20 Things to Do in Crater Lake National Park

I still remember my first visit to Crater Lake wondering the whole way up if the water was really that blue. Spoiler alert. It is. The lake sits at 6,178 feet inside the collapsed caldera of Mount Mazama, a volcano that erupted and caved in on itself roughly 7,700 years ago. At 1,943 feet deep, it is the deepest lake in the United States. The water is almost entirely fed by rain and snowmelt, with no rivers flowing in or out, which is why it is so absurdly clear and blue.

Beyond the lake itself, the park has more going on than most folks expect. I figured the only things to do at Crater Lake were limited to driving around the rim and seeing the different overlooks. I was wrong. There are serious hikes, winter activities, some of the best stargazing in the Pacific Northwest, and a historic lodge that belongs on a postcard.

One important thing to know before planning your trip. Crater Lake gets an average of 43 feet of snow per year. That is not a typo. 43 feet. The park is often snowed in from October through late June, and Rim Drive typically does not fully open until early July. If you are visiting outside of summer, call ahead. Large sections of the park will be closed.

Here are 20 things to do in Crater Lake National Park, based on my own visits to the park.

1. Drive Rim Drive

Distance: 33 miles | Time: 2 to 4 hours with stops

Rim Drive is a 33-mile loop that circles the entire caldera, with over 30 overlooks and pullouts along the way. This is the signature experience at Crater Lake, and it is one of the best scenic drives in the national park system. Every overlook gives you a slightly different angle on the lake, from sweeping panoramas to intimate views of Wizard Island, Phantom Ship, and the Pumice Castle.

I recommend doing the full loop clockwise, starting from Rim Village. The afternoon light hits the east side of the caldera beautifully from this direction. Budget at least 2 hours, but 3 to 4 is better if you want to actually get out of the car at each viewpoint. The speed limit is 35 mph and the road is narrow and winding in places. Do not rush this one.

Rim Drive is typically open from early July through late October, depending on snowfall. Check the park website or call the visitor center before your visit.

2. Hike Watchman Peak Trail

Distance: 1.6 miles round trip | Elevation Gain: 420 feet | Difficulty: Moderate | Time: 45 minutes to 1.5 hours

Watchman Peak is the best short hike in the park. The trail switchbacks up to a historic fire lookout tower at 8,013 feet with panoramic views of the lake, Wizard Island, and the surrounding Cascade peaks. On a clear day, you can see Mount Shasta 125 miles to the south.

The trail is wide and well-maintained, with the elevation gain spread across manageable switchbacks. The lookout tower at the top is still staffed during summer months. This is the best sunset hike in the park. The light turns the lake from blue to purple to black as the sun drops, and the west-facing position means you get the full show.

3. Hike Garfield Peak Trail

Distance: 3.4 miles round trip | Elevation Gain: 1,010 feet | Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous | Time: 1.5 to 3 hours

If Watchman Peak gives you the best sunset view, Garfield Peak gives you the best overall view in the park. The trail starts right behind Crater Lake Lodge and climbs steeply along the caldera rim to 8,054 feet, with increasingly dramatic views of the lake, Wizard Island, and the Phantom Ship the higher you go.

The final section of the trail traverses a narrow ridge with drop-offs on both sides. It is not dangerous if you stay on the path, but it will get your attention. The summit view looks straight down 1,900 feet to the lake surface. I have photographed a lot of lakes in a lot of national parks. This one is in a category by itself.

Snow can linger on the upper portions of this trail well into July. Check with the ranger station before heading up.

4. Cleetwood Cove Trail (Currently Closed)

Distance: 2.2 miles round trip | Elevation Gain: 700 feet | Difficulty: Strenuous | Time: 1.5 to 2.5 hours

Cleetwood Cove Trail is the only legal access to the shore of Crater Lake, and it is currently closed for renovation. The NPS is rebuilding the trail and dock facilities, with closures expected through 2027. There is no public access to the lake surface until the project is complete.

When it reopens, this trail drops 700 feet from the rim to the water’s edge, where you can swim in the lake (yes, people swim in it, and yes, it is cold, around 55 to 60 degrees F in summer) and catch the boat tour to Wizard Island. The return trip is all uphill at elevation, which catches folks off guard. Plan accordingly.

5. Wizard Island Boat Tour (Currently Closed)

The boat tours are also closed during the Cleetwood Cove renovation. When operating, the tour takes you across the lake to Wizard Island, a 764-foot-tall volcanic cinder cone that rises from the water. You can hike to the summit for views back across the lake to the caldera walls, or explore the shoreline. Tours typically ran from late June through mid-September and sold out weeks in advance.

The island is named for its resemblance to a wizard’s hat (which I think is a stretch, but the name stuck). At the summit, there is a 90-foot-deep crater called the Witches Cauldron. When boat tours resume, book early. These are among the most popular activities in the entire national park system.

6. Sun Notch Viewpoint

Distance: 0.5 miles round trip | Elevation Gain: 150 feet | Difficulty: Easy | Time: 15 to 25 minutes

Sun Notch is a short walk from a pullout on the east side of Rim Drive to a viewpoint that looks straight down at the Phantom Ship, a rock formation rising from the lake that looks like a ghostly sailing ship. This is the best angle on the Phantom Ship from anywhere on the rim, and most folks drive right past the trailhead without realizing it.

