Crater Lake National Park News - Hiking, Camping, Skiing, etc.

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Crater Lake National Park News

Things to do: Hiking, Camping, Skiing, etc.

Ranger-Guided Snowshoe Walks - November 27, 2008

Crater Lake National Park is pleased to announce that our popular ranger-guided snowshoe walks are about to resume for the 2008-2009 winter season. The walks will start on Saturday, November 29, and will be offered every weekend through April of 2009.

Crater Lake swimming chilly - July 16, 2008

People planning on taking a quick dip in the waters of Crater Lake should be prepared to be chilly. Based on readings from a buoy in the lake, the temperature is 57.7 degrees.

Exploring the "Other Half" of Our National Parks: Stargazing Under Protected Dark Skies - June 14th, 2008

The renowned amateur astronomer and telescope maker, John Lowry Dobson, 92, once said, "National Parks are special places where dark skies and curious minds collide." Dobson and the famed Sidewalk Astronomers have spent three decades taking their home-made telescopes to the national parks to meet park visitors willing to stay out after dark to help them explore the "other half" of their parks.

Crater Lake: Taking the Plunge - September 4, 2008

I am never sure which is tougher: Standing on the edge of the rock overlook and building up the nerve to jump, or feeling the body go into shock after jumping off that 20-foot high ledge and being immersed in Crater Lake’s anything but warm water.

Garfield Peak offers new vantage point to Crater Lake: Hikers can enjoy spectacular views from the top or stops along the way - August 28, 2008

CRATER LAKE — Familiar views of Crater Lake take on new vantages from the Garfield Peak trail, and that’s part of its allure. It’s 1.7 miles from the trailhead just east of Crater Lake Lodge to the top of the 8,054-foot elevation Garfield, an elevation gain of almost 1,000 feet. While making the top might be a lofty goal for some, the trip can be shortened by stopping about a quartermile short of the summit at viewpoints that overlook the Phantom Ship.

Crater Lake National Park: Trees, wildflowers, dazzling views on trail to Crater Peak - August 14, 2008

Most everyone who visits Crater Lake National Park takes at least a peek at the lake. For hikers, there’s another way to take a peak at Crater Lake. Among the park’s lesser hiked trails is one that leads to Crater Peak, a 7,263-foot elevation summit that gets its name from its extinct crater. Crater Peak is located toward the sound end of the park and can be seen while traveling the East Rim Road.

Plenty of backcountry solitude - August 14, 2008

The September issue of Backpacker magazine says 2007 statistics show Crater Lake has only one backcountry user per 127 acres. Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, not known as a haven for hiking or backpacking, is the park with the most solitude, with one backcountry user per 1,119 acres. In the Western U.S., the only other national park with a better ratio is Great Basin National Park in Nevada, with one user per 184 acres, giving it the sixth best ratio.

Crater Lake rangers guide free hikes - February 23rd, 2008

Rangers at Crater Lake National Park will guide free, one-mile walks through forests and meadows along the crater's rim from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through April 27.

Crater Lake offers 90-minute winter tours: Park rangers lead free treks in park on Saturdays - January 24, 2008

Park ranger Dave Grimes will answer these and other questions at 1 p.m. each Saturday, when he leads a free snowshoeing tour at Crater Lake National Park. The outings will be offered through April.

Finding Your Winter Wonderland - December 15, 2007

Don't expect to head out to Moore Park or test favorite neighborhood hills for sledding, tobagganing and cross-country skiing because the snow isn't there. More likely, it will be necessary to head to the Cascade Summit Sno-Park, Lake of the Woods, Fish Lake and, most dependably, Crater Lake National Park.

Source of the Rogue - November 01, 2007
This could be your last weekend to see the source of the Rogue River before the snow flies. If you've never seen thousands of gallons of water erupting from the middle of a rocky hillside, the trail to Boundary Springs is worth considering for a sunny autumn day trip. Webmaster's note: Boundary Springs (the source of the Rogue River) is in the far northwestern corner of Crater Lake National Park.

Crater Lake offers a compelling glimpse of the changing seasons - October 04, 2007

If you want an early taste of winter, this is the time to visit Crater Lake National Park. October brings sudden changes in the weather, especially in the high country....

See Crater Lake Panorama From Atop Garfield Peak - August 10, 2007

One of the best hikes at Crater Lake begins right at the lodge and winds to the summit of Garfield Peak, a scenic crag that rises sharply to nearly 8,100 feet just east of the lodge.

Little-visited Sphagnum Bog a hotbed for botanists - August 6, 2007

Larry Powers led a group of nine through a section of bogs recently at Sphagnum Bog, a little-visited, remote research natural area near the northwest boundary of Crater Lake National Park.

