Survey says: Snow level 'nearly normal' - December 29, 2006

Up at Crater Lake National Park, the snowpack was 72 inches at park headquarters on Thursday. The average for the site, at 6,400 feet in elevation, is 62 inches for Dec. 29, according to park records...

A fatal traffic crash has closed down Highway 97, about 15 miles south of the Diamond Lake junction...

Under proposal, Crater Lake entry fees would double - December 22, 2006

Under the proposal from the Federal Lands Recreation Enactment Act, entrance fees at Crater Lake would double from $10 to $20 in January 2008...

Oregon Neutral In Shift From National Parks - December 15, 2006

While National Park Service officials fret about ways to attract more visitors, Oregon's state and national parks are either holding their own or seeing a surge in attendance...

Big fee hikes at national parks are a bit too big - December 21, 2006

Proposal would increase Crater Lake fees - December 18, 2006

The National Park Service has proposed doubling entrance fees to Crater Lake National Park. That would mean the current $10 seven-day entrance pass, which allows a private vehicle and its passengers to access the park, would jump to $20...

America's Largest Bald Eagle Festival - December 19, 2006

America's national symbol, the bald eagle, will be celebrated at the Annual Klamath Basin Winter Wings Festival, February 15-18...

how much snow does Crater Lake get each winter? - December 14, 2006

How much snow does Crater Lake get each winter? A friend of mine had read somewhere that it was the snowiest place in Oregon, at least in terms of where people live. Is that true?..

Volunteers become Park Service's public face  November 28, 2006

Farther West, at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, Lloyd and Larry Smith have retired from teaching public school students and seasonal ranger jobs to volunteer their services at Crater Lake and Mount Rainier.

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.

Samuel Boehlke's parents share their grief and what they're thankful for today

Memorial Service Scheduled for Boy, 8, Lost at Crater Lake - November 18, 2006

A public memorial service for the 8-year-old Portland boy who was lost at Crater Lake National Park in October is scheduled for next week.

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.

The beetles apparently are on the march again, going after the lodgepole pine and other tree species in central Oregon.

Mom hopes to use dogs to find son - October 25, 2006

The mother of a Portland boy, who was lost earlier this month in Crater Lake National Park, is seeking money to defray the costs of professional volunteer dog teams that she believes are the best chance at finding her son.

Search for boy winds down - October 21, 2006

“(Thursday) was pretty much the last major push,” said search spokesman Rudy Evenson. “The probability of survival is pretty low by now.” Samuel Boehlke of Portland has been missing since last Saturday afternoon when he got separated from his father, Ken, during an outing to Crater Lake.

Ceremony honors missing 8-year-old - October 21, 2006

Kirston Becker, Sammy's mother, told family members and others that the point of the small ceremony Saturday in Crater Lake National Park was to recognize that the formal search for her son had come to an end.

Search, hope for Portland boy all but over - October 21, 2006

Though a helicopter will still scan the area in good weather, the National Park Service's hunt for Sammy is effectively over, leaving only lingering uncertainty for the family and disappointment among the searchers.

After almost a week of fruitless searching, the hunt for a Portland boy missing near Crater Lake is scaling back today.

Searchers scour woods in vain - October 19, 2006

After nine hours of trudging through thick, wet woods in Crater Lake National Park looking for a Portland boy missing since Saturday, all Manny Ortiz's 16-person Forest Service crew found was a deflated yellow balloon.

Highway 62, the Crater Lake Highway, which runs from Medford to near Klamath Falls will be renamed Friday in a special dedication ceremony as Veterans Memorial Highway. 

Horsemen, mountain rescue squads and searchers with dogs combed the north rim of Crater Lake Tuesday, still hoping to find some sign of Samuel Boehlke, the 8-year-old Portland-area boy who became separated from his father Saturday.

Improved weather Tuesday returned helicopters to the air and searchers to the woods in the increasingly desperate hunt for an 8-year-old Portland boy missing in Crater Lake National Park for three days.

More than 170 searchers from teams across the region braved wintry conditions Monday to continue looking for an 8-year-old boy who got separated from his father Saturday at Crater Lake National Park.

More than 125 searchers combed the ground today at Crater Lake National Park, in an attempt to find an eight-year-old boy who's been missing since late Saturday.

An 8-year-old Portland boy missing in Crater Lake National Park has spent two nights in freezing temperatures as snow continued to hamper search efforts Monday.

Boy still missing at Crater Lake - October 16, 2006

Searchers were expected to work through the night to locate an 8-year-old Portland boy missing since Saturday.

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.

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

A fire burning at Crater Lake National Park has now grown to over 28-hundred acres. 

Snow job at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon - September 7, 2006

Upon arrival at Crater Lake for a remodeling project, Tom Gerding and his crew met with a daunting sight.

Trees of heaven - September 7, 2006

Former Union Creek ranger returns for a visit, and memories return with him

There is a new tool being used to monitor fire at Crater Lake National Park on the Bybee Wildland Fire Use Complex. A webcam was recently installed at the Watchman Lookout, providing a prime view of the fire and an updated image once per hour from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. PDT.

Natural end sought for Crater Lake fire - September 06, 2006

Mother Nature remains squarely in charge of putting out the 2,100-acre Bybee Fire complex burning in a remote area of the Crater Lake National Park.

