Welcome to
Crater Lake Views!
A glimpse of Crater Lake is a wondrous view! Many
people think the color of the water is the bluest
blue they have ever seen. The intensity of the
lake’s color is not just from the sunrays
reflecting on the surface. The deep blue hue comes
from sunlight mixing and reacting with the water
molecules. Crater Lake is the central feature of
Crater Lake National Park. Crater Lake is the
deepest lake in America and one of the deepest in
the world. The depth is over 1,900 feet at its
lowest drop, but even the shoreline can be several
hundred feet deep. The elevation above sea level at
the volcanic rim around the lake measures between
seven and eight thousand feet. Crater Lake is
actually a volcanic crater left from the massive
explosion of the 12,000-foot high Mount Mazama 7700
years ago. The water of Crater Lake is some of the
cleanest in the world. There are no rivers or
streams that empty into or out of the lake. Crater
Lake is filled each year by snow and rain.
Evaporation of the water and water seeping out in
places keep the lake level relatively even each
year. The water level fluctuation usually stays
within a couple of feet. Over two-thirds of the
snowfall in Crater Lake National Park occur between
November and March. The deepest snow in the park at
one time on record was recorded in 1983. Crater
Lake receives over five hundred inches of snow each
year. Only on rare occasions does the surface of
Crater Lake freeze over. Fish are not native to the
lake. Several different kinds of fish were stocked
in the lake between the late 1880’s and 1941, but
only Rainbow Trout and Kokanee Salmon have survived
in the cold waters. The only two islands on the
lake are Wizard Island and Phantom Ship. Wizard
Island is a 750-foot high cinder cone on the west
side of the lake. Phantom Ship is a rough rock
outcropping on the water surface that many think
resemble a ship. The only access to Phantom Ship
and Wizard Island is by boat during the summer
months. A boat tour departs from the Cleetwood Cove
dock at the water’s edge. Tickets must be purchased
at the ticket booth on the rim on a first come,
first serve rule. People line up early in the
morning for tickets because the allotment for each
day can sell out quickly. A hike the length of a
mile from the top is the only way to reach the
dock. Passengers are allowed to get off the boat at
Wizard Island to hike the two island trails, but,
unless boat tour space allows, it may be the end of
the day before a boat can pick you up off the
island. Fishing is allowed on the lake and no
license is required. The number of fish caught is
not limited, but only artificial bait can be used.
The lake takes up only a small part of park property. Crater Lake has nearly 180,000 acres of forests. A leisurely drive on the road around the rim of Crater Lake can offer magnificent views. Many of the nearly half-million visitors to the park choose to drive the rim route. The road is thirty-three miles around and is open only between July and October because of weather conditions. Mount Scott is the highest point in the park. A strenuous two-and-a-half mile hike takes you to the top of Mount Scott. A fire tower stands at the summit for lookout. The elevation of Mount Scott is 8,929 feet and was named after Oregon pioneer Levi Scott. Levi Scott is noted for establishing the town of Scottsburg in Oregon. Red Cone District is named for the volcanic red cone that rises from the pumice floor. Visitors can view Vidae Falls off the East Rim Drive near park headquarters. The start of the Castle Crest Wildflower Garden Walk can be reached by parking in the park headquarters lot. It is a peaceful one-mile nature walk of flowers, streams, and meadow. The Pinnacles can be reached by turning onto a separate park road from the Rim Drive. The rock formations are weathered pinnacle-shapes of tan and gray color.
There are two visitor centers in Crater Lake National Park. The park headquarters is the Steel Visitor Center below the lake. The Rim Visitor Center is located up on the lake rim, but is only open June through September. The Steel Visitor Center is named after William Gladstone Steel. He convinced President Theodore Roosevelt and the United States Congress to make Crater Lake a national park. Crater Lake National Park is the fifth oldest national park in the United States. Mr. Steel devoted decades of his life to promoting and maintaining Crater Lake. He helped establish the Crater Lake Lodge Company that opened for business in 1915 and his efforts got the lake Rim Drive completed in 1918. William Steel was named as the second park superintendent because of his efforts to establish Crater Lake. The park has two campgrounds. The Lost Creek Campground is the smaller with sixteen tent sites. The Mazama Campground has nearly two-hundred sites. This campground has available running water, flush toilets, and picnic tables. Reservation are also allowed, while the Lost Creek Campground is first come, first serve. Lodging is limited inside the park. The Mazama Village Motor Inn and the camper store are open until October. The historic Crater Lake Lodge is located up on the rim of the lake. The lodge has seventy-one rooms—many of the rooms have stunning views overlooking the edge of the lake. It opened for business in 1915. Rooms do not have television or phones. The Crater Lake Lodge closed for a time to allow for a lengthy renovation. It reopened in 1995. Reservations should be considered because Crater Lake Lodge can be booked up months ahead. The closest towns with an airport to Crater Lake National Park are Klamath Falls, Oregon and Medford, Oregon. Klamath Falls in sixty miles away and Medford is an eighty mile drive.
The lake takes up only a small part of park property. Crater Lake has nearly 180,000 acres of forests. A leisurely drive on the road around the rim of Crater Lake can offer magnificent views. Many of the nearly half-million visitors to the park choose to drive the rim route. The road is thirty-three miles around and is open only between July and October because of weather conditions. Mount Scott is the highest point in the park. A strenuous two-and-a-half mile hike takes you to the top of Mount Scott. A fire tower stands at the summit for lookout. The elevation of Mount Scott is 8,929 feet and was named after Oregon pioneer Levi Scott. Levi Scott is noted for establishing the town of Scottsburg in Oregon. Red Cone District is named for the volcanic red cone that rises from the pumice floor. Visitors can view Vidae Falls off the East Rim Drive near park headquarters. The start of the Castle Crest Wildflower Garden Walk can be reached by parking in the park headquarters lot. It is a peaceful one-mile nature walk of flowers, streams, and meadow. The Pinnacles can be reached by turning onto a separate park road from the Rim Drive. The rock formations are weathered pinnacle-shapes of tan and gray color.
There are two visitor centers in Crater Lake National Park. The park headquarters is the Steel Visitor Center below the lake. The Rim Visitor Center is located up on the lake rim, but is only open June through September. The Steel Visitor Center is named after William Gladstone Steel. He convinced President Theodore Roosevelt and the United States Congress to make Crater Lake a national park. Crater Lake National Park is the fifth oldest national park in the United States. Mr. Steel devoted decades of his life to promoting and maintaining Crater Lake. He helped establish the Crater Lake Lodge Company that opened for business in 1915 and his efforts got the lake Rim Drive completed in 1918. William Steel was named as the second park superintendent because of his efforts to establish Crater Lake. The park has two campgrounds. The Lost Creek Campground is the smaller with sixteen tent sites. The Mazama Campground has nearly two-hundred sites. This campground has available running water, flush toilets, and picnic tables. Reservation are also allowed, while the Lost Creek Campground is first come, first serve. Lodging is limited inside the park. The Mazama Village Motor Inn and the camper store are open until October. The historic Crater Lake Lodge is located up on the rim of the lake. The lodge has seventy-one rooms—many of the rooms have stunning views overlooking the edge of the lake. It opened for business in 1915. Rooms do not have television or phones. The Crater Lake Lodge closed for a time to allow for a lengthy renovation. It reopened in 1995. Reservations should be considered because Crater Lake Lodge can be booked up months ahead. The closest towns with an airport to Crater Lake National Park are Klamath Falls, Oregon and Medford, Oregon. Klamath Falls in sixty miles away and Medford is an eighty mile drive.
