The deep blue water of Crater Lake
Crater Lake National Park, OR
- Who it suits
- Families with teens, couples and friends
- How long
- 3 or 4 days
- Getting there
- Fly
- Seasons
- Summer, Fall
Why it works
- Crater Lake is 1,943 feet deep, the deepest lake in the United States, and no rivers or streams feed into it.
- The lake occupies the shell of Mount Mazama, a collapsed volcano, and eruptions from new vents built the base of Wizard Island.
- The water is so blue because there is hardly anything else in it, just water.
- When all the roads are open you can drive 100 miles within the park, and depending on the season you might visit 32 overlooks and two waterfalls.
Watch out for
- With an average snowfall of 41 feet the park is covered by snow most of the year, and the North Entrance and Rim Drive close for winter.
- The Cleetwood Cove Trail, the only place where it is safe and legal to get down to the lake shore, is closed for construction until 2029.
Sources
- Crater Lake is 1,943 feet deep, the deepest lake in the United States, and no rivers or streams feed into it. source (checked 2026-11-14)
- The lake occupies the shell of Mount Mazama, a collapsed volcano, and eruptions from new vents built the base of Wizard Island. source 1 · source 2 (checked 2026-11-14)
- The water is so blue because there is hardly anything else in it, just water. source (checked 2026-11-14)
- When all the roads are open you can drive 100 miles within the park, and depending on the season you might visit 32 overlooks and two waterfalls. source (checked 2026-11-14)
- With an average snowfall of 41 feet the park is covered by snow most of the year, and the North Entrance and Rim Drive close for winter. source 1 · source 2 (checked 2026-11-14)
- The Cleetwood Cove Trail, the only place where it is safe and legal to get down to the lake shore, is closed for construction until 2029. source 1 · source 2 (checked 2026-11-14)