Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon protects Crater Lake, a deep caldera lake formed by the collapse of Mount Mazama and noted for its depth and clear blue water. The park was established to preserve the caldera, surrounding rim, and volcanic landscape.

The lake itself is the park’s primary attraction - it holds the deepest freshwater depth in the United States at about 1,949 feet (594 metres) and is ringed by steep cliffs. Visitors use Rim Drive, a roughly 33-mile (53-kilometre) road, to reach multiple scenic viewpoints and trailheads that look down into the caldera.

Boat excursions operate seasonally and land at Wizard Island, a cinder cone that rises above the lake surface, while the Cleetwood Cove Trail is the park’s only maintained route to the water level. Other notable features visible from the rim include the small rock island called Phantom Ship and a variety of volcanic landforms around the caldera.

The caldera formed about 7,700 years ago when Mount Mazama erupted and collapsed, leaving the lake-filled crater seen today. The area was protected as one of the earliest U.S. national parks and has been managed to preserve its volcanic features, water clarity and subalpine ecosystems.

The park sits in the Cascade Range of south-central Oregon, between the towns and communities that lie north of Klamath Basin and south of Bend, and is reached by regional highways from towns on either side of the Cascades.

• Formation age: The lake occupies a collapsed volcanic caldera created roughly 7,700 years ago after the Mount Mazama eruption.
• Seasonal access: Most park roads and services are seasonal; snow can close Rim Drive and many overlooks through late spring, so plan visits for summer to early autumn for full access.
• Boat and lake access: Boat tours and landings on Wizard Island run in summer only from the Cleetwood Cove launch; the Cleetwood Cove Trail is the only maintained trail down to the lake shore.

What to See #

• Crater Lake: Crater Lake is the central caldera lake formed by the collapse of Mount Mazama; it is the deepest lake in the United States with a maximum depth of about 1,949 feet (594 meters).
• Wizard Island: Wizard Island is a volcanic cinder cone that rises above the lake surface; seasonal boat tours land there from Cleetwood Cove when water and weather permit.
• Rim Drive: Rim Drive is a roughly 33-mile (53-kilometre) scenic road that circles the caldera rim and provides multiple viewpoints, trailheads and picnic overlooks.
• Cleetwood Cove Trail: Cleetwood Cove Trail is the park's only trail that reaches the lake shore and is the primary access point for boat tours and water-level recreation.
• Phantom Ship: Phantom Ship is a small, jagged island of andesitic rock near the lake's southeast end that appears like a ship from certain viewpoints along the rim.