A Visit to Crater Lake National Park

Fishing at Crater Lake
If you want to fish, bring a pole! Crater Lake has not been stocked since 1941, and they are trying to get rid of the non-native fish, which is all of the fish because Crater Lake originally never had any. You can fish without a license for Kokane salmon and Rainbow trout. You must use artificial bait so that no new species are accidentally introduced. You do not need a fishing license or permit, there's no limit, and any fish you catch you must keep (or destroy). One fisherman I met on the tour told me he'd caught fish off of Wizard Island. The water is so pure that very little food is available for the fish, so he said the trout he caught had large heads and small bodies.

By Teri Barton

Teri Barton enjoying one of her favorite places to RV. Fall is here, the leaves are turning, and there is a fresh crispness in the air that always causes me to look forward to something new. When I was little, I looked forward to the new school year. Now I use that feeling of a fresh start to begin dreaming of next summer's vacation.

My husband Jon and I constantly try to improve the tours we offer. Therefore, we do a lot of research trips around Oregon, and we are keen to observe the smallest details. You don't have to take a tour to enjoy a trip, but it sure helps if a local helps you out, so here are some pointers.

Crater Lake National Park is probably America's most under-appreciated National Park. It contains the world's seventh deepest lake (1932 feet), America's deepest lake (Lake Tahoe is second), and the world's clearest lake: Crater Lake. Crater Lake was formed 7,700 years ago when an ancient volcano blew its top and fell in on itself. Over the next 500 years, snow and rain filled the collapsed caldera, and it became the deep blue lake we love so well. Plan on spending at least half-a-day there, although we bring our tour there for a full day. Many people stop at Crater Lake enroute while driving north-south through Oregon on Highway I-5 or Highway 97.

If you want to have the most spectacular one-day trip to Crater Lake, here are my tour-tested suggestions, based on our experiences with our "Discover Oregon" tour.

Camp or stay nearby.

The boat tour on Crater Lake. If you are relatively physically fit, you will want to follow this plan: get up early and head to the Cleetwood Cove Trailhead parking lot. If you are driving a 5th wheel, detach it and just bring your pick up. (The parking lot has short spots.) If you have an RV longer than 24 feet, drive east past the parking lot, and turn around in a pullout. If you have a huge RV (longer than 35 feet), allow an extra half-hour to drive all the way to Cloud Cap and turn around there. Then park on the right side of Rim Road right before the parking lot (east of the lot entrance). Nobody will be parked here this early, but the cars park in both directions on Rim Road by noon, especially on a Saturday, the busiest day of the week.

Plan to arrive no later than 8:30 am. Allow 45 minutes to drive from either Diamond Lake or Mazama campgrounds. Buy your tickets to the "Volcano Cruise" Wizard Island Boat Tour before 9 am, because the 10 am boat sells out by then. (Tickets are $21 per adult and $13 per child 3-11, but worth it!)

Pack your lunch and two pints of water per person. Wear closed-toe, tie shoes like hiking boots or sneakers. Hike the 1.1-mile trail down to the lake. (It's easy going down!) Sit on the right side of the boat for the best views. Bring a camera! The walk back up the trail is hot and dusty. You are at 6,176-foot elevation. The trail has a 10% grade, for an elevation gain of 724 feet. Hiking up is like climbing 130 flights of stairs to the 65th floor of a building. However, don't let that discourage you. The two hours you spend on the boat soaking in the pristine blue of the lake may be the most picturesque two hours you've ever spent, so every step is well worth it. (I've hiked it myself four times, and will do it again next summer, and I still think it's worth the hike every time!) Plan to get back to your vehicle at about 1 pm.

After your hike, drive west 6.7 miles to Wizard Island Overlook. Be careful as you pull off on the left side of the road. This is the best view of Wizard Island. Wizard Island is nearly one mile across and rises 760 feet above the lake. (Crater Lake is about 5-1/2 miles wide.) There are other overlooks along the way, but this one is really great.

Continue south 4 miles to Rim Village. The best RV parking is past the first parking lot, circle the loop in front of Crater Lake Lodge, then head back the way you came. Just park across several spaces where the road narrows. You are probably parked right in front of (or close to) the Rim Visitor Center, which is staffed by rangers who give docent talks at regular intervals. Just below Rim Visitor Center is the Sinot Memorial Overlook and Museum, which gives you a great unobstructed view of the lake. Visit the Crater Lake Lodge (an old WPA-era lodge) for a self-guided tour. There is also a concession-run gift store, café, and restaurant where you first entered Rim Village. Walk along the stone wall at the top of the lake rim and soak in the deep blue views. Allow about one hour for Rim Village.

Continue south to Park Headquarters in Munson Valley. The Steel Information Center shows an 18-minute movie, "The Crater Lake Story" twice hourly, and it's free. They close at 5 pm, so be sure to get there by 4:15 pm in order to see the last showing of the movie. The Park's least used hiking trail, the Historical Trail, is a short loop hike from here. Ask a ranger where the trailhead is. Parking for large RVs is not possible here.

Crater Lake Head east to Sun Notch pullout, which will be on your left. Large RVs should fit. Hike the Sun Notch trail, and when it forks after the big log at the edge of the meadow, take the right fork. The view of Phantom Ship is the best from here, even better than from the Kerr Notch "Phantom Ship Overlook". All the tourists go to Kerr Notch, but I suggest you avoid it because parking is nuts. Once you've seen Phantom Ship, follow the trail along the lake rim for more great views of Llao Rock and Wizard Island.

That's a full day, and you've seen the best that Crater Lake National Park has to offer. There are other things to do, but we've boiled the best down to this one adventure-packed day.

Not into hiking? You can always drive the entire 33-mile loop around Crater Lake. We recommend you stop at either Rim Village or Park Headquarters and purchase the 48-page "Road Guide to Crater Lake National Park" booklet ($5.95). The book describes every pullout and overlook, beginning at Rim Village and heading clockwise around the lake. A nice addition to listen to while you circle the lake is the "Audio Tour of Crater Lake", on CD ($16.95) or audiotape ($9.95), also available at Rim Village or Park Headquarters.

If you are into serious hiking, you can pick up the National Geographic Trails Illustrated Crater Lake map. Some serious hikes include Garfield Peak and Mt. Scott. A gentle hike would be the Castle Crest Wildflower Garden hike, which is just east of Park Headquarters.

If you can't visit Crater Lake in 2004, be sure to put it on your "Must See List". Words cannot describe it, and a picture doesn't do it justice.

Teri Barton is a Tourmaster and Navigator for RV Caravan Tours (www.rvcaravantours.com). She researches and designs all the tours, seeking out overnight spots with showers and great hiking trails within walking distance of camp, looking always for that "wow" experience for the tour clients. Teri brings each tour alive with local and historical narrative that she gives over CB radio. Although from Wisconsin, Teri has lived in and explored Oregon since 1990. Prior to that, she lived in and explored Northern California. Teri brings her enthusiasm for adventure, the outdoors, and road trips to RV Free Wheelin'. She can be reached at tours@rvcaravantours.com.

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