The viewpoint sits on a cliff edge with no railing. Watch small children and anyone with a fear of heights. The Phantom Ship is 160 feet tall, but from up here it looks like a toy floating in impossibly blue water. Quick stop, excellent payoff.

7. Phantom Ship Overlook

This is the more accessible (no hiking required) viewpoint for the Phantom Ship, located at a pullout along the south side of Rim Drive. You will not get as dramatic an angle as Sun Notch, but it is easier to reach and still gives you a good view of the formation with the lake stretching out behind it.

The Phantom Ship is made of 400,000-year-old andesite rock, making it the oldest exposed rock in the caldera. It has survived the eruption that created the lake and thousands of years of erosion since. At 160 feet tall, it is roughly the same height as a 16-story building, though it does not look it from the rim. The sense of scale at Crater Lake is deceptive. Everything is bigger than it appears from above.

8. Hike the Pinnacles Trail

Distance: Variable, up to 4 miles round trip | Elevation Gain: 200 feet | Difficulty: Easy | Time: 1 to 2 hours

The Pinnacles are volcanic spires in a canyon on the park’s southeast side, formed by hot gases venting through volcanic ash deposits after the eruption of Mount Mazama. They look like rows of stone chimneys or castle turrets rising from the canyon floor. This is one of the most underrated features in the park because it has nothing to do with the lake, and most folks come here for the lake.

Their loss. The Pinnacles area is reached via Pinnacles Road, a spur off the east side of Rim Drive. The trail follows the rim of Wheeler Creek canyon with views down into the spires. In late afternoon light, the orange and grey formations cast long shadows across the canyon floor. I spent over an hour here just photographing the formations from different angles.

9. Hike to Plaikni Falls

Distance: 2 miles round trip | Elevation Gain: 100 feet | Difficulty: Easy | Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Plaikni Falls is a relatively new trail (opened in 2011) that leads to a waterfall on the park’s east side. The trail is flat and well-maintained, passing through a meadow and old-growth forest before arriving at a viewing platform for the falls, which drop about 30 feet over a moss-covered rock face fed by snowmelt.

This is not a massive waterfall. It is a quiet, pretty cascade in a forest setting. What makes it worth the walk is the contrast with the rest of the park. After spending time on the exposed, treeless rim, ducking into a cool old-growth forest with a waterfall at the end feels like stepping into a different park entirely. Good for families, good for a midday break when the rim gets hot.

10. Visit Crater Lake Lodge

Crater Lake Lodge sits directly on the caldera rim at Rim Village, and it is one of the great national park lodges. Originally built in 1915, it was extensively renovated in the 1990s. The Great Hall has massive stone fireplaces, timber framing, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake. You can sit in an Adirondack chair on the back patio with a drink and stare at the deepest lake in America until you run out of things to think about.

Rooms book out months in advance (sometimes a year), but you do not need to be a guest to enjoy the lodge. Walk in, grab a meal at the dining room, or just sit in the Great Hall. The back patio at sunset is one of the most peaceful spots in the national park system. For more background on the park, check out our Crater Lake facts page.

11. Stargazing

Crater Lake sits at elevation in a relatively remote part of southern Oregon, far from any major city lights. The skies here rate a Bortle 1 to 2, which is about as dark as it gets in the lower 48. On a clear, moonless night, the Milky Way reflects off the lake surface. I am not being poetic. It literally reflects. The lake is so still and so dark that you can see the galaxy in the water.

The best stargazing locations are the pullouts along the north and east sides of Rim Drive, away from the lights at Rim Village. Summer is the best season because Rim Drive is open, but the trade-off is that summer nights are short at this latitude. If you are serious about astrophotography, check our national park stargazing guide for gear and timing recommendations.

12. Sunrise and Sunset Photography

The lake changes color throughout the day in ways that will make you question your camera’s white balance settings. At sunrise, the east-facing caldera walls glow orange and pink while the lake is still deep indigo. At sunset, the west side lights up and the shadows creep across the water. Both are worth waking up early and staying out late for.

My favorite sunrise spot is Rim Village, looking east across the lake toward Mount Scott. My favorite sunset spot is Watchman Overlook or the lodge patio. For the Phantom Ship, midday light actually works well because the sun is high enough to illuminate the formation against the dark water. In the golden hours, the Phantom Ship can get lost in shadow depending on the time of year.

13. Hike Mount Scott Trail

Distance: 5 miles round trip | Elevation Gain: 1,250 feet | Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous | Time: 2 to 3.5 hours

Mount Scott is the highest point in the park at 8,929 feet. The trail switchbacks up the southeast side of the peak through open slopes with wildflowers in July and August. From the summit, you get a 360-degree view that includes the full caldera, Klamath Lake to the south, and the Cascade Range stretching north to Mount Thielsen and beyond.

This is the most strenuous maintained hike in the park, but the trail is well-graded and the views are constant. You are above treeline for most of the hike, which means full sun exposure and wind. Bring layers and sunscreen. The summit can be 15 to 20 degrees cooler than the trailhead with a stiff wind.