The Bybee Fire Use Complex is being managed to allow fire to play its natural role in the ecosytem. Preservation of natural processes is a primary mission of the National Park Service.

A new facility at Crater Lake National Park opened Friday to provide additional research and educational opportunities to promote stewardship, appreciation and cultural heritage of the park.

Scientist to lecture about pines threatened by rust - August 27, 2006

If you've ever admired the regal whitebark pines on the rim of Crater Lake or other high-elevation pines, you may want to spend this evening with Diana Tomback.

While the Bybee Wildland Fire-Use Complex plays its natural role in burning vegetation to improve the ecosystem, spreading to the north and east, firefighters are managing it at its south and west borders.

Grand Opening of Science and Learning Center - August 24, 2006

The final renovations to two park historic structures – the original superintendent’s residence and the chief naturalist’s residence – have been completed.

Comprised of the Black Crater, Lake George, and Puzzle fires, the Cascade Crest Complex Wildland Fire has burned just short of 19,000 acres and is estimated at 30 percent containment.

Roving the Floor of Crater Lake - August 21, 2006

A remotely operated vehicle system will be used to gather video footage and test samples to determine how this natural community fits into the lake's ecosystem. The research is being carried out by representatives of Oregon State University, the National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey and Southern Oregon University.

Hot, dry weather and thunderstorms predicted for the next few days will challenge firefighters battling four fires in Oregon and four in Washington,

The eruption of Mount Mazama in the Oregon Cascades was the largest volcanic event to hit North America in at least 10,000 years. The ash rained down for days, burying a prehistoric camp that archaeologists are now working to uncover in western Montana.

Crater Lake due for odd visitor - August 18, 2006

Oregon icon - Scientists will use a submarine to explore what fields of green moss mean to the hidden ecosystem

Army veteran finally gets to run - August 14, 2006

During a military career that spanned 20 years, Eddie Hahn registered twice for the Crater Lake Rim Runs marathon. Both times, he was called to duty right before the race.

Crater Lake hosts marathon - August 13, 2006

With temperatures hovering around 40 degrees at the start and an average elevation of about 7,000 feet throughout the course, the runners at Saturday's Crater Lake Rim Runs marathon knew they were in for a tough race.

Bob Freirich is a long-time Klamath Basin coach who helped found the Crater Lake Rim Runs and Marathon (which are being run today for the 31st straight year).

Forest fire smoke wafts like steam over Crater Lake in the early morning and an occasional tree erupts in flame. But it’s not as ugly as it could be.

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.

Federal officials plan to let a small lightning-caused fire burn all summer through a remote part of Crater Lake National Park, taking advantage of the flames to clear brush and improve wildlife habitat.

Crater Lake Cellars, in Shady Cove's old District 4 fire hall next to the Union 76 station, has been open for wine tasting from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily since the tasting room opened in November.

Crater Lake hasn't changed much in the past thousand years, but if you haven't visited Oregon's only national park for a year or two, you can't help but notice that things look different there.

An effort by an ad hoc group of veterans from three area counties to designate Highway 62 as "Veterans Memorial Highway" has reached an impasse with state officials — in part because the state already has a highway with that name.

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.

A $2.5-million funding package earmarked for wetlands and water storage on the Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge is working its way through Congress.

History into Stories - July, 2006

For years, Larry Smith has been Jacksonville's unofficial historian.  Come September, however, he will be officially recognized by the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) with the Leadership in History Award.  The AASLH Awards Program recognizes excellent achievements in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history throughout North America.

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.

U.S. considers close watch on volcanoes - July 13, 2006

The nation's new secretary of the interior said Wednesday that plans are being considered for an expanded monitoring system to keep watch on hazardous U.S. volcanoes.

Lack of cash strains national parks - June 24, 2006

Visitors to the national parks go for the natural beauty, but this summer they'll also see crumbling roads, fewer rangers and the grime of long-term neglect.

Volcano Man: New Superintendent Enjoys Craters of the Moon - June 23, 2006

More by chance than design, Doug Neighbor seems to have a thing for volcanoes. Three of the six places he’s worked are decidedly volcanic, including Oregon’s Crater Lake National Park and the National Park of Samoa.

Can bicycling be Oregon's Maine event? - June 16, 2006

Suddenly Oregon seems serious about branding itself as "the bicycle state." State government is gearing up to hire a "bicycle concierge" to serve tourists on two wheels.

Annie Creek Restaurant set to open at Crater Lake - May 25, 2006

Annie Creek Restaurant, in Mazama Village, is part of a concession improvement program at Crater Lake National Park.

Rouse to mark 50 years - April 23, 2006

Jim and Jo Rouse will mark their 50th anniversary Thursday, May 4, 2006. They will celebrate during a family brunch.

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today announced that the California Department of Transportation received four National Scenic Byway Program grants totaling nearly $500,000 for the Volcanic Legacy All-American Road.

Walking on Crater Lake - February 21, 2006

Not many people walk on water, especially on Crater Lake. But Duane “Do-We” Fitzgerald did.

Crater restaurant-gift shop nears completion - January 05, 2006

Within a few months, after the snow melts and the interior work is completed, Crater Lake National Park and Xanterra Parks & Resorts officials believe the still-under-construction building will help transform the park's Mazama Village.

It took 17-year crusade to protect Crater Lake as national park

A shimmering blue lake in the belly of an ancient volcano put Southern Oregon on the map when the 1900s were new.