National park · Oregon

Crater Lake National Park

Oregon's only national park and the fifth-oldest in the U.S., preserving the deep blue caldera lake that formed when Mount Mazama collapsed in a massive eruption around 5,700 BCE.

Entrance
$30 private vehicle
Hours
Open 24 hours daily Crater Lake National Park
Established
1902
Region
Pacific Northwest
Crater Lake National Park
Photo: NPS Photo · Public domain (US National Park Service)
The Crater Lake National Park patch

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History

Crater Lake National Park is the only national park in Oregon and the fifth-oldest national park in the United States. It preserves the caldera of Mount Mazama, a volcano that collapsed during a massive eruption around 5700 BCE, forming the deepest lake in the United States.

Key events

  1. May 22, 1902Crater Lake National Park established by President Theodore Roosevelt, the fifth U.S. national park.
  2. The last recorded year the lake froze over was in 1949, and it rarely freezes due to its immense depth acting as a heat reservoir.
  3. The eruption that formed Crater Lake produced more than 150 times as much ash as the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.
  4. 1853Crater Lake first sighted by non-Native Americans (gold prospector John Wesley Hillman); native Klamath and Modoc oral history kept it sacred for millennia.

Trails

  • Plaikni Falls Trail 2 mi · Easy
  • Watchman Peak Trail 1.6 mi · Moderate
  • Garfield Peak Trail 3.4 mi · Hard
  • Mount Scott Trail 5 mi · Hard
  • Castle Crest Wildflower Trail 0.8 mi · Easy

Plan your visit

Hours · Crater Lake National Park

Open 24 hours, every day

Crater Lake National Park is open year-round, 24 hours a day. Some roads, trails, and facilities, however, are closed seasonally due to snow. North Entrance Road, and West and East Rim Drives close for the season on November 1 (or earlier if there is significant snowfall). Crews begin removing snow from these roads in April, but opening dates vary. The North Entrance Road and West Rim Drive tend to open in early June. The East Rim Drive typically opens in early July.

Entrance fees

  • Private Vehicle $30
  • Motorcycle $25
  • Per Person $15
  • Snowmobile $15

Fees and hours as of May 2026. Check current details on NPS.gov

When to go

  • Summer. All roads and trails open, clearest views, ranger programs
  • Fall. Fewer crowds, fall colors, Rim Drive still open through October
  • Winter. Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, 40+ feet of snow
  • Spring. Wildflowers, waterfalls at peak flow, but snow lingers

Wildlife

Black bearsElkMule deerPikaMarmotsBald eaglesOspreyClark's nutcrackers

Nearby patches

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