View from Parking

Because Crater Lake is the reason people visit the park, a view of the Lake is an important factor in getting visitors to stop. The “Cleetwood Flow” and “What Is Soil?” pull outs (Fig. 6) are similar except for the view available from the parking area. At the “Cleetwood Flow” pull out 22% of the cars stop, while at “What Is Soil?” less than half as many (10%) stop (p<.02).

Interpretive Signing Visible from the Road

Interpretive signs offer visitors an opportunity to increase their understanding and knowledge of Crater Lake, and these signs may contribute to the number of visitors stopping at a pull out. Figure 7 shows two pull outs that are similar except for interpretive signing. The “Skell Head” pull out, which has a sign visible from the road, stops 61% of the cars that go by. At the pull out without interpretive signing .4 miles past the “Red Cloud Cliff and Pumice Castle” pull out, only 43% of the cars stop (p<.05).

Figure 5. Parking separated from the road.

Figure 6. View from parking.

Figure 7. Interpretive signing visible from road.