Photo: Little Mountain 5, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
About 7,700 years ago, a huge volcano called Mount Mazama erupted and collapsed, and the bowl it left slowly filled with rain and snowmelt. The result is the deepest lake in the United States, a blue so intense it looks unreal from the rim. The Klamath people witnessed the eruption and still tell its story. Most visits center on the 33-mile Rim Drive and its short summit hikes. Snow lingers here into July, so time your trip with the roads.
TRAILS
1 OF 8
Garfield Peak
Difficulty
Moderate
Length
3.6 mi
Elevation gain
1,000 ft
Rim Village · Crater Lake Lodge — Our favorite lake hike. Switchbacks climb from behind Crater Lake Lodge across wildflower slopes to a summit high above the water, with Phantom Ship and Wizard Island spread out below. Watch for pikas and marmots in the rocks. Snow often covers the upper trail into July, so check conditions before you set out.
Photo: Markgorzynski, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
2 OF 8
Watchman Peak
Difficulty
Moderate
Length
1.6 mi
Elevation gain
420 ft
West Rim Drive · Watchman Overlook — A short climb to a stone fire lookout perched over the west side of the caldera, with Wizard Island almost straight below. It's the most popular sunset hike in the park, so expect company and come early for parking. On clear days you can see Mount Shasta to the south. Bring a warm layer for the walk down at dusk.
⚠︎ West Rim Drive is seasonal. Usually open early July to late October.
Photo: Mark Wagner, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
3 OF 8
Discovery Point Trail
Difficulty
Easy
Length
2 mi
Elevation gain
100 ft
Rim Village · west end of Rim Village — An easy rim walk through wind-shaped whitebark pines to the spot where the first non-Native visitors saw the lake in 1853. The lake is in view nearly the whole way, which makes it great for families. It starts right at Rim Village, so it works even when the rest of Rim Drive is still snowed in. Turn around anytime.
Photo: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
4 OF 8
Mount Scott
Difficulty
Strenuous
Length
4.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,250 ft
East Rim Drive · Mount Scott trailhead — Climb the highest peak in the park, 8,929 feet, to a fire lookout with a view of the entire lake in one frame. The trail rises steadily on long switchbacks across open pumice slopes. It's the oldest volcano in the park, and the summit also looks east over the Klamath Basin. Start early to beat the heat and afternoon storms.
⚠︎ East Rim Drive is seasonal. Snow can linger on the trail into July.
Photo: Mark Gorzynski, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
5 OF 8
Sun Notch
Difficulty
Easy
Length
0.8 mi loop
Elevation gain
150 ft
East Rim Drive · Sun Notch trailhead — A short loop through a meadow to the rim for the best view of Phantom Ship, a craggy island of old lava that really does look like a ghostly sailing ship. It's an easy stop on the east side of the drive. The rim here has no railings, so keep kids close. Morning light on the island is the prettiest.
Photo: Glenn Scofield Williams, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
6 OF 8
Plaikni Falls
Difficulty
Easy
Length
2 mi
Elevation gain
100 ft
Pinnacles Road · Plaikni Falls trailhead — A gentle forest walk to a waterfall fed by snowmelt that tumbles over a glacier-carved cliff. Wildflowers crowd the stream below the falls in midsummer. Most of the trail works for all-terrain wheelchairs, except the last steeper stretch. It's a cool, shady break from the bright rim.
Photo: cricketsblog, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
7 OF 8
The Pinnacles
Difficulty
Easy
Length
0.8 mi
Elevation gain
10 ft
Pinnacles Road · end of the road — A flat walk along the rim of a canyon full of pale, pointed spires. They formed where hot gases rose through volcanic ash after the big eruption and hardened the ash into chimneys, which erosion later uncovered. It's an odd, quiet corner of the park that few people visit. Combine it with Plaikni Falls on the same road.
Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
8 OF 8
Cleetwood Cove Trail
Difficulty
Moderate
Length
2.2 mi
Elevation gain
700 ft
North Rim Drive · Cleetwood Cove — The only trail that reaches the lake shore, where you can dip into the very clear, very cold water and catch the boat to Wizard Island. Switchbacks drop about 700 feet down the caldera wall, and every step down is a step back up. When it reopens, wear real shoes and bring water for the climb out. Until then, the rim hikes above are the way to see the lake.
⚠︎ Closed for reconstruction from 2026, with reopening planned for 2029. No boat tours meanwhile.
Photo: Vulturesong, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Plan your Crater Lake trip
The Nova Bound app builds the whole trip around these trails: where to stay, where to charge, and what to see each day. Coming soon to the App Store.
Distances are round trip unless noted, from NPS.gov and rounded. Trails, permits and road openings change; always check nps.gov before you go. Trail write-ups by Nova Bound.