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Crater Lake National Park: It's More Than Just Blue, Blue Water

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September 18, 2014
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Crater Lake National Park features a blue, blue lake, but it's much more than that/Kurt Repanshek

Once upon a time known as Deep Blue Lake, for obvious reasons, Crater Lake is the focal point of its namesake national park, but not the only highlight of a visit to this southern Oregon gem. Indeed, you can drive quite a few miles in the park before you see the lake itself. But that's OK, as it gives you a deeper perspective of this park that covers not quite 184,000 acres.

And there's quite a bit of perspective to see at Crater Lake, one of the oldest units in the National Park System, having been established in 1902. Come in through the south entrance via Route 62 and you'll travel through a dense forest of Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine, a cover that gives way to mountain hemlock and lodgepole pine as you go up in elevation.

Not far beyond Mazama Village, where you find some cabins to rent, a restaurant, grocery, laundry and showers (a great benefit for Pacific Crest Trail hikers!), you can jump on the Rim Drive. Heading east on this 33-mile loop, you'll pass the Castle Crest Trail, a short hike that shows off Sun Notch as well as offers views of Phantom Ship, the turnoff to The Pinnacles, Cloudcap, a trail down to Cleetwood Cove where you board the park's tour boat, the Watchman, and finally Rim Village with its historic lodge perched on the rim of the crater.

Here's a quick video tour that offers a sample of this intriguing park. 

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Comments

Submitted by Lee Dalton on September 18, 2014 - 10:36am.

Move over, Ken Burns.

Here comes Kurt!


Submitted by Megaera on September 18, 2014 - 4:40pm.

I need to get back down there one of these days (although given that it's going to start snowing sooner rather than later, probably not till next year <g>).


Submitted by Pathfinder on November 18, 2014 - 3:00pm.

Megaera - don't let the snow deter you.  Crater Lake is a great place for skiing, snowshowing, sleding or just playing around in the snow.  Winter or summer, there are a lot more things to do at Crater Lake than drive around the rim.  See:

http://explore.globalcreations.com/category/places/usa/oregon/crater-lak...

for some of them.


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