Crater Lake National Park, OR

July 28

We started on our way to Crater Lake National Park, OR. Along the way we drove through the scenic Rouge River valley. We arrived at the Mazama Campground after about 4 hours (including a grocery stop in Grants Pass, OR), early enough to secure an electric site.

Crater Lake was formed 7,700 years ago when 12,000 ft Mount Mazama exploded in a violent volcanic eruption. A deep caldera 6 miles by 4 ½ miles was all that was left where the peak once stood. Then over the course of centuries, rain and snow filled the basin, creating the deepest lake in the US (1,943 ft at deepest point). As there are no other external water sources flowing into the lake, Crater Lake is unmatched in clarity, purity and color. All colors of the spectrum are absorbed into the depths of the water except blue which is reflected back in incredible intensity.

Although Mount Mazama is now asleep, it is not an extinct volcano! It may erupt again. There are two islands within Crater Lake, Wizard Island, a cinder cone that erupted after the lake began to fill, and Phantom Ship, an erosion-resistant, craggy, lava island that juts 160 ft above the lake’s surface and resembles a ship with masts and drooping sails.

Crater Lake gets and average of 43.5 ft of snow per year!

We headed to the visitor center at Rim Village, seven miles away. The Sinnott Memorial Overlook affords excellent views of the lake. An interesting exhibit there explains the geologic history and scientific exploration of Crater Lake. There is a scenic, 33-mile rim drive around the entire lake. We drove part of the East Rim Drive to Sun Notch, and hiked the 0.8 mile loop trail to an overlook at the rim. Phantom Ship Overlook provided the next stunning views of the lake, including a closer look at this famous island. We then headed back along the drive and stopped at Vidae Falls, a scenic, spring-fed cascade that tumbles 100 ft over a series of ledges and provides moisture for wildflowers that flourish there in summer.

July 29

In the morning we drove the West Rim Drive to Cleetwood Cove, the only legal access point to the lake’s shore. One can take 2-hour boat tours from the cove but we weren’t interested enough to have made advance reservations. We hiked the steep, strenuous, 2.2 mile round trip Cleetwood Cove Trail down to the water’s edge. We found our own section of boulders to hang out on. In the last two centuries, six different fish species were introduced but only the rainbow trout and the Kokanee salmon remain. We saw some 4-6 inch fish swimming by and a large fish at least 14 inches long! Fishing is allowed with no restrictions.

People were jumping from a cliff into the cold water. Finally, Liam and Ethan decided to go swimming. We told them it might be their only opportunity to ever do so. They didn’t jump in but gradually entered the water and swam around a bit in the more shallow area. The water was probably in the low 60s, but at 200 ft below the temperature is 38 degrees year-round. Given the lake’s clarity, the drop off to deeper water is evident. When the boys were sufficiently cold, they climbed out to warm up on the rocks, bragging about what they had just done.

After climbing the steep trail back up to the rim, we continued our drive south along East Rim Drive. We stopped at Skell Overlook with another view of the lake and where a sign explains the Native American version of the formation of Crater Lake and its significance to their culture. At Cloudcap Overlook at 7,865 feet one can see pines tortured and wind-swept by the strong prevailing winds. We then turned down a 6-mile spur road to Pinnacles Overlook where 100 ft spires are being eroded from the canyon wall. The pinnacles are “fossil fumaroles” where volcanic gases rising up through volcanic ash solidified it into rock long ago. Unfortunately, the road was blocked 3 miles in at the Lost Creek Campground. The park service is doing a lot of road maintenance and forest thinning and restoration. We thought we might take the unpaved Grayback Dr back to East Rim Drive, but it was also blocked. On the way back out we stopped at the trail head of Plaikni Falls, a 2-mile round trip walk through a forest to these pretty falls that are fed by snowmelt, not Crater Lake.

We spent the afternoon relaxing at the campsite. The boys played some on their computers. In the evening a bank of thunderstorms rolled in. They thundered for a long time and put on a varied and brilliant color show in the sunset. Finally it began to rain and, we think, sleet. Snow is not unheard of in July.

July 30

The temperature had dropped significantly due to the thunderstorms, only reading 48 degrees in the morning. We had been extremely lucky so far with the weather on our entire trip!

Besides a wild mountain lion, the porcupine is high on our list of animals we would like to see. On our drive out of Crater Lake we finally saw a porcupine, unfortunately, it was roadkill…

Here are the pictures.