Located in the Cascade Mountains of southern Oregon, Crater Lake National Park is an awe inspiring landscape. Despite its name, Crater Lake wasn’t formed by a meteor, but rather it’s the remnant of a massive volcano. Thousands of years ago, this land was home to Mount Mazama, a 12,000 foot high volcanic peak. 7,700 years ago it erupted, and ultimately collapsed, forming a deep caldera Over time, the caldera filled with rain and snow, creating what we now know as Crater Lake.
When seeing Crater Lake for the first time, you’re struck by the lake’s unbelievable blue color. The color and clarity of the water are otherworldly. Pictures really don’t do it justice, you need to stand on the rim of the crater, to fully appreciate the lake’s magnificent color. Once sufficiently blown away by Crater Lake’s color, you can marvel at its size.
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States, reaching a maximum depth of nearly 2,000 feet. Crater Lake holds nearly 5 trillion gallons of water, and has a surface diameter ranging between 4.5 and 6 miles. Any way you slice it, the lake’s size is impressive.
Visiting Crater Lake National Park
The easiest way to see Crater Lake is by driving the scenic Rim Drive. Rim Drive runs for 33 miles around the entire lake, and has plenty of pullouts with scenic views. There’s also plenty of hiking trails accessible from Rim Drive. There’s numerous hiking opportunities throughout the park, but my favorites were the trails on the west side of the lake, with views of Wizard Island.
Hiking along the rim of Crater Lake, the views never get old, and each side of the lake offers a different perspective. In addition to being scenic, the summertime weather is amazing. Crater Lake is at an elevation of over 6,000 feet, so the temperatures in the summer are quite mild. I started my day in Medford, Oregon where it was 100 degrees, so the 75 degree temperature at Crater Lake made for a very pleasant afternoon.
The downside of being at such a high elevation, is most of Crater Lake National Park is only open during the summer. Crater Lake averages 44 feet of annual snowfall, so Rim Drive is closed from October to June each year. The wait is worth it though, as Crater Lake is spectacular during the summer. It’s also worth noting that boat tours of Crater Lake are available. I didn’t have time for a boat tour on this trip, but that will definitely be on the agenda for my next visit to Crater Lake.
Note: For the psychos who enjoy cold water, yes you can swim in the lake. Water temperatures peak in the low to mid 50’s, but there’s nothing stopping you from going for a swim.