Things to do & places to visit in Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, United States

Created by a volcanic eruption approximately 7,700 years ago, Crater Lake National Park is one of the largest lakes in the world.

Crater Lake National Park national park in Oregon, United States. Timezone: America/Los_Angeles, current date and time: Sunday, May 05, 2024, 7:37.

Top things to do (16)

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 Crater Lake National Park (3.111 reviews)
- Dining, Hiking, and Lodging Considerations
Spent More than 3 hours National Parks

Beautiful lake which is the centerpiece of Crater Lake National Park. See more..
5.0 Crater Lake (559 reviews)
- Bucket List X2
Sunday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent 2-3 hours Bodies of Water

We stayed (in a tent) at Crater Lake 45 years ago (in 1977) and finally got to return. It was a bucket list place to visit both times. On the first trip, we took the boat over to Wizard Island and climbed to the top. On this trip, we had a much shorter visit but got some great views of this truly stunning place. See more..
5.0 Garfield Peak (39 reviews)
- What goes up, happily comes down
Spent 2-3 hours Hiking Trails

Friend and I took this hike early first thing in the morning. Hike up to some time, friend walks slow. Once on top the views are magical. We found resting spot and just sat before heading down. Walk down much faster that up. Ha ha. We recommend taking this hike for the great views. See more..
5.0 Sun Notch Trail (34 reviews)
- IMO best view of the Phantom Ship
Spent 2-3 hours Hiking Trails

What looks like an easy unassuming walk turns out to have the best view of the Phantom Ship. We arrived around 11:00 am and it was beyond spectacular with mirror image of the island and views where you simply are not able to describe the color blue of the water. It is magnificent. It was not that crowded as it is on the east rim and people probably tend to arrive later in the day. Our 2nd day we did Cleetwood Cove at 8:15 - swam and then made our way over to this trail and were rewarded with very few people on a Friday morning. Enjoy! See more..
5.0 Annie Creek Canyon (14 reviews)
- Trail not to be missed in July
Hiking Trails

A challenging hiking trail where wildlife and wildflowers can be seen. See more..
5.0 Merriam Point (4 reviews)
- Our First View of Crater Lake did NOT Disappoint
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Lookouts • Scenic Drives

We drove 2 hours from Bend so we entered Crater Lake via the North Entrance. As such, Merriam Point was the first spot we pulled into to start our Rim Drive. We visited Crater Lake on 2 days, July 20 and 23. For our 1st views of Crater Lake, Merriam Point did not disappoint. We started early the first day and got to the Park at around 6:30 am. It was so nice and quiet. See more..
5.0 Wizard Island Summit Trail (2 reviews)
- Relly amazing views!
Hiking Trails

Well worth the time to take this trail, so many amazing opportunities to take photos! Pack water, there are trees to shade but you can get tired! See more..
5.0 Boundary Springs (2 reviews)
- Spectacular
Waterfalls

It is a hike from the parking area, but worth it if you are in decent shape. The Rouge River appears from a series of springs and is 20 feet wide within 1/4 of a mile. See more..
4.5 Rim Drive (619 reviews)
- 33 miles with LOTS of Lookout Points
Scenic Drives

Scenic 33-mile drive which must be taken in a clockwise direction since areas of it are one-way. See more..
4.5 Cleetwood Cove Trail (224 reviews)
- Go early
Hiking Trails

Thanks to covid, the boat tours weren't operating. We stopped here pretty early in the morning & we weren't the first people there. About 7 or 8 people already walking down to fish. One guy told my husband "before the swimmers get here"! Not a lot of room down there for the boats, swimmers & fishing apparently. The parking lot is generous, but must fill up fast. There's pit toilets by the parking lot. The trail looked very nice. Due to my husband's mobility issues, we didn't attempt it. I've heard it's a hard way back up. We enjoyed the view from the top & moved on. See more..
4.5 Wizard Island (163 reviews)
- Island in the Middle of Crater Lake
Islands

Island in Crater Lake. See more..
4.5 Toketee Falls (156 reviews)
- Beautiful Waterfall and Even Better Down at the Bottom
Waterfalls

