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Crater Lake National Park

National Park · Oregon, 🇺🇸 United States
Area 733 km²
Time zone America/Los_Angeles
Official website www.nps.gov/crla
Crater Lake National Park

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Jeffrey Johnson / CC BY-SA 2.0

Crater Lake National Park Essentials

Crater Lake National Park features the deepest lake in the United States, reaching depths of 1,943 feet within a collapsed volcanic caldera. This list covers the park's key geological and historical sites along Rim Drive, including the 1915 Crater Lake Lodge and the volcanic spires of The Pinnacles. Visitors can observe Wizard Island from Watchman Overlook, explore the site of the lake's 1853 discovery, and view the Phantom Ship rock formation from Kerr Notch. The selection highlights the park’s unique volcanic landscape, from spring-fed waterfalls to the highest paved road in Oregon at Cloudcap.

10 places
Stuart Seeger / CC BY 2.0

Best Crater Lake Views

Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the United States at 1,943 feet, is a caldera formed by the collapse of Mount Mazama nearly 7,700 years ago. This list highlights the Rim Drive's premier overlooks, including the high-altitude Cloudcap and the historic Sinnott Memorial. Beyond the water, explore unique volcanic features like the fossilized fumaroles of The Pinnacles and the orange dacite of Pumice Castle. These vantage points offer views of Wizard Island and Phantom Ship while showcasing the park's distinct geological history.

14 places

Waterfalls and Nature

Explore the diverse aquatic landscapes surrounding Crater Lake, ranging from roadside volcanic cascades to remote wilderness falls. This collection features Duwee Falls, the park's highest drop at 100 feet, and the accessible Plaikni Falls on the slopes of Mount Mazama. Beyond the waterfalls, the list includes the Sphagnum Bog Research Natural Area, a unique wetland ecosystem home to rare mosses and carnivorous sundews within the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.

7 places

Crater Lake National Park — Map

Crater Lake National Park — Map

Climate & when to visit

Best time to visit: July, August, September

Select a month

Typical weather in January

Poor
  • 0° (feels like -5°) · extremes -15°–6°
  • -7° at night
  • 17 rainy days
  • 9 sunny days
  • 4 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Calm winds
  • UV index 1 · low

Typical weather in February

Poor
  • 0° (feels like -4°) · extremes -14°–8°
  • -7° at night
  • 16 rainy days
  • 10 sunny days
  • 5 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Calm winds
  • UV index 2 · low

Typical weather in March

Poor
  • 3° (feels like -1°) · extremes -13°–12°
  • -6° at night
  • 17 rainy days
  • 11 sunny days
  • 6 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Calm winds
  • UV index 4 · moderate

Typical weather in April

Poor
  • 7° (feels like 3°) · extremes -9°–17°
  • -4° at night
  • 15 rainy days
  • 13 sunny days
  • 8 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Calm winds
  • UV index 5 · moderate

Typical weather in May

Poor
  • 13° (feels like 9°) · extremes -6°–21°
  • 0° at night
  • 11 rainy days
  • 17 sunny days
  • 10 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Calm winds
  • UV index 7 · high

Typical weather in June

Good
  • 17° (feels like 15°) · extremes -2°–26°
  • 3° at night
  • 7 rainy days
  • 22 sunny days
  • 12 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Calm winds
  • UV index 8 · very high

Typical weather in July

Great
  • 23° (feels like 22°) · extremes 2°–30°
  • 7° at night
  • 3 rainy days
  • 28 sunny days
  • 14 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Calm winds
  • UV index 9 · very high

Typical weather in August

Great
  • 23° (feels like 21°) · extremes 2°–30°
  • 7° at night
  • 3 rainy days
  • 26 sunny days
  • 12 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Calm winds
  • UV index 8 · very high

Typical weather in September

Great
  • 19° (feels like 16°) · extremes -2°–27°
  • 4° at night
  • 5 rainy days
  • 22 sunny days
  • 10 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Calm winds
  • UV index 6 · high

Typical weather in October

Poor
  • 12° (feels like 8°) · extremes -6°–22°
  • -1° at night
  • 10 rainy days
  • 18 sunny days
  • 7 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Calm winds
  • UV index 4 · moderate

Typical weather in November

Poor
  • 4° (feels like 0°) · extremes -11°–13°
  • -4° at night
  • 16 rainy days
  • 9 sunny days
  • 4 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Calm winds
  • UV index 2 · low

Typical weather in December

Poor
  • -1° (feels like -5°) · extremes -16°–6°
  • -7° at night
  • 18 rainy days
  • 6 sunny days
  • 3 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Calm winds
  • UV index 1 · low

Climate data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2) · 1996–2025

Practical information

Currency
US Dollar USD $ · Card payments · Widely accepted
Emergency numbers
911 Police · Ambulance · Fire brigade
Electricity
Type A / Type B
120 V · 60 Hz
Languages
English
Tap water
Safe to drink
Driving side
Right
Calling code
+1
Learn more

Tours & Activities

Crater Lake
Drive
Watchman Overlook
Drive
Discovery Point

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