CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK
Crater Lake, the fifth oldest national park, was established in 1902 as a 183,000 acre park in the Southern Cascades of Oregon. The lake is a remnant of a destroyed volcano, Mount Mazama. The lake is 1,949 feet (594 m) deep at its deepest point, which makes it the deepest lake in the United States, and the ninth-deepest in the world. There is a lot of rain in Oregon, due to the relatively moist climate that is typical of the crest of the Cascade Range. Crater Lake has no streams flowing into or out of it. All water that enters the lake is eventually lost from evaporation or subsurface seepage. The lake's water commonly has a striking blue hue, and the lake is re-filled entirely from direct precipitation in the form of snow and rain.
Klamath Falls (21,000 population) is the nearest town and that is seventy-five miles away; it is amazingly sunny there, for a town in the state of Oregon.
Most people enter the park from the entrance off of Oregon 97. Cell reception in the park and surrounding areas is limited. Use a map or GPS (Crater Lake or Rim Village; or 42° 53' 48.91" North 122° 08' 03.08" West). Be aware that the park's North Entrance is closed for about 7 months each year. It closes November 1 (or earlier, due to significant snowfall). It opens sometime between mid-May and late June.
The park's South Entrance and West Entrance are open year-round. Unleaded gas is available seasonally at the Mazama Village Store. The rest of the year, the closest gas stations are in the towns of Prospect (33 miles west of Park Headquarters) and Chiloquin (34 miles south of Park Headquarters).
Cross-country skiers & snowshoers may go entirely around the 31 mile lake loop in the winter. It likely will take 3 day!
We visited Oregon in September 2021, starting at the northern sector, going down in the rural east to Crater Lake and then up to coast to Mt. Ranier National Park.
The north east section south is rural and isolated. There are good roads yet few places to stay or eat. The closer we got to Crater Lake, a major national park attraction, the heavier the smoke became.
When we go to Crater Lake, it was so smokey that we could not see the lake. Although we spent two days at the lake, we ever saw it--a strong disappointment.
The coastal area of Oregon is the more populated area and beautiful to travel along a coastal highway
The north east section south is rural and isolated. There are good roads yet few places to stay or eat. The closer we got to Crater Lake, a major national park attraction, the heavier the smoke became.
When we go to Crater Lake, it was so smokey that we could not see the lake. Although we spent two days at the lake, we ever saw it--a strong disappointment.
The coastal area of Oregon is the more populated area and beautiful to travel along a coastal highway
Crater Lake September 2021 with smoke from Oregon fires
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