Mount Mazama

Mount Mazama is a collapsed stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of southern Oregon whose caldera now contains Crater Lake; the collapse occurred roughly 7,700 years ago. The caldera and lake are the dominant feature of Crater Lake National Park.

The site is best known for Crater Lake - a deep, clear caldera lake about 8 kilometers across with a maximum depth of about 594 meters - and for volcanic features inside the caldera such as Wizard Island. Multiple rim viewpoints give panoramic views across the lake and the steep caldera walls, and seasonal boat trips visit Wizard Island.

Mazama produced a large explosive eruption and subsequent summit collapse that created the caldera; later volcanic activity inside the caldera formed cinder cones. The area has been managed as Crater Lake National Park since the early 20th century and has infrastructure for visitors along the rim.

Mount Mazama and Crater Lake lie in south-central Oregon within Crater Lake National Park, roughly north of Klamath Falls. The park occupies a high-elevation part of the Cascades, with roads and visitor facilities around the caldera rim.

• Caldera age: Caldera formation occurred approximately 7,700 years ago and produced the lake that now fills the caldera.
• Viewing route: Rim Drive encircles the caldera for roughly 33 miles, providing multiple viewpoints of the lake and caldera walls.

What to See #

• Crater Lake: Crater Lake is the caldera lake formed when Mount Mazama collapsed roughly 7,700 years ago; its deepest point is 594 meters below the lake surface and the caldera is about 8 kilometers across.
• Wizard Island: Wizard Island is a post-collapse volcanic cinder cone rising above the lake surface inside the caldera and accessible by seasonal boat tours.