I have recently decided I want to try to visit every US National Park. While this is a lofty goal, it is something I am going to work hard to achieve. In 2017 I visited Mammoth Cave, Badlands, Olympic, Mount Rainer, and Crater Lake bringing my total to 15 parks. Only 44 left!
Living in Seattle has given me the opportunity to visit many different parks and I was especially excited to visit Mount Rainer and Crater Lake. My husband and I planned a weekend trip to Crater Lake for mid-September. We had already been planning to meet up with our friend who had recently moved, and once we realized this park was halfway between his new home in Northern California and ours in Seattle, we decided this was the perfect place to meet!
Below is my reflection of this weekend trip to Crater Lake. While I highly recommend visiting this park, you might want to plan for the weather conditions better than I did. July and August are safe bets for the best conditions. In September we experienced both beautiful weather and a full-blown snow day. Apparently the park is basically shut down from October-June because of heavy snowfall. So if you want to visit this park, plan ahead and make sure you pick a time in the late summer when the roads are open.
So since I am originally from Tennessee I didn't consider the possibility of snow in September, but I have quickly learned that this is a reality in the Pacific North West. The weekend before our trip I saw that the main roads in Crater Lake were closed due to a heavy snowfall. I was hopeful that the weather would change in our favor and luckily the snow melted and the roads were reopened before our trip. However, it was still going to be very cold and there was a slight chance of snow during our trip.
On Friday we met up with our friend at our campsite in Lemolo Lake, which is about 20 miles outside the park. This campsite is located in the Umpqua National Forest and offers beautiful sites right on the Lake. We spent Friday night catching up with our friend while roasting hot dogs and S'mores on our campfire. Full disclosure- we were the only people camping at this campground the entire weekend, which was a little off-putting.
This campground offers cabins, RV sites, tent sites, boat rentals, and a fishing guide service. In addition to being close to Crater Lake National Park, the campground is within walking distance of the North Umpqua trail, which is a 79-mile multi-use trail. I think this campground is likely more popular in the summer when there is not a chance of freezing temperatures and snow. Lemolo Lake itself was beautiful and it is in a great location for visiting Crater Lake, so I would still recommend staying at this campground during the peak season.
After a chilly night, I woke up ready to explore a new national park. The entrance fee is $10 per car in the winter and $20 per car in the summer. This is valid for 7 consecutive days. I used my Annual Pass, which I purchased earlier in the summer at Badlands National Park. If you are planning to visit multiple parks within a 12-month period I strongly suggest you consider purchasing this pass. For $80 this pass will allow you and everyone in you car into any National Park for free. After visiting a few parks, the pass has paid for itself. You can purchase this pass online (but allow time for it to be mailed to you) or at many National Park guard stations.
Our first stop in the park was the Watchman Overlook. This was a great first stop in the park because we had an incredible view of the lake and Wizard Island. The lake was much bigger than I was expecting and it is amazing to think that a volcano once stood where the lake is today. We spent the morning driving around West Rim Drive and stopping at numerous overlooks. I could not believe how blue the water was. I have been lucky enough to see some incredible shades of blue water in my life (especially in the Caribbean and Western Canada), however, Crater Lake offered a shade unlike anything I have witnessed before. I could not take my eyes away from the lake and luckily the weather on Saturday was beautiful so we had great visibility all day.
After a few hours of exploring and a short hike on Watchman's Peak Trail, we decided to stop in the visitors center for a warm drink. Watchman's Peak is a short and relatively easy hike that provides incredible views from the west side of the lake. At the visitor's center, we all enjoyed hot chocolates and prepared for our next hike. We decided to tackle Garfield Peak Trail as our lunch hike. We made the 1.65 mile trek to the top which rewarded us with a spectacular view for our picnic lunch. The top of this hike has a large, flat area, so I definitely recommend taking a lunch or snack to enjoy while you are soaking up the view. This was my favorite hike in the park, and if you only have time for one hike I highly suggest spending your time on the Garfield Peak Trail.
After finishing the Garfield Peak Trail, we continued to drive along West Rim Drive. We made a few more stops, including a short hike on Discovery Point Trail before heading to the Crater Lake Lodge. This 1915 lodge offers visitors a relaxing lounge complete with a fireplace and couches. We decided to order a drink (I chose an adult hot chocolate) and relaxed around the fire place. We also ventured out to the patio to enjoy the rocking chairs and the view. I highly recommend spending time at this lodge so you can enjoy the beautiful view with a drink in hand.
We had planned to visit the park early Sunday morning in order to watch the sunrise over the lake. While this seemed like a great idea in theory, we woke up Sunday morning to snow. As we drove in to Crater Lake we soon realized we would not be able to watch the sunrise. The main roads in the park were closed because of the snow and the only area we could reach was the Crater Rim overlook. Unfortunately it was extremely windy, cold, and foggy, so we couldn't even see the lake! I would love to try to watch the sunrise next time, preferably during a summer visit. While we had a great trip, it might be best to visit Crater Lake during the peak season. The weather will be nicer, all the roads should be open, and you can take a ferry to Wizard Island, a small island located in Crater lake. However, if you are only able to visit in the off season, you should still take any opportunity to see the lake. It is a breathtaking natural wonder that should be seen and celebrated.
Have you ever visited Crater Lake? Did you visit in the peak season? What should I check out when I return in the summer? Let me know in the comments below!
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