Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [131]
Camping
Within Crater Lake National Park, there are only two campgrounds, one large and one small. No reservations are taken.
Mazama Village Campground ($16 per tent, $17 per RV per night) has 211 sites available on a first-come, first-served basis. A few sites have electric hookups, but most have no hookups. There is drinking water, a dump station, restrooms with showers, a coin-op laundry, a public phone, and fire pits. It's at Mazama Village off Ore. 62. There is also a general store and an adjacent post office. It's usually open from mid-June to early October.
Lost Creek Campground ($10 per night) has 16 sites for tents only. It is in the southeastern section of the park, on the spur road to The Pinnacles. It's usually open from mid-July to early October.
Where to Stay & Dine
INSIDE THE PARK
Aside from the Crater Lake Lodge Dining Room (see below), places to eat include a new restaurant at Rim Village scheduled to open in the spring of 2006.
Crater Lake Lodge
1211 Ave. C, White City, OR 97503. ☎ 541/ 830-8700. Fax 541/830-8514. www.craterlake lodges.com. 71 units. $129–$248 double. MC, V. Closed mid-Oct to mid-May.
Perched on the edge of the rim overlooking Crater Lake, this handsome lodge is the finest national park lodge in the Northwest. Not only are the views breathtaking, but the amenities are modern without sacrificing the rustic atmosphere that visitors expect in a mountain lodge. Among the lodge's original features are the stone fireplace and ponderosa pine–bark walls in the Great Hall. Slightly more than half the guest rooms overlook the lake. Most rooms have modern bathrooms, and eight units have claw-foot bathtubs. The very best rooms are the corner ones on the lake side of the lodge. As at other national park lodges, reservations should be made as far in advance as possible.
The lodge's dining room features creative Northwest cuisine and provides views of both Crater Lake and the Klamath River basin. The only full-service restaurant in the park, it serves three meals daily when the lodge is open, from mid-May to mid-October. Lunches ($8.50–$13) feature salads, burgers, sandwiches, fish and chips, and specialties such as Alaskan salmon cakes. Dinner main courses ($18–$26), include steak, lamb, chicken, vegetarian items, and seafood, such as Pacific halibut filet with a roasted hazelnut crust, seared in brandy. Reservations (☎ 541/594-1184) are required for dinner.
Mazama Village Motor Inn
1211 Ave. C, White City, OR 97503. ☎ 541/ 830-8700. Fax 541/830-8514. www.craterlake lodges.com. 40 units. $110 double. MC, V. Closed Nov–May.
The Mazama Village Motor Inn isn't on the rim of the caldera, but just a short drive away. The modern motel-style guest rooms are in 10 steep-roofed buildings that look much like traditional mountain cabins. Rooms have one or two queen-size beds, and bathrooms have showers only. A coin-op laundry, gas station, and general store make Mazama Village a busy spot in the summer.
NEAR THE PARK
Because the park is so isolated, the small surrounding communities offer few accommodations and dining options outside of the following.
Diamond Lake Resort
350 Resort Dr., Diamond Lake, OR 97731-9710. ☎ 800/733-7593, 541-733-3333, or 541/793-3318 (RV Park). www.diamondlake. net. 92 units. TV. $80 motel double; $90 studio housekeeping for 2; $165–$285 cabins. Winter discounts available. AE, DISC, MC, V.
Located on the shores of Diamond Lake 5 miles from the park's north entrance, this resort has long been a popular family vacation spot. With Mounts Thielsen and Bailey flanking the lake, it's also one of the most picturesque settings in the Oregon Cascades. The variety of accommodations provides plenty of choices. Our favorites are the lakefront cabins, which are large enough for a family or two couples, with great views of the lake and mountains. If you want to do your own cooking, you'll find kitchenettes