Crater Lake is another one of those iconic locations that National Park afficionados like us get excited about. It’s the deepest lake in the US (over 1900 feet), is known for its incredible blue hues, and has multiple stunning vantage points around its scenic drive. It was formed 7,700 years ago from the eruption and collapse of Mount Mazama. I don’t go into all of them with high expectations, but this one had a pretty high bar to hurdle.
We woke to a cold morning – the first one we can call cold. Plus, it was raining. The rain had been expected for early morning, and we hoped that the conditions would minimize the weekend crowd. We were determined to get in there to do the most populated hike today, and so our alarm went off bright and early at 6am. It felt extra early since our mile-high campground (5,255 feet to be exact) impacted the quality of our rest.
Grateful for a break in the raindrops for a dog walk and packing up our exterior appendages (hose, electric, starlink, levelling pads), we were approaching the park entrance just after 7am with cold brews in hand. We are obviously proud of our efficiency and hoped that it would pay off.
The drive up to the park area was a steep incline of approximately 2,000 feet. It was drizzling, foggy, and generally not a nice start to the day. We passed one car at the park sign, an empty entrance station, and some forested areas on our climb. We also saw vast, strangely sparse, areas. This area is called the Pumice Desert. There are over 3,000 acres of area where there is over 200 feet of highly porous volcanic deposit, hindering any plant growth. It’s apparently great for snowmobiling in the winter, and we hope to be able to appreciate the views when the skies are clearer tomorrow.
We got ourselves directly to the parking lot where the big action happens, Cleetwood Cove.
There are multiple reasons why this spot is so popular and in demand. First and foremost, it was an incredible view and the only trail that gets you direct lake access. So that is what we did.
The 700 foot climb out definitely warmed us up!
So not only does this hike offer lake access, but it also offers boat rides. Hence, the crowded parking lot multiplying factor. The boat rides include a cruising tour or an opportunity to visit the island in the middle of the lake (Wizard Island). While we weren’t interested in taking a boat ride, we were aware that beating those crowds was the key to success today.
Especially since today was the last opportunity for tourists to take this boat ride for a very long time. 3 years, in fact!
The trail and marina are in significant need of rehab and repair. There were many signs warning of falling rock, and evidence of a variety of structural supports along the way. The NPS will be closing this trail completely in a few weeks, and will take 3 years to completely refurbish this area. We are so grateful that we were able to enjoy it safely today, and perhaps will be back in a few years to see the improvements. After all, it is quite close to our new wine club.
After the A+ hiking experience, we drove more of the scenic drive around the lake. Unfortunately, the fog and clouds were significant most of the time, and it was even colder/windier at higher elevations
We made it as far as we could on the East Rim Scenic Drive, but then had to turn around due to construction. We will definitely plan to revisit this area tomorrow when it is supposed to be clearer.
With the rain and peaks of sun, we did get to see the end of the rainbow right in the middle of the lake!
We then went around to the other side of the park, creatively known as West Rim Scenic Drive. This took us to the very small visitor center, a gift shop and Crater Lake Lodge.
We decided to head out before noon, satisfied with our first day adventure; we are again so grateful to have another day here. On the way back, I wanted to see what else the area around our RV park had to offer. The answer is a definitive nothing! While there is a “Diamond Lake Resort” a couple of miles up the road, it was one of the most disgusting areas we have ever seen. It may have been lovely when it was built in the 1920’s, but it has not been maintained or restored in any way. Therefore, we won’t be needing to go back there and I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone wanting to visit the Crater Lake Area (stay on the NPS property if you can, because the entire surrounding area that we have seen thus far outside of the park is quite depressed).
Back at the RV park, we took our traditional post-hike nap after lunch. We are now freshly clean and revived, watching Sunday Night Football and eating leftover pizza with a lovely bottle of Pinot Noir from our winery purchases. The temps will officially dip into the 30’s tonight, and but the skies are already much clearer. We are excited to see the park in all of its glory tomorrow, with bright sunny skies!
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