Top 5 Adventures in Crater Lake National Park Oregon
The deepest and clearest lake in the country belongs to the wonderful Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. It's a dormant volcano that has filled with rain water and snow over the years which is why the water is so clear. My friend Blake showed me a photo of it one day and I said to my wife "That's the next National Park I want to visit." The next summer we were there as part of a trip to Seattle, Portland, and Bend Oregon. It's about a 4 hour drive from Portland, and the town of Bend is only 90 minutes or so. It's a MUST VISIT and today I'm sharing over the top 5 adventures in Crater Lake National Park in Oregon I would recommend to do on your visit!
5. The Cleetwood Cove Trail.
This is only hiking trail in the National Park that takes you down to the lake! You don't want to miss out on that hike if you are up for it. It's about 1 mile downhill with about 500 feet of elevation loss, which of course you gain back on your way back up!
I was there in the summer once and was able to swim in Crater Lake, a truly memorable (and COLD) adventure!
4. Take a boat ride or a swim out in the lake!
We weren't there on a day they did a boat tour but I would highly recommend it to get a different vantage point of this amazing place.
Remember...to touch the lake water or take a boat ride you have to hike both down and back up!
3. A night, or at least a meal, at the Crater Lake Lodge!
It's a beautiful and quaint lodge and is the only in park single room lodging. I recommend spending at least two days and nights to get a glimpse of this park and you should stay within the park. Either at the lodge or camping/cabins!
The wild huckleberries make for amazing treats on the salads or mixed in as ice cream.
The lodge, as with most of the park, is best visited b/t June and October. Even in July we encountered TONS of snow!
2. Drive the loop and take in a few day hikes! Or hike to Mexico/Canada on the PCT!
It will be a nice half to full day to drive the whole perimeter of scenic loop of the park. I hiked Garfield Peak from the lodge and while there was snow on the whole trail in July it was also HOT as you can see from my shirt :). This was about 3.3 miles each way with a final elevation of almost 8,000 feet. A great day hike but a challenging one.
The Pacific Crest Trail also runs through the park. Many PCT Thru-Hikers actually take an alternate route to enjoy the lake but I love getting on the big National Scenic Trails. So I did the opposite and went and hiked on the PCT. No lake views but I love the feeling I get it when I know if I kept walking I could get to Mexico or Canada on a trail.
Hike to the top of Crater Lake National Park via the Mount Scott Trail.
A tough but doable climb, snow most of the year, bugs galore on the summit, and beautiful views of our selfie. Ahem I mean of the blue clear and deep Crater Lake.
It’s a fun trail and an excellent day hike option for those looking to see Crater Lake from a higher vantage point.
Crater Lake National Park is a bit out of the way of most people's tracks but isn't that kinda the point?!
It's one of my 20 favorite National Parks out of the 56 I have visited so far and I highly recommend it.
Let me know any questions by posting a comment below and thanks for being part of the Hashtag59 crew, we are glad you are here!
Sign up in the footer for our emails.
Because Adventure Feeds the Soul,
Mike R and the Hashtag 59 Team