Stayed in Roseburg the night before and left around 7:45 am to try and make it to the falls around 9:00 am. The official part of the hike was relatively easy and you end up at a platform looking out to the falls. If you decide you want to go down to the base of the falls on the unofficial trail, there's a hole in the chain link fence where you have to squeeze through. If you want more details, I made an entire blog post about it on "The Luxury Lowdown" dot com. Getting down to the falls was definitely harder than the marked trail so be careful that you don't slip. There were probably already four groups down there taking pictures, but still enough room where you won't have anyone in your pictures. See more..
4.5 Crater Lake Trolley (137 reviews)
- Totally worth it!
Sightseeing Tours

Driver Richard did an excellent job and ranger Joel from Nebraska also did an excellent job! The several stops were beautiful, it was good to hear the history of certain area's that otherwise would not have known (buoys on the lake, grandmother tree, etc.). Plus, not having to deal with the drive and enjoying the scenery was totally worth it. Tried to book on the website, it showed full. When we went inside of the park we saw trolley's sitting we inquired about getting a ride (they had openings), paid the fee and enjoyed the ride. Totally worth it! They do have cushions to sit on the wood seats, as they do offer it. See more..
4.5 Crater Lake - Volcano Boat Tours (103 reviews)
- Fantastic tour but bring more water than you think you'll need.
Boat Tours

Take the full tour around the lake. It stops at Wizard Island and goes through the Phantom Ship among other things. The climb back up after the trip is 1 mile and 700 feet of elevation. With the elevation and sun, I ran thru my water quickly and even the ranger refilling our bottles was not enough. So double what you think you might need. But the boat ride is well worth the time. See more..
4.5 Pinnacles Overlook Hike (85 reviews)
- Easy Hike but Sometimes the Road is Closed
Spent 1-2 hours Hiking Trails

We visited Crater Lake on 2 days - July 20 and 23. When we came on July 20, the road to the Pinnacles Overlook Trailhead was closed. On July 23, it was open. The trail is an easy .8 miles roundtrip with 42 feet elevation gain. It took us 30 minutes total and we stopped at all the various overlooks to take pictures. It is worth a visit if you are going to Plaikni Falls. It is further down the same road. See more..
4.5 Plaikni Falls (58 reviews)
- Easy Hike through the Forest
Spent 1-2 hours Waterfalls

This is an easy 2 mile round trip with 137 feet elevation gain hike. The hardest part may be trying to find a parking spot. The parking area is small. We came around 11 am on Tuesday, July 20. It is a popular hike. There were plenty of people on the trail. You walk through the forest and it does provide some shade. Nice waterfalls at the end. You can even dip your feet in. We spent in total close to an hour on the hike and rested at the waterfalls for around 15 minutes. See more..
4.5 Watchman Peak (48 reviews)
- Best place to watch the sunset and take a pano
Spent 1-2 hours Mountains • Hiking Trails

The sun actually sets behind you, but it's good for photos as the mountains aren't back-lit. From the peak, You can also see the sun set on the other side of the mountains as well (on the other side of the lake from the peak). Sunset does get crowded with all of the photos trying to angle for the best view, starting at over an hour before the sun was actually supposed to set. But a pano on the iphone also captures the moment and the colors in the sky. We headed back down as soon as the sun set, but I wish I stayed just a bit longer, as the moon then rose above the mountains as well, and you could see it reflect over the water (we caught this at the bottom at the overlook point). See more..
4.5 Joseph H. Stewart State Recreation Area (47 reviews)
- Potential disaster turned into “life is good”
State Parks

Evaluation ordered at Lassen volcanic National Park (Lake Manzanita area) in CA. Park closed. Traveled NW and found this Park on route 62 south of Crater lake headed to interstate 5. Friendly helpful staff and beautiful park area. They found me an Electric site for Friday- Thursday. Had not planned on staying a Joseph H Stewart State Park, but I’m glad we found each other. See more..
4.5 Pinnacles Trail (40 reviews)
- Nice trail worth doing if you need a break!
Spent < 1 hour Hiking Trails

While probably our least favorite of the 6 trails we did, we still consider this worthwhile as it shows you another aspect of the very diverse trail systems in the park. It is a short, very easy walk to see the unique pinnacle formations. As always bring your bug spray. Take advantage of a rest walk before your next hike. Very near Plaikni Falls so worth the hike while in that area! See more..
4.5 Crater Lake National Park - Steel Visitor's Center (33 reviews)
- Should be your first stop
National Parks • Parks

