Crater Lake was all about that water: impossibly blue, shockingly clear, and almost unreal from every angle. Our visit started with North Umpqua stops at Umpqua Hot Springs and Toketee Falls, then shifted to three days around the caldera, where we explored the rim, watched sunset from Watchman Peak, took the boat tour from Cleetwood Cove, and got close enough to see straight down into that famous blue from the lake itself.
Pick a stop to see its story and photos.
Umpqua Hot Springs consists of several natural mineral pools terraced above the North Umpqua River. A short, steep trail reaches the pools and their forested canyon views.
Toketee Falls drops in two stages through a narrow basalt gorge on the North Umpqua River. A short trail and stairway lead to the main viewing platform.
Crater Lake’s rim road circles the lake from above, with one overlook after another showing off its deep blue water, steep caldera walls, and distant volcanic peaks. We explored part of the drive on our own, then saw it again from a guided trolley tour, which gave us a better sense of the lake’s scale and the stories behind the major viewpoints.
Vidae Falls is a roadside waterfall on Crater Lake's East Rim Drive, where Vidae Creek drops down a rocky slope below the caldera rim. We stopped for the cascade, wildflowers, black-tailed deer nearby, and an American Dipper working the rushing water.
Crater Lake Lodge sits at Rim Village on the edge of the caldera, nearly 1,000 feet above the lake. Opened in 1915, the historic lodge gave us a civilized stop for food, drinks, lake views, and bird activity around the rim.
Watchman Peak is a short but steady climb to a historic lookout above the western rim. We hiked it for sunset, with open lake views and close encounters with sooty grouse and ground squirrels.
Cleetwood Cove Trail is the park's only route to the lakeshore, dropping about 700 feet in one mile. From the dock, our ranger-led boat tour passed Wizard Island, waterfalls, Pumice Castle, Phantom Ship, and the Old Man of the Lake.
Mazama Village is the park's main campground area below the rim. The nearby Annie Creek Trail descends through forest into a quiet creek valley, providing a lower-elevation contrast to the open caldera overlooks.
Umpqua Hot Springs consists of several natural mineral pools terraced above the North Umpqua River. A short, steep trail reaches the pools and their forested canyon views.
Toketee Falls drops in two stages through a narrow basalt gorge on the North Umpqua River. A short trail and stairway lead to the main viewing platform.
Crater Lake’s rim road circles the lake from above, with one overlook after another showing off its deep blue water, steep caldera walls, and distant volcanic peaks. We explored part of the drive on our own, then saw it again from a guided trolley tour, which gave us a better sense of the lake’s scale and the stories behind the major viewpoints.
Vidae Falls is a roadside waterfall on Crater Lake's East Rim Drive, where Vidae Creek drops down a rocky slope below the caldera rim. We stopped for the cascade, wildflowers, black-tailed deer nearby, and an American Dipper working the rushing water.
Crater Lake Lodge sits at Rim Village on the edge of the caldera, nearly 1,000 feet above the lake. Opened in 1915, the historic lodge gave us a civilized stop for food, drinks, lake views, and bird activity around the rim.
Watchman Peak is a short but steady climb to a historic lookout above the western rim. We hiked it for sunset, with open lake views and close encounters with sooty grouse and ground squirrels.
Cleetwood Cove Trail is the park's only route to the lakeshore, dropping about 700 feet in one mile. From the dock, our ranger-led boat tour passed Wizard Island, waterfalls, Pumice Castle, Phantom Ship, and the Old Man of the Lake.
Mazama Village is the park's main campground area below the rim. The nearby Annie Creek Trail descends through forest into a quiet creek valley, providing a lower-elevation contrast to the open caldera overlooks.
Between Newberry and the Umpqua corridor, we found ourselves with one open night and nowhere booked, so we…
Toketee Falls was our first stop of the morning, where the North Umpqua River drops 120 feet in a dramatic…
Day 2 at Crater Lake was slower, but no less rewarding. We lingered at Crater Lake Lodge, soaking in the…
Our third and final day at Crater Lake was the best yet. We hiked the Cleetwood Cove Trail, the only access…
