Crater Lake

Crater Lake National Park protects 183,224 acres of volcanic landscape in southern Oregon. The lake itself occupies the caldera left when Mount Mazama a volcano estimated to have stood 12,000 feet tall - erupted with catastrophic force approximately 7,700 years ago and collapsed into itself. The resulting crater filled over centuries with rain and snowmelt, with no inlets or outlets, producing water of exceptional purity. The Rim Drive circles the 33-mile perimeter of the caldera at elevations between 7,000 and 8,000 feet, offering over 30 overlooks of the lake and its volcanic features. Crater Lake's most recognizable feature after the blue water is Wizard Island, a cinder cone that emerged from the lake's surface after the collapse and now rises 764 feet above the waterline. A concessionaire-operated boat tour (mid-July through mid-September, weather permitting) circles the lake and lands passengers on Wizard Island for hiking. The Diamond Lake area north of the park offers reliable access to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter, when the south entrance rim road is plowed to allow Rim Village access for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.