Travelers Find Solace in Sights, Scenery - July 29, 2007

From Crater Lake to the Lava Beds, visitors from all walks of life come to the Klamath Basin to enjoy the sights and scenery.

Annie Springs Campground - June 17, 2007

If you go: From Medford, drive the Crater Lake Highway (Highway 62) to the West Entrance of Crater Lake National Park. After paying the $10-per-car entrance fee, turn right at the first road and continue to the large guest parking lot...

Pacific Crest Trail journey is a repeat performance - November 28, 2006

So many things could have stopped Scott Williamson on his record-setting 5,300-mile hike from the Mexican border to Canada and back on the Pacific Crest Trail, what hikers call yo-yoing the PCT.

See old-growth, National Creek Falls on short trail - November 17, 2006

National Creek Falls (No. 1053) is the perfect destination for a holiday outing with the family. It's not too far to drive; it's not too far to walk; and the scenery is spectacular, at least for anyone who likes big trees and waterfalls.

Mount Scott rewards hikers with a peak experience - September 29, 2006

You don't have to be a mountain climber to tackle Mount Scott. The 10th highest peak in Oregon has a trail that's so gently graded that anybody who can walk five miles can most likely reach the summit, and your reward will be a spectacular view of Crater Lake.

Block Island will be featured on ABC show - September 22, 2006

On Sunday, Good Morning America is scheduled to air a segment on the island's success in preserving its open space.

Terry Richard picks Oregon's best mountain hikes - August 6, 2006

The water of Crater Lake creates two islands. The lake's fleet of tour boats lands on Wizard Island, allowing passengers to debark and hike the trial to the summit.

The essence of Oregon summer: visiting Crater Lake - July 23, 2006

If I had one wish for all Oregonians, it would be to see Crater Lake. My second wish would be that they spend a night at the Crater Lake Lodge or at least enjoy a superb meal in the dining room. Lucky for me, the lodge was the second night's stop on a 10-day motorcycle trip my husband, Pete, and I took through Southern and Central Oregon.

Find haven of coolness along Red Blanket Creek - July 14, 2006

Red Blanket Creek tumbles out of the Sky Lakes Wilderness and flows west along the southern boundary of Crater Lake National Park. A trail along the north bank of the creek passes through stands of Douglas fir and grand fir on its way to two named waterfalls and several smaller unnamed cascades.

Hike of the Week: enjoy solitude, panorama on Crater Peak - September 2, 2005

Winter fun at Crater Lake - January 6, 2005

The 500 inches of snow that falls annually at Crater Lake National Park drives away the summer crowd, making now the perfect time to enjoy snowshoeing in the winter solitude.

Two hikes, two views - September 20, 2004

Two distinctly different trails offers views from the highest and lowest points in Crater Lake National Park

Hike of the week: Mt. Scott gives view of Crater Lake - September 3, 2004

Most people who visit Oregon’s only national park content themselves with a view from the rim. More intrepid folks walk down to the water’s edge to cruise the lake in an excursion boat. Precious few take the time to march to the summit of Mount Scott and peer down on the lake.

Using cross country skis or snowshoes, one can experience Crater Lake's winter wilderness - February 02, 2004

On a snowy, blustery day when the sound of the wind brushing through trees echoes like a chorus of groans, and when wispy fog offers only taunting, teasing views of the lake and Wizard Island, Crater Lake National Park is truly a mystical and mystical place.

Look up - Skies above Crater Lake are clear, too - September 25, 2003

Owen Hoffman, a former Crater Lake park ranger and member of the Crater Lake Institute, said Crater Lake and other national parks are "also major destinations for tourists in general, many of whom have little knowledge of the night sky.

Snorkeling the deep blue at Crater Lake - September 22, 2001

Hikers on Wizard Island spot the 'human' seals. Seals in Crater Lake? From atop Wizard Island that's what they looked like, happy seals cavorting in the waters of Fumerole Bay.

Viewing Oregon's Crater Lake on skis and snowshoes - February, 1984

Another flurry of wind-driven snow whistled past us as we skied along the Rim Trail above mist-shrouded Crater Lake. Then the wind shifted, the curtain of clouds parted, and below us spread the scene we'd waited to see.

The blue beauty of Crater Lake - September 11, 1975

Only six lakes in the world are deeper than Crater Lake in Oregon. And Crater Lake's depth of 1.932 feet makes it the bluest lake you have ever seen.

Poet Penned Vivid Lines On Crater Lake - February 26, 1965

On the occasion of his second visit to Crater Lake in 1903, the celebrated poet Joaquin Miller penned the following lines.

Hundreds of Wild Flowers Bloom in Natural Garden Around Crater Lake Park - September 8, 1929

Here is the sixth of a series of articles by three Eastbay Boy Scouts touring National Parks of eleven western states under the sponsorship of the National Park Service and The Tribune....