Crater Lake National Park

Voodoo Doughnuts

We started the morning with a stop at the Pacific Northwest quirky doughnut shop with a cult like following- Voodoo doughnuts. The had an assortment of weird and eclectic flavors like "Old Dirty Bastard" , the Captain Crunch topped "Oh Captain, My Captain" and "Voodoo Doll" - fun and yummy start to the day!

Diamond Peak

As we drove from Seaside Oregon to Crater Lake National Park we were able to get great views of Diamond Peak- a shield volcano in that Cascade Range and also the highest peak in the Willamette Pass area. It had snowed recently so the Diamond was extra sparkly today!

Crater Lake - Some Quick Basic Facts

Crater Lake is located on the crest of the Cascade Mountain range. It lies inside a volcanic basin that formed when the 12,000 foot high Mount Mazama erupted and then collapsed

7,700 years ago! The lake gets its water from the average 43 feet of annual snowfall. There are no inlets or outlets to the lake - making it the purest, bluest water imaginable. It is the

seventh deepest lake in the world and the deepest lake ( 1943 feet) in the United States. Evaporation and seepage prevent the lake from becoming any deeper. The lake is ~6 miles around and is surrounded by steep rock walls that rise up to ~2000 feet above the lake's surface. The water is so clear- you can see an object 103 feet below water.

We read the facts and were still not prepared for the awe inspiring Crater Lake that awaited us. When we arrived at the park - SNOW! It was 70 degrees outside and we were seeing snow!

Views from Overlooks

Wizard Island- A volcano inside a volcano!

It is a volcanic island that formed inside the collapsed volcano- that is now Crater Lake!

Cleetwood Cove Trail

The only way to access the shore of the lake is via The Cleetwood Cove Trail, This trail is an out and back trail ~ about 2.2 miles roundtrip. The elevation from the rim to the shore is 700 feet. The elevation loss (or gain on the way back up) is equivalent to 65 flights of stairs! A lot of the information regarding this trail is off putting as super strenuous. The elevation change is dramatic- but the path is well maintained/ wide with plenty of space to step aside out of the way of other hikers if you need a rest or want to catch your breath. Once down at the bottom you are up close and personal with the bluest water you will ever see! Swimming is allowed and we enjoyed wading in the water- which was not too cold on a sunny 70 degree day even with the snow up top! We enjoyed sitting on the rocks and the beach area at the lake shore and the water was refreshing! Hiking the trail itself was fine. Going up we just went slow and steady and took several breaks ( along with most of the other hikers) ... and we were so glad we did!