM. A movie about Crater Lake is shown every half-hour, and books and other informative materials are available. The Rim Village Visitor Center is open from June through September (call for specific dates), and nearby Crater Lake Lodge is open from late May to mid-October. Accommodations, food, and other services are available at Rim Village and Mazama Village, though most are available only during the summer. Crater Lake has two campgrounds, a large facility at Mazama Village and a smaller, tent-only site at Lost Creek. Backcountry camping is allowed with a permit, obtainable at no charge from park authorities. Call the park for seasonal closure information.
If you'd like to see more examples of Cascade Range lakes, visit Diamond Lake in the Umpqua National Forest, or Winema National Forest's Lake of the Woods. Oregon Caves and Lava Beds National Monuments are relatively close by.
| Activities and Services |
|
| • |
Bird Watching |
|
| • |
Cross-country Skiing |
|
| • |
Fishing |
|
| • |
Food Service |
|
| • |
Geological Sites |
|
| • |
Gift Shop |
|
| • |
Guided Tours |
|
| • |
Hiking/Nature Trails |
|
| • |
Historic Sites |
|
| • |
Horse Trails |
|
| • |
Museum/Exhibits |
|
| • |
Picnic Sites |
|
| • |
Programs/Talks |
|
| • |
Self-guided Tours |
|
| • |
Snowboarding |
|
| • |
Snowmobiling |
|
| • |
Visitor Center |
|
| • |
Wildflower Viewing |
|
| • |
Wildlife Viewing |
|
Search All National Parks
Please call ahead to confirm details. We do our best to give you current information, but facts can change. Please let us know if you find something's changed.
|
|
|
|
