General information about the National Park
Crater Lake National Park protects the area of Mount Mazama and its crater lake, which was formed 7000 years ago when violent earth tremors collapsed the volcano's lava chamber.
Number of visitors
In 2023, Crater Lake NP ranked 37th in the visitor statistics of the most visited national parks.
Best time to visit: All summer months.
Our visits:
So far 1 visit: June 2015
Entrance fees and opening hours
- 30$/car and max. 15 passengers valid for 7 days (15$ from November to May)
- Covered by the Anual Pass*
- Open 24h all year round. However, the Rim Road is usually closed from late October to mid-June. All year round you can reach the Rim Village.
*The Anual Pass is so to speak the "flat rate" for all Parks managed by the National Park Service. The pass costs a one-time fee of $80 and can be purchased at the entrance to each National Park, National Monument, etc. The pass is valid for 13 months.
Rim Road
Description: The Rim Drive leads around the rim of Crater Lake. The lake was formed when one of the Cascade volcanoes (Mount Mazama) collapsed over 7000 years ago. Crater Lake is 1949ft deep and therefore the deepest lake in the USA. In 1902 the area around the lake became a national park. Because of the high altitude, roads in the park are usually closed from late October to mid-June. However, depending on snow conditions, the Rim Village is open all year round, so you can take a look at the lake even in winter
Besides view point hopping, you can do some great hiking here. There are also boat tours to Wizard Island, the small island in the lake.
Our rating: Crater Lake NP was one of our highlights in June 2015. The water of the lake is incredibly blue and offers great views and photo opportunities. With beautiful weather we had a wonderful day at this unusual place. Anyone traveling in the northwest of the USA should not miss this national park.
Pinnacles
Description: The trail leads along the rim of the Pinnacle Valley. On the way there are many beautiful views of the pretty pyramids.
Trail length: 0.8mi roundtrip
Altitude difference: –
Time needed: 1 hour
Difficulty level: easy - The path is very well developed, flat and very comfortable to walk.
Our rating: Unfortunately, a thunderstorm was approaching during our visit, so we could only look at the Pinnacles in a quick pass. Nevertheless, we liked them very much, we also found the multi-color very interesting. A small but nice location.
Crater Lake Lodge
Description: The lodge was built in 1915. It is perched on the rim of Crater Lake, a good 980ft above the lake. Because there is usually a lot of snow here (an average of 43ft/winter), special demands were placed on the construction. Also because of the location and accessibility, the construction was very difficult and lengthy.
The lodge has been owned by the National Park Service since 1967. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1981. In the 1980s, the lodge, which had become very dilapidated over the years, was to be demolished. However, as there were strong protests against this, it was preserved, restored and modernized in several steps. In 1995 it shone again in new splendor. The renovation cost 15 million dollars.
If you want to visit the lodge today, you should book your room well in advance. The season here is short and so the rooms are booked up very quickly.
Our rating: We spent one night at Crater Lake Lodge in June 2015. The stay was very comfortable and pleasant. The hotel exudes a rustic charm, but has all the amenities you could want. The best feature, however, is the terrace. Here you can enjoy a drink while watching the sunset over the lake. What a great experience. Even though the overnight stay here is very pricey, we would stay here again at any time. A hotel with atmosphere.
