Visiting Crater Lake National Park

I have been to Crater Lake numerous times, and with every visit, I am in awe of its beauty.  It is breathtaking!  Crater Lake is Oregon's only National Park, but Oregon does have other amazing national historical sites and monuments that are worth a visit too.  

Crater Lake is the clearest and deepest lake in the United States and the deepest volcanic lake in the world.  The lake's depth reaches 1943 feet.  It is fed strictly by rain and snow.

Wizard Island (a cinder cone) is the biggest of the two islands in the lake. You can only see a portion of Wizard island as only 2% of it is above lake level. There are boat tours to the island in the summertime.

Phantom Ship (a rock pillar) is the smallest island at Crater Lake.  

Birding is always a fun activity. Besides the Raven, and other more common birds, two that you may enjoy seeing is the Canada Jay and Clarks Nutcracker.  The Canada Jay likes the colder weather far north or at high elevations, making them a treat to see!

Canada Jay

Clarks Nutcracker (juvenile) This baby looks so soft!

Clarks Nutcracker

There are many nice hikes in the area and seven are 2 miles or less. Some you can complete in a day; others will take more time. Every hike begins at 4000 feet or higher. There are 16 hikes that are over two miles with the longest one that goes along the Pacific Crest Trail.  This popular 33-mile trail begins and ends from the North and South access points to the park.  It can be a challenging hike, especially when there is still snow on the ground!

Vidae Falls is a short walk from the parking area along the rim drive.

Lady of the Woods is a .7-mile round trip hike located behind Steel visitor center.  The sculpture is chiseled from a boulder decades ago.

The Pinnacles is another short hike at .8 miles round trip.  It is near the Phantom ship along Pinnacles Road.  I love this hike!

The Pinnacles

Castle Rock Waterfall Trail is a .5 loop trail through an abundant number of pretty wildflowers with a peaceful creek for added enjoyment.   Be sure to grab the little guidebook which helps you to identify the many flowers along the way.

I love these little pinecones!

Pretty flowers throughout the park

High Elevation trees

Shasta Red Fir with its big pinecone.  

Crater Lake Lodge was built in 1909 and first opened in 1915.

This side of Crater Lake Lodge has a big porch area for people to sit, relax in rocking chairs, and enjoy the view of the pretty lake.  There is also a restaurant in the lodge.

Administration Building: This is an example of most of the buildings at Crater Lake which were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the mid 1930's. 

My Poodle enjoyed his visit.  Many National Parks are not too dog friendly, but this one is better than most!  The main area with the rock wall is paved.  Dogs can walk along the long wall and enjoy the views too.  The rim drive is an easy one with dogs.  All the pullouts along the way are dog friendly.  There are other dog friendly trails, picnic areas, and campgrounds in the park as well.

Happy Trails!