Weekends in Crater Lake National Park (OR)
- The Wandering Warmacks
- Feb 4, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 27, 2024
Living in Medford, OR for Hunter's first travel P.T. contract made for such convenient access to visit Crater Lake National Park. This was one of the reasons we picked that location to live in! Snow covers this beautiful park a lot of the year, so summer was an excellent time to visit.
What we love about this park is that nearly anyone can experience its magnificent beauty. 360 degree views of the lake can be seen by car, foot, or tour boat. To reduce contamination, no personal watercraft is allowed. The water was the most incredible blue we've ever seen. At over 1,900 feet, it's one of the deepest lakes in the world with unparalleled clarity. On a sunny day, it glistened like no other. The volcanic basin is composed entirely of rain and snow melt, making the water so pure you can literally drink straight from the lake.
We loved the great amenities the park had to offer. There were multiple lodging options, a camp store, tours, and a park restaurant. All of this is provided through the park partner, Crater Lake Hospitality. It's not often that you find a variety of food options in a National Park, so that was convenient to have access to dining options. You can camp at Mazama campground in cabin or tent, or stay at Crater Lake Lodge. We personally loved utilizing Sno-Parks for free summer car/RV camping in Oregon, and were able to stay at one about 20 minutes away on each of our visits to Crater Lake.
We think most people would enjoy spending 1-3 days in this park, depending on your activity preferences. Since we only lived an hour and a half a way, we visited 3 times - one weekend, and two short day trips. We feel fulfilled with the amount of time we ended up spending here.
HIKES
When searching for hikes to do on AllTrails, the list definitely wasn't as extensive as some of the other parks we've been to. However, we honestly felt like you could get a great view no matter which one(s) you chose. We opted for mostly moderate trails.
Watchman Peak (1.7 miles): We completed this as a night hike. While we couldn't tell you what the views look like in the sunlight, we can tell you this was an amazing place to stargaze. We had our phone flashlights and headlamps, and headed up the slightly steep incline to reach the fire lookout. We went in late summer and got to witness so many shooting stars during a meteor shower. There are a few benches at the fire lookout, which made spending an hour or so up here ideal.
Wizard Island Summit (2.4 miles): This hike can only be reached by tour boat (more details below). While moderately challenging, summiting the lake's focal point was the coolest hike we got to do in the park. Being in the middle of the lake was absolutely stunning. We had plenty of time to hike up and back, and enjoy the scenery at the top during the excursion.
Cleetwood Cove (x2) (2.1 miles): This popular hike is the only access to the water's edge. The trail is very steep but rewarding to be able to marvel at the lake up close.
Discovery Point (2.1 miles): This easy to access trail provides beautiful views of the lake around the rim's edge.
VIEWPOINTS
If hiking isn't your forte, you can take a scenic drive along the entire rim of the lake. There are multiple stop off points, and the views are just as good as they are from almost any trailhead. Road closures are seasonal, so be sure to check the NPS website before visiting. We couldn't visit some of these viewpoints until later in the summer.
Phantom Ship - located along the East Rim Drive
Pumice Castle - located along East Rim Drive
Cloudcap Overlook - located along East Rim Drive
Watchman Overlook - located along the West Rim Drive
EXCURSIONS
The Wizard Island Boat Tour definitely ranked as our favorite activity and memory of the park. Crater Lake Hospitality offers a few boat tour options: Wizard Island Boat Tour, Wizard Island Shuttle, and Standard Lake Cruise. We opted for the longer and more expensive option, and it was worth every penny. We had the opportunity to spend a half day on the lake, which included about 2 hours of a boat ride with narration provided by an NPS guide, and 3 hours to explore Wizard Island on our own. While on the island, you can fish, swim, relax on land, or hike to the summit. No fishing license was required since the fish are not native to the lake. We also got to see Phantom Ship, Old Man of the Lake, and a small waterfall up close. Near the end of the tour, we even got to fill up our water bottles with Crater Lake water. We're so glad we got to wrap up our time in Medford with this excursion. It was truly the epitome of this park!
Note - Unfortunately, boat tours will be closed while the Cleetwood Cove Trail undergoes the 2024-2025 maintenance.
TRIP BREAKDOWN
LENGTH OF STAY: 3 DAYS
📍 Klamath Falls, OR
⛺ Sno-Park: $0
🛥️: $110 (for two people)
⛽ 🍽️ : variable
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