Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [126]
In the winter, snowfall up to 44 feet deep buries the park, making it virtually impassable to everyone save skiers and snowshoers. Roads along the lake rim are left unplowed and are open to non-car travelers exclusively. The winter season generally includes fall and spring, stretching from late October to mid-June or even early July.
If You Have Only 1 Day
Most people enter the park's west and south entrances on Ore. 62. Bypass the Mazama Village area unless you need to load up on snacks, and stop at the Steel Information Center for a preview.
At this point, provided you have the stamina to hike down to the lakeshore, it might be a good idea to head for the requisite boat trip to Wizard Island before it gets too late in the day and consequently too crowded at the boat dock. The first boat leaves at 10am.
Drive north, clockwise around the rim from the Rim Village entrance, to the Cleetwood Cove Trailhead (the only trail in the park that leads to the lakeshore), approximately 5 miles past the junction of the northern route to the Pumice Desert.
The trip down Cleetwood Cove Trail is for the muscles in the front of your thighs, and the trip back is for your calves. It's a steep, strenuous trail, equal to a climb of 65 flights of stairs, or an elevation change of about 700 feet over 1 mile in distance. Consider carefully whether you are in good enough shape to make the 1-mile climb back up before you head down to the boat dock. There are benches along the way, if you have to rest (you will). At the trailhead is a concessionaire who sells tickets for the guided boat ride. The tour takes approximately 1¾ hours to return you to the shore, provided that you don't lay over on Wizard Island when the boat stops there during the tour.
It's perfectly fine to explore Wizard Island for a while, climbing the 700 feet to its summit on the Wizard Island Trail and catching the next boat back. You might want to eat lunch on the beach at Cleetwood Cove before you head back up the trail. After all, this is the only area of the park where you can get next to the water, so why not take advantage? After the boat trip, it's time for the Rim Drive. Go clockwise toward the Cloudcap Overlook turnoff, for a brief drive that gives you 2,000-foot views of the lake and, farther off on the horizon to the south, Mount Scott and Mount Shasta. Make a short stop to admire pretty Vidae Falls; there may be lovely wildflowers blooming along the cascade. Then keep heading clockwise. You'll eventually approach a turnoff to view The Pinnacles, an area of unique rock formations. These spires are the remnants of fumaroles that formed in hot volcanic debris from the great eruption of Mount Mazama.
The road back to the rim terminates at a junction with another great view point, the Phantom Ship Overlook. The "ship" is an ornate piece of eroded basalt jutting up from the lake; it sometimes seems to be sailing when the wind whips up the water just right. You might want to skip this if you took the boat ride and got an up-close look.
Return to the Rim Village for the last stop of the day: a little walk to the Rim Village Visitor Center and down the path to the Sinnott Overlook, which has exhibits that tell you about the lake and the geology of the volcano.
You can get a cup of coffee at the Rim Village Cafeteria, or sit back and watch the sun go down with a meal at the Crater Lake Lodge (see "Where to Stay & Dine," below), just east of the visitor center. Be sure to call ahead for reservations. Way ahead.
If you skipped the boat ride, you'll have time for a short hike. Two of the easy, short trails in the park are the Annie Creek Canyon and Godfrey Glen trails, which begin around Mazama Village. A third is the Castle Crest Wildflower Trail, which begins at the Steel Information Center. None of these trails is over 2 miles (see "Day Hikes," below).
If You Have More Time
Even though most summer visitors come into the park's west or south
entrances, you can reach Crater Lake from the north.