This should be your first stop for several reasons, First to get info on activities and advice for seeing the park. As importantly, to be aware of any advisories. This time of year that seemed particularly important considering many trails and observation areas are closed, restricted or treacherous. The staff was friendly and extremely helpful, answering all questions as thoroughly and clearly as possible. In addition there are souvenirs as well as books. See more..
4.5 Whitehorse Falls (28 reviews)
- Beautiful falls
Waterfalls

A short, narrow road leads to a very small parking lot. Don't try to take an RV down there! There's a gravel parking lot by the highway. Park & walk in. .1 mile stroll to a beautiful water fall that had a very good flow even in August! Good for families or those with mobility issues. One of our favorites! See more..
4.5 Castle Crest Wildflower Trail (28 reviews)
- Wonderful!
Hiking Trails

An easy one-mile walking trail with an array of wildflowers to view. See more..
4.5 Mount Scott (22 reviews)
- A must hike to get the 360 deg view. Not as hard as indicated.
Spent 2-3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails • Volcanos

We are both 66 and it took us 1 1/4 hr. to get to the top. Not as hard as they advertise. Spectacular 360 deg. view from top. Not to be missed. See more..
4.5 Watchman Overlook (10 reviews)
- Great View!
Lookouts

One of our favorites! Stop here in the morning. By afternoon it's a madhouse. Parking is not sufficient. It doesn't help that this is a trailhead for a popular trail to Watchman Peak. There's pit toilet bathrooms. Great view! See more..
4.5 Sinnott Memorial Overlook (7 reviews)
- A special view with it's own guided tour!
Lookouts

Definitely recommended. Obviously there are awesome views of the lake from many locations around the lake. The views from Sinnott Memorial Overlook are not any different...so why go here? The exhibits! They are THE hidden gem of the park. You need to go down some steps from the Rim Village (right behind the visitor's center) to get to the overlook. It is actually inside a sort of bunker (protected from the elements) but with open views of the lake. Everything you might want to know about Crater Lake, it's features, and it's history are right here in a semicircle set of exhibits as you look out over the lake. Bring your binoculars too as the exhibits reference different parts of the lake. We enjoyed this very much. See more..
4.5 Crater Peak Trail (2 reviews)
- Good trail with some good vertical climb
Spent More than 3 hours Hiking Trails

If you are looking for an out and back on a trail less traveled I would give this a try. Trail head has parking for three cars but there are a few picnic areas in the circle. My GPS came in at 6.34 miles a little more than the park service says. The climb was 753 feet. The trail follows the road above the first half but other than the sound of a car you would never know. You will not see crater lake on this hike but you will get some great vistas See more..
4.0 Rim Village (157 reviews)
- Useful stop
Historic Sites

Great place to stop for restrooms, souvenirs (gift shop) and views. We were there on a Sunday morning and even though the weather was beautiful, we had no difficulty finding parking or entering the buildings. We made a couple of purchases including a bottle of Crater Lake branded wine. See more..
4.0 Pumice Castle (6 reviews)
- Interesting rock formation
Lookouts

Pumice Castle overlook on the east rim gives good views of the lake and of the strange orange rock formation made by erosion. It's colorful and interesting to see. You can also see it from other overlooks, just not as close up. From Cleetwood Cove Trail you can also see it from a different angle. See more..
3.5 Vidae Falls (83 reviews)
- Short stop on the Crater Lake Rim Drive
Spent < 1 hour Waterfalls

This is on the Crater Lake Rim Drive. There is a small parking area; the falls are right next to the road. The area around the falls was closed when we visited (October 2022) for regeneration work. The falls were very limited when we stopped by. See more..
3.5 Lady of the Woods (5 reviews)
- Very informative. Short easy walk.
Spent 1-2 hours Hiking Trails

Given that the visitor center and other facilities were closed when we visited because of COVID, this short easy walk provided a glimpse into park history and employees of the past. Located immediately behind the post office, the walk offers a descriptive booklet for a donation that tells about the buildings you will see. Maybe an hour. Never saw another guest. See more..