Crater Lake · RedAwning

Crater Lake National Park1,943 feet of impossibly blue water in a 7,700-year-old volcanic caldera — the deepest lake in the United States

Oregon's only national park, established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1902. Crater Lake fills the caldera left when Mount Mazama (originally 12,000 feet tall) erupted and collapsed about 7,700 years ago — the most violent volcanic event in the Cascades in the last 10,000 years. At 1,943 feet deep it's the deepest lake in the United States, fed only by rain and snow (no inlets, no outlets), giving it some of the clearest water on Earth. The 33-mile Rim Drive, the Cleetwood Cove boat dock, and Wizard Island anchor the visit.

Hours todayOpen 24 hrs – undefinedTuesday hours
TicketsFrom $30Private vehicle (May 22–Oct 31)
LocationCrater Lake, OregonHighway 62
Official sitenps.govPlan your visit

1,943 ftLake depth
1902Established
~42 ftAnnual snowfall
33 miRim Drive

Mount Mazama stood roughly 12,000 feet tall before it erupted about 7,700 years ago — the largest volcanic event in the Cascade Range in the last 10,000 years, ejecting 12 cubic miles of material (50 times the volume of the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption). The summit collapsed into the emptied magma chamber, leaving a 4,000-foot-deep, 5-mile-wide caldera. Rain and snow filled it over the next 700 years, and Klamath people witnessed the eruption — their oral histories describe the battle between Llao (the spirit of the mountain) and Skell (the spirit of the sky) that destroyed it.

Crater Lake is 1,943 feet deep at its deepest point, the deepest lake in the United States and the seventh-deepest in the world. It's fed only by rain and snow — no streams in, no streams out — and evaporation/seepage exactly balances precipitation. The lack of inflowing sediment is why it stays so clear (Secchi disk readings routinely exceed 100 feet) and so blue. Wizard Island, the cinder cone in the western part of the lake, formed about 7,300 years ago when post-collapse eruptions resumed; it rises 767 feet above the water and has its own 90-foot-deep crater on top.

The 33-mile Rim Drive circles the lake at the caldera's edge, with 30-plus pullouts and overlooks. Rim Drive opens fully in late June or early July (later in heavy-snow years — the 2023 winter dumped 52 feet) and closes for the season in October or November. The Cleetwood Cove Trail is the only way down to the water — 1.1 miles, 700 feet of descent, and a strenuous return climb. From the dock, the concessioner-run boat tours circle the caldera and (some trips) drop hikers on Wizard Island for a 2-hour stay. Plan two full days minimum: one to drive the full rim, one for the boat tour and a swim at Cleetwood Cove. The Crater Lake Lodge (1915, 71 rooms, mid-May through early October) is the historic in-park stay; Mazama Village Cabins are the budget option.

Rim Drive — 33 miles, 30+ overlooks
The full loop opens in late June or early July (later in heavy-snow years — opening day was June 30 in 2023 after 52 feet of winter snowfall) and closes for the season in early November. Watchman Overlook (sunset), Cloudcap (highest paved overlook in Oregon at 7,960 ft), and Phantom Ship Overlook are the headline pullouts. Allow 2–3 hours nonstop, half a day with stops.
Cleetwood Cove Trail to the lake
The only legal access to the water — 1.1 miles down, 700 feet of elevation loss, and the same elevation gain on the return. Trailhead is on the north rim; opens in late June, closes in mid-October. Equivalent to climbing 65 flights of stairs on the way back. Sturdy footwear required; not recommended for those with cardiac or knee concerns.
Boat tour to Wizard Island
Three-hour ranger-narrated tours circle the caldera; some boats drop hikers on Wizard Island for a 2-hour stop (Wizard Island summit hike is 2.2 miles round-trip with 760 feet of climb). $64 standard tour, $79 with island drop-off, mid-July through mid-September only. Reserve through Travel Crater Lake — boats sell out 4–6 weeks ahead in summer.
Crater Lake Lodge — 1915
Historic 71-room lodge perched on the caldera rim at 7,100 feet, opened in 1915 and restored in 1995. Stone fireplaces in the Great Hall, full-service Dining Room with rim-view tables, no TVs and no in-room phones. Open mid-May through early October; reserve 13 months ahead — rim-view rooms sell out the day reservations open. Operated by Travel Crater Lake.
Mount Scott summit — 8,929 ft
The highest point in the park — a 5-mile round-trip hike with 1,250 feet of elevation gain to a 1933 fire lookout. The summit ridge is the only spot inside the park where you can see Crater Lake and the entire Cascade Range from the same view. Trailhead at Cloudcap junction on East Rim Drive; clear-day visibility extends to Mount Shasta (110 mi south) and the Three Sisters (95 mi north).
Watchman Lookout & sunset
A 1932 stone fire lookout reached by a 0.8-mile trail (400-foot climb) from West Rim Drive. The most-photographed Crater Lake view — Wizard Island centered in the caldera with the Cascade peaks in the distance — is from the summit. Sunset light hits the rim walls in orange and pink for about 20 minutes. Trail closes when snow returns, typically late October.
Winter snowshoeing — 42-ft annual snowfall
Crater Lake averages 42 feet of snow annually — one of the snowiest inhabited places in the U.S. The park stays open all winter via the South Entrance; rangers lead free snowshoe walks on weekends late November through April (snowshoes provided, ages 8+, reserve same-day). Rim Village is the trailhead. Most years the lake is hidden by clouds — check the rim webcam before driving up.
Phantom Ship & Pumice Castle
Phantom Ship is a 16-million-year-old andesite island in the southeast quadrant of the lake, 167 feet long and shaped like a 19th-century clipper. Best viewed from Phantom Ship Overlook on East Rim Drive. The Pumice Castle is a salmon-pink eroded pumice formation in the cliff below Cloudcap — the only natural feature in the park colored anything other than gray.

Open hours

The park is open 24/7 year-round, but it's one of the snowiest inhabited places in the U.S. (42-foot annual average) and most of the park shuts down in winter. Rim Drive and the North Entrance Road close to vehicles roughly November 1 through late June or early July; in 2023 East Rim Drive didn't open until June 30 after 52 feet of snowfall. The South and West Entrances stay plowed year-round.

MondayOpen 24 hrs
TuesdayTodayOpen 24 hrs
WednesdayOpen 24 hrs
ThursdayOpen 24 hrs
FridayOpen 24 hrs
SaturdayOpen 24 hrs
SundayOpen 24 hrs

Note · No timed-entry reservations needed. The South Entrance (Annie Springs Station, off Hwy 62) is the only year-round vehicle entrance and the closest gate to Rim Village. Check current conditions before arrival May–July — even when the road's plowed, weather can close it for hours. Cell coverage is limited park-wide.

Ticket pricing

Per-person admission. Buy in advance to skip the gate line.

Private vehicle (May 22–Oct 31)$30Driver and all passengers, 7 consecutive days — summer rate
Private vehicle (Nov 1–May 21)$20Driver and all passengers, 7 consecutive days — winter rate
Per person (foot, bike, ski)$15Individuals 16+, 7 consecutive days
Crater Lake annual pass$55Crater Lake + Lava Beds NM + Lassen NP + Whiskeytown NRA
Boat tour to Wizard Island$643-hour ranger-narrated, includes hike option
America the Beautiful — Annual$80All U.S. national parks and federal recreation lands

Cashless park — credit/debit only. Boat tours run mid-July through mid-September weather permitting; reserve through Travel Crater Lake (concessioner). The only way down to the lake is the Cleetwood Cove Trail — 1.1 miles down with 700 feet of elevation loss, and the same back up. Not for anyone with cardiac concerns.

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