14. Attend a Ranger Program

Crater Lake’s ranger programs run from late June through early September. The schedule includes geology talks at Rim Village, guided walks along the rim, and evening programs at the Mazama Amphitheater. The geology talks are worth making time for. The story of Mount Mazama’s eruption and collapse is one of the most dramatic in the Cascade Range, and the rangers tell it well.

Check the schedule at the Steel Visitor Center or online. Programs are free and do not require reservations. The evening campfire talks at Mazama are a nice way to end a long day of driving and hiking.

15. Junior Ranger Program

Pick up a free Junior Ranger booklet at the Steel Visitor Center. Kids complete activities related to the park’s geology, wildlife, and history, then present their booklet to a ranger to receive a badge. The program is well-designed here, with activities that actually require looking at things in the park rather than just filling in blanks.

I do not have kids yet, but I have watched plenty of families go through this program, and the kids are genuinely engaged. The volcano and lake formation sections are particularly good. If you are visiting with children, this gives the trip structure and keeps them paying attention at the overlooks instead of asking when you are leaving.

16. Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing

Crater Lake in winter is a different park. Rim Drive is buried under 10 to 20 feet of snow, and the only access is the south entrance from Highway 62. The north entrance closes in fall and does not reopen until late spring. But the park stays open, and winter activities are excellent.

Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing along the unplowed sections of Rim Drive are the main draws. You ski on top of what is normally the road surface, surrounded by snow-covered trees with the lake appearing at intervals through the caldera rim. It is surreal. The snow is deep, the silence is total, and you might see a dozen people all day.

Rangers lead free snowshoe walks on weekends in winter (gear provided). These are popular and space is limited, so check the park website for the current schedule. For a broader look at winter in the national parks, see our winter national parks guide.

17. Sledding

There is no formal sledding hill at Crater Lake, but the park allows sledding in several areas near the rim when conditions are safe. The Rim Village area and the slopes near the park headquarters are common spots. Bring your own sled or tube. The snow here is deep and powdery, and the runs can get surprisingly fast on the steeper slopes.

This is free, unstructured winter fun, and it is one of the best things to do with kids at Crater Lake in the colder months. Just stay away from the rim edge and any areas marked as closed.

18. Hike Discovery Point Trail

Distance: 2 miles round trip | Elevation Gain: 100 feet | Difficulty: Easy | Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Discovery Point is where a group of prospectors first spotted Crater Lake in 1853. The trail follows the west rim from Rim Village to the overlook, passing through mountain hemlock forest with periodic views of the lake through the trees. It is an easy walk with a historical payoff.

The viewpoint gives you a straight-on view of Wizard Island with the caldera walls rising behind it. This is the closest rim view of the island and a popular photography spot. I prefer this trail in the morning when the west rim is in soft light and the lake has not yet picked up the afternoon glare.

19. Hike Godfrey Glen Trail

Distance: 1 mile loop | Elevation Gain: Minimal | Difficulty: Easy | Time: 20 to 30 minutes

Godfrey Glen is a flat loop trail through old-growth forest at the base of the caldera, well below the rim. It does not have lake views, which is why most folks skip it. But the forest here is beautiful, with massive mountain hemlock and Shasta red fir, and the trail follows the rim of a canyon carved by Annie Creek. The canyon walls show the same volcanic layers you see at the Pinnacles, just on a smaller scale.

This is a good trail for early morning or midday when the rim is crowded. It is also fully accessible and works well for strollers or folks who want a flat, easy walk through the woods.

20. Explore Southern Oregon from Crater Lake

Crater Lake sits in a part of Oregon that most folks pass through on I-5 without stopping. That is a mistake. The Upper Rogue River, the Umpqua National Forest, and the Klamath Basin are all within an hour or two of the park. If you have extra time, the Oregon road trip possibilities from Crater Lake are excellent.

Bend is about 2.5 hours north and makes a good base for exploring central Oregon. The Oregon national parks and monuments page has more on what else to see in the state. If you are heading south, Lava Beds National Monument is about 2 hours away and is one of the most underrated units in the national park system.

Tips for Visiting Crater Lake

Check road conditions before you go. Rim Drive is typically open early July through late October. The north entrance (Highway 138) usually opens later than the south entrance. Call the park or check the website. Conditions change rapidly.

No gas in the park. The nearest gas stations are in Prospect (south) or Diamond Lake (north), both about 20 to 30 miles from the rim. Fill up before you enter.

Elevation matters. Rim Village sits at about 7,100 feet. If you are coming from sea level, you will feel the altitude on the steeper hikes like Garfield Peak and Mount Scott. Take it slow on your first day, drink extra water, and do not be surprised if you are more winded than usual.

Mosquitoes. July can be brutal for mosquitoes, especially on trails near water or snowmelt. Bring repellent. August and September are generally better.

Book lodging early. Crater Lake Lodge rooms for the summer season typically sell out the day reservations open. Mazama Village cabins and the Mazama Campground are alternatives, but they fill up fast too. If you cannot get a room in the park, Prospect and Fort Klamath have options within 30 to 45 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions