draft general development plan

GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN, CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK

Part IV

INTRODUCTION

DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT

    Goals

    Rim Village

    Annie Springs

    Access and Circulation

    Munson Valley-Panhandle

    Lost Creek

    Boat Tours-Facilities

    Information/Orientation/Interpretation Facilities

    North Entrance Residential Area

    Rim Village - Existing Conditions

Prepared by

Denver Service Center

National Park Service

Department of the Interior

The General Development Plan, along with the Resources Management, Visitor Use, and Backcountry Use plans, provides a long-range program for the preservation and use pf Crater Lake National Park.

The management and visitor-use facilities required to implement the Visitor Use and Resource Management plans for Crater Lake National Park are outlined in broad concepts in the General Development Plan. Comprehensive designs will be needed for the major projects. Many of the development concepts involve long-range redevelopment of existing management and visitor-use areas and facilities requiring coordination between the phase out of certain existing facilities and the development of new facilities. Some of the proposed projects can be implemented in the near future while others are indefinite; thus, requirements are generalized, recognizing that they will change to reflect current needs at the time of construction.

The majority of the facilities at Crater Lake were developed prior to the 1940s, in an era before the great increase in mobility and leisure time. The only major recent improvement to visitor facilities has been the development of the 198-unit Mazama Campground, which supplemented (and ultimately replaced) the older campground in the Rim Village. Park maintenance and housing facilities have been expanded to meet the increasing needs, but the majority of management and visitor facilities are old and are inefficient to operate and maintain. Winter visitor use is on the increase. The levels of summer use have strained the facilities and caused increasing levels of congestion on the roads and in the Rim Village where most of the visitor facilities are concentrated. These increases in visitor use that are continuing through the winter mandate an increase in permanent personnel to adequately manage and successfully operate a year-round program for visitor use. A one-way travel system on most of the Rim Drive was implemented in recent years in an attempt to relieve some of the congestion and improve circulation. This has been partially successful, but crowded conditions continue at the Rim Village and major overlooks. The present combination of one-way and two-way roads evolved through the planning process. While it does not significantly reduce congestion, it does provide options for the visitor, reducing travel time and mileage for visitors and employees.

The cost of maintaining a year-round operation in Munson Valley, where snow depths reach 16 feet, has risen drastically, and the employee morale drops proportionately in this confining environment. The cost of heating the older buildings and the poorly insulated newer buildings, along with the general problems of snow removal, shoveling roofs, and power failures, all contribute to the costly operation of Munson Valley in its present form as the main headquarters and residential site for the park.

Goals

The development plan for Crater Lake is based on the following broad goals, some of which are long-range.

• Provide only those facilities on the crater rim which contribute directly to the visitor enjoyment and understanding of this natural wonder.

• Develop an access and circulation system which aids in reducing congestion, maximizes convenience to the visitor and park management, and provides for safe travel in the park.

• Provide facilities for improved interpretation, information, and orientation programs.

• Provide the necessary visitor-use service facilities in an area which does not infringe upon the lake-viewing experience - facilities which can be operated efficiently on a yearlong basis.

• Provide efficient, economical, and environmentally suitable housing and administrative facilities for permanent and seasonal park employees.

To accomplish these objectives, the development concept calls for a long-range goal of restoring the rim of the caldera to an interpretive zone. Those facilities not directly related to the viewing experience and interpretation of the natural resources would be removed upon the termination of their useful life. Needed facilities would be relocated, obsolete facilities eliminated, and new facilities provided for more efficient management operations.

Overnight lodging would be continued at the rim as long as the existing lodge is serviceable. Whether or not the lodging units are replaced elsewhere in the park following the termination of their useful life will depend upon the prevailing conditions at that time and the availability of facilities within the nearby communities. Camping facilities would be expanded on a modest scale in areas other than the rim. Interpretive facilities and programs would be improved.

Rim Village

Although the National Park Service goal is to eliminate congestion and visitor-use conflicts in the Rim Village area, it recognizes that the area will remain a focal point for visitor use. While some congestion will inevitably remain, conflicting visitor uses can be minimized through a planned location and design of the Rim Village facilities.

Year-long interpretive and viewing facilities are essential. Pedestrian walkways, a small picnic area, and rest room facilities are also proposed. Parking space will be redesigned to minimize interference with the prime viewing zone of the rim and pedestrian traffic.

The major concessioner-operated visitor-use facilities in the Rim Village will continue as long as the structures retain a useful life and their operations are economically viable. Crater Lake Lodge, a historic structure, has been determined to be eligible for inclusion in the "National Register of Historic Places" and will be maintained as a first-class lodge. Any refurbishing and maintenance will be done in a manner that retains its historic character.

The plan for the Rim Village calls for the following:

• Relocate approximately 185 parking spaces and associated small roads along the rim, and remove the four comfort stations, exhibit building, community building., and 20 concessioner rental cabins.

The key to implementing the plan for the Rim Village lies in the removal of the rental cabins. When this is accomplished, other successional elements of adjustments of the rim facilities can begin.

• Prior to any major actions, a comprehensive design will be prepared for the Rim Village area. This design would determine the location of the interpretive center, pedestrian areas, relocated and reorganized parking areas, access to the lodge, picnic area and employee dormitory, and the excess roads to be removed in the picnic area. Preliminary studies indicate that the cabin-service area of approximately 8 acres behind the cafeteria is the most feasible location for replacement of parking removed from the rim. The main parking area in front of the cafeteria/curio shop will be redesigned to improve parking and circulation. Native plant materials can be utilized to make the parking areas and buildings more attractive. (This may require the use of portable plant containers which can be removed to facilitate snow removal in winter.)

• A new access road to the picnic area, lodge, and employee dormitory will relocate this traffic further from the rim. The lodge parking area, for 150 cars, is expected to be contained within the present parking areas but organized for more efficient use of the available space.

• A maintenance-refurbishing program for the lodge will be developed in cooperation with the concessioner. This will assure that the historic character is retained while providing firstclass accommodation for visitors.

• Following the relocation of the parking area presently existing along the rim between the lodge and the main parking in front of the cafeteria/curio shop, the area will be landscaped with native vegetation and walkways, providing an area for leisurely viewing and interpretive activities free from the intrusion of constantly moving auto traffic.

• An Interpretive Center designed for year-round use will be located adjacent to the main parking area. The center will contain an enclosed area for winter viewing of the lake and space for information and interpretive services (exhibits, publications, informal audiovisual programs, and/or personal services). The center is visualized as a relatively open, unobtrusive structure which can be enclosed in the winter. It will replace the cafeteria/curio shop as the focal point for visitoractivities in the Rim Village.

Upon completion of the new Interpretive Center, the exhibit building and community building would be recorded and removed and the sites restored with native vegetation. The old comfort station would be replaced with new facilities in the center.

The Sinnott Memorial will be retained to continue its function as a major interpretive facility.

• Two of the three comfort stations in the picnic area will be replaced with new facilities and excess roads will be removed from the area. These actions are independent of other actions and could occur whenever funds are available.

• The final phase of the long-range rim redevelopment will consist of the removal of obsolete concession facilities. At that point, the parking areas could conceivably be reduced in size, excess roads removed, and the sites of the facilities restored to a natural-like condition or landscaped in harmony with the other rim developments.

Utility changes in the Rim Village area will be minimal. Conversion of the campground to a picnic area has reduced the load on the present septic system and current improvements to the system will assure that it is adequate for the foreseeable future. The new picnic area comfort stations and the Interpretive Center will be connected to this system. Water, power, and telephone lines will be extended to the new Interpretive Center. If the major concessioner facilities are removed, numerous power, sewer, water, and telephone lines will be abandoned or removed.

Upon completion of the main phases of the Rim Village modification, there will be greater emphasis placed on the interpretive services available, and the entire area will be aesthetically appealing with less intrusion of the automobile on the prime lake viewing area.

Annie Springs

Mazama Campground: The campground will be expanded. The 52 new sites will be designed for tent camping, with several sites grouped around small parking areas. The visitors will have the option to choose between the drive-in sites of the existing campground

or the added less structured sites. Two new comfort stations will be required to serve the new campsites and the existing road will require some reconstruction to develop parking spaces and a more pleasant alignment. The registration kiosk will be relocated on the campground approach road. Capacity of the campground will be increased from 198 sites to 250 sites with the new development. The obsolete ranger residence will be replaced.

Camper Service Facilities: A concessioner-operated camper services building will be built near the campground entrance, providing groceries and supplies. These items are presently sold in the cafeteria building in the Rim Village. Relocating this function from the Rim Village should aid in relieving congestion since campers will no longer have to drive to the Rim Village to obtain supplies.

Other camper services such as shower and laundry facilities have been suggested. The need for and desirability of these services will receive further evaluation.

The present sanitary dump station needs some improvement to make it a more functional and sanitary operation. A potable water supply is also needed. Major renovation is not required and the improvements can most likely be accomplished as a part of the maintenance program.

Future Visitor Service Facilities Consideration: If future demands and a proven need for additional facilities or relocation of some of the facilities within the park arise, consideration should be given to the Annie Springs area as a possible site location. Adequate utility systems exist, and the areas impacted by previous use are suitable to new development.

Such long-range possibilities will be subject to further analysis and planning prior to any action.

No changes in winter access are planned. The North Entrance Road will be available for snowmobile use as far as the rim and park roads will remain open to the Rim Village.

Munson Valley-Panhandle

Winter operation of the existing facilities in Munson Valley has proven expensive and inefficient. Housing units are poorly insulated, fuel costs are high, and the winter environment affects employee morale.

Serious consideration has been given to new locations for the administrative, maintenance, and permanent housing facilities. However, during the course of this planning effort, it was recognized that Munson Valley is the logical location for these facilities in both summer and winter. The cost of building new facilities, the cost of maintaining both the new facilities and the remaining facilities needed for summer operation in Munson Valley, and the marginal benefits for employees, all weighed against further consideration of a move out of Munson Valley.

Administrative, maintenance, and employee housing facilities will remain in Munson Valley. Obsolete housing will be replaced or extensively renovated and other remaining housing will continue to be improved to make these units more energy efficient.

The harsh and confining winter environment at Munson Valley and the distance to schools, shopping and medical facilities will be made clear to prospective employees; hopefully, only those who can tolerate or enjoy these living conditions will apply for positions on the park staff.

Park management will actively pursue a program for the improvement of community educational and recreational programs and facilities which will' offer amenities during the confining winter months.

The obsolete cabins and trailers in the Sleepy Hollow area will be removed and replaced with 22 new housing units. These units would be used primarily for summer seasonal housing but would be built to full winter standards since heat must be maintained when they are not in use. The housing would also be available for year-round use should staffing needs change. Other housing, particularly in the Stone Housing area, will be extensively remodeled or replaced as these units become obsolete, and, as needed, additional housing for permanent employees will be built in the Steel Circle area. The number of housing units to be built, the space requirements, and the renovation of other units would be considered in a comprehensive housing study to be completed prior to any major construction projects.

The Panhandle area will remain a maintenance subarea, primarily for storage. Some of the obsolete storage structures in Munson Valley will be replaced or supplemented with storage structures in the Panhandle. No water or sewage treatment systems are proposed for the Panhandle site; chemical toilets will be used, if needed. Electricity, if needed, can be brought into the site from the nearby primary line now serving the park.

Lost Creek

Expansion of the small, primitive Lost Creek Campground would occur since there is a proven need for additional campsites. The Lost Creek Campground would be expanded from 12 to a maximum of 25 sites. This expansion is based on the limited capacity of the sewage treatment system and the desire to retain the informal aspects of this campground. The existing single toilet comfort station would be replaced with a new structure of adequate size to handle the increased number of visitors. The general character of the campground would remain primitive, with relatively informal campsites. Additional parking spaces will be needed, which may require short extensions of the campground road. An informal campfire circle will also be provided for evening interpretive programs.

The concessioner-operated refreshment stand at the trailhead will be relocated to an area adjacent to the parking lot.

Information/Orientation/Interpretation Facilities

Improvements to interpretation facilities will occur at several levels, Wayside exhibits at overlooks and turnouts will be redesigned to improve text and theme continuity. Little new construction would be required - some exhibits may be replaced, removed, or relocated.

Minor improvements to The Watchman fire lookout will provide improved exhibit space and a small rest area. A small exhibit structure will be provided at the Cleetwood Cove trailhead. Information on the boat tours will also be available at the trailhead. Backcountry directional signs will also be improved.

The park's major interpretive center will be located in the Rim Village. The requirements for this facility were previously discussed under the plan for the Rim Village.

Information will be available at the administration building and at the Annie Springs entrance station, but visitors arriving from the south will be directed to the new Interpretive Center in the Rim Village for more detailed information and orientation.

A small information-orientation structure with a small parking area will be constructed just north of the North Entrance Station.

North Entrance Residential Area

The present seasonal residence at the north entrance is obsolete and will be removed. A residence for six seasonal employees, most likely a duplex with efficiency apartments, will replace it. The apartments will be winterized so that they may be used by personnel on patrol in the winter.

Past attempts to obtain a reliable water source from wells at the north entrance have been futile. Preliminary studies indicate that a catchment system to collect rainwater and snowmelt should provide an adequate water supply for the summer season.

A sewage treatment system will be required to serve the residence, entrance station, and information orientation facility.

Major developments at Crater Lake National Park are concentrated in three general areas: 1) Rim Village on the south rim of the caldera; 2) Munson Valley, about four road miles south and 500 feet below the Rim Village area; and 3) the Annie Springs area near the junction of the West and South Entrance Roads. Minor developments are located around the caldera, along the approach roads, and in the Lost Creek area.

Visitor Use Facilities

Roads: The park road system consists of approximately 85 miles of paved roads including the 32.6-mile rim drive. The four-mile-long unpaved Grayback Ridge Motor Nature Road provides the visitor with an interpretive drive offering exposure to the wide variety of natural resource experiences available in the park. In addition to parking at the main developed areas, there are 123 parking pullouts along the approach roads and at the various points around the rim.

Various circulation systems utilizing combinations of one-way and two-way roads have been tried. Generally, the one-way road segments were in effect only during the peak visitation periods, requiring the changing of directional signs. Since the roads were striped for two-way traffic, the visitor often became confused. The one-way system also forced NTIS and concession employees to travel greater distances than necessary to accomplish their tasks. Following public input in the planning process, park management implemented the present circulation system in 1976 (see Access and Circulation map).

During the winter the Southeast and West Entrance Roads (State Highway 62), the park road to the Rim Village, and the roads in the Munson Valley residential areas are the only roads that remain open.

Trails: The park trail system of approximately 65 miles includes a 26-mile portion of the Pacific Crest Trail, utilizing for the most part former fire roads and trails. Other short, but frequently used hiking trails are the 2.3-mile Mount Scott Trail, the 1.7-mile Garfield Peak Trail, the 0.8-mile trail to Watchman Peak, the Lake Trail leading 1.1 miles to Cleetwood Cove, the 1.5-mile Discovery Point Trail, the 1.2-mile trail to Wizard Island Crater, and the 0.5-mile Castle Crest Trail which has been developed as a self-guided nature trail.

Picnic Areas: There are six designated picnic areas around the rim. These are provided with tables, waste receptacles, pit toilets, and parking for a total of 149 cars. A larger picnic area is available in the Rim Village, equipped with comfort stations, water, picnic tables, waste receptacles, and fire grilles. There are also three picnic areas on the south approach road.

Campgrounds: Two campgrounds provide 210 campsites. The former Rim Village Campground has been converted to a day-use picnic area. Lost Creek Campground has 12 primitive campsites with water and a single toilet comfort station provided.

Mazama Campground, with 198 sites, is located just north of the south entrance in the Annie Springs area. There is a small, portable registration kiosk at the campground entrance. The sites are distributed around seven loops, each containing a modern comfort station. A 500-seat rear-screen projection amphitheater is used for evening interpretive programs. A sanitary dump station for recreational vehicles is located near the campground entrance.

Boat Tours: The concessioner owns and operates four 60-passenger tour launches which provide two-hour tours around the lake. The lakeshore terminus at Cleetwood Cove contains two floating docks, small ticket sales counter, a manually operated gas storage tank, and two chemical toilets. A USGS water gauging station is located a short distance west of the landing. There are no electrical, water, or sewage treatment facilities at Cleetwood Landing. Development on Wizard Island is limited to a small boat landing, two concession-owned boat houses, two chemical toilets for visitor use, and the trail to the top of Wizard Crater. In the winter the four launches are stored in the boat houses and the floating docks are moored in a cove on the west side of the island. There are no utility systems on Wizard Island.

Parking, pit toilets, picnic tables, and a mobile refreshment stand are located at the Cleetwood Cove trailhead.

Rim Village: The major concentration of visitor use facilities occurs in the Rim Village on the south rim of the caldera. The National Park Service operates the Sinnott Memorial, a stone structure on the caldera rim, where interpretive talks on the geology of the park are given; an exhibit building; a community building where indoor programs are held; the picnic area; and four comfort stations. Parking is provided for 371 cars adjacent to facilities and near the rim walkways.

Concessioner-operated facilities include the Crater Lake Lodge at the easternmost end of the developed area. The lodge has 80 operational rooms housing a maximum of 180 overnight guests; the dining room, bar, gift shop, and lobby-lounge areas serve the general visitors as well as lodge guests. A large cafeteria-restaurant-lounge and curio shop, located at the westernmost end of the developed area, is the most heavily used facility. Behind the cafeteria the concessioner operates 20 small cabins, 18 of which are cold-water units. There is a new (1973-1974) dormitory south of the lodge for concessioner employees; a portion of the third floor of the lodge is used for employee quarters.

During the winter the cafeteria is the only facility in the Rim Village that remains open.

Munson Valley: The only visitor use facilities in Munson Valley are the small information desk in the park administration building, a small post office, and the concessioner-operated service station serving both the visitor and park employees. Self-service pumps are available in the winter for employees and for visitors on an emergency basis.

Other Facilities: The National Park Service operates two entrance stations - one near the north boundary on the North Entrance Road and the other near Annie Springs just north of the West and South Entrance Roads junction. These entrance stations are kiosk-type temporary structures of wood frame and glass construction, situated on a traffic island in the center of the road. While information is available at these entrance stations, the primary function is the collection of entrance fees.

The Watchman Fire Lookout, a stone and wood structure situated atop Watchman Peak, serves as an interpretive and rest area.

There is a small comfort station at Kerr Notch, the only comfort station (other than pit toilets) along the Rim Drive outside the Rim Village area.

Interpretive exhibits are located at various overlooks around the caldera and along the approach roads.

Management Facilities

Munson Valley: Currently, the hub of the National Park Service operation at Crater Lake is located at Munson Valley. The administration building houses the park's offices and a small visitor information desk. Just south of the administration building is the Stone Housing area with nine employee residences, one three-unit apartment, one garage, and a ranger dormitory (used by the Youth Conservation Corps).

The park maintenance complex is located south of the administration building. It contains a warehouse, fire cache, gas house, three lumber/equipment sheds, a mechanics shop and vehicle storage building, and a large mess hall (used by the Youth Conservation Corps). The center of the maintenance area is asphalt-paved, providing parking and maneuvering space for heavy equipment and other vehicles. Adjacent to and north of the maintenance area are a small transformer building and a small paint storage building. A generator building is located north of the Steel Circle housing area.

South of the maintenance area, in an area known as Sleepy Hollow, are 14 small cottages used by seasonal employees during the summer months. A nine-car garage, used for storage, is also located at the lower end of the cottage area.

Eight trailer sites are situated south of the cottage area. Each site is provided with water, sewage, and electrical connections. The trailer sites are available to summer seasonal employees who bring their own trailers and/or for NPS-provided trailers.

Across the main park road from the maintenance area is the Steel Circle employee housing area. Around Steel Circle are seven two-family, two-story housing units, one three-story fourplex unit, a one-story seasonal quarters for concession employees, and a multi-purpose community building. All structures are of contemporary concrete block and frame construction.

Other Facilities: A large utility storage area is located a short distance inside the south boundary of the southern Panhandle of the park, just off the west side of the South Entrance Road. House trailers used in the park are stored here during the winter months. Various other construction equipment and materials are also stored here for use in the park. There are no utilities in the area.

A small seasonal cabin is located near the South Entrance Station at Annie Springs, a wooden frame patrol cabin located east of Cleetwood Cove at an area known as the Wineglass, an unused fire lookout on top of Mount Scott, and a small cabin and pit toilet near the North Entrance Station are the only other significant structures located in the park.

Utilities

Water: Two small water systems serve minor developments in the park:

Lost Creek - spring fed, treated, gravity water system to comfort station and faucets.

Kerr Notch - spring fed, treated, gravity water system to comfort station and drinking fountain.

There are no water systems at the north entrance or entrance maintenance areas.

the south

The major developed areas - Rim Village, Munson Valley, and Mazama Campground - are supplied with water from Annie Springs. Water is treated and pumped to a storage reservoir above the headquarters area and then distributed by gravity lines to facilities in Munson Valley. Water for Mazama Campground is pumped to a reservoir near Annie Springs and fed by gravity to the campground. To serve the Rim Village, water is pumped from Munson Valley to a storage tank on Garfield Peak east of the village and then is gravity fed to the facilities. The water system is adequate to supply existing and proposed facilities.

Sewage Treatment: Small septic systems are located at Lost Creek Campground and the Kerr Notch comfort station. Pit toilets serve picnic areas and the north entrance cabin while chemical toilets are used at Cleetwood Cove and Wizard Island.

Lagoon systems providing primary and secondary treatment are located at Mazama Campground and Munson Valley. The lodge and dormitory in the Rim Village are connected by gravity sewer line to the Munson Valley lagoon system. All facilities in Munson Valley are connected to the lagoon system by gravity sewer lines.

The Rim Village cabins, cafeteria, and picnic area comfort stations are connected to a septic tank with leaching trenches located south of the cafeteria. This septic system and the Munson Valley lagoon system are operating at capacity while the Mazama Campground system was designed to handle future expansion.

Solid Waste: During the summer solid waste is removed by commercial contract. During the winter the National Park Service collects solid waste and hauls it to a sanitary landfill near Klamath Falls. The concessioner reimburses the National Park Service for this winter service.

Power: Commercial power (21,000 volt overhead line) enters the park at the south entrance, paralleling the park road system to Annie Springs and Munson Valley. National Park Service-owned primary and secondary distribution in Mazama Campground, the Rim Village, and most of Munson Valley is underground. The Steel Circle area has overhead lines with underground service to individual residences. A 250KW diesel generator in Munson Valley provides standby power. There is no power at the north entrance, Cleetwood Cove, Lost Creek, or the southern Panhandle. However, the primary line passes just west of the Panhandle maintenance area and power could be made available.

Telephone: Telephone service is by microwave from White City, Oregon, to a reflector on Garfield Peak and then to a receiver/transmitter located at park headquarters. Telephone switching equipment is located in the mess hall in Munson Valley. Underground telephone lines connect the Rim Village, park headquarters, Munson Valley, and Mazama Campground.

Radio: The park operates headquarters with a solar in The Watchman lookout. radio contact with remote personnel aboard boats on a radio system from park powered repeater located The repeater provides facilities, vehicles, and the lake.

PLANNING TEAM

Numerous National Park Service employees, private individuals, and organizations have participated in the lengthy planning process leading to this draft document which was prepared by:

Douglas B. Cornell, Jr. Architect/Planner, Denver Service Center, Team Captain

Frank J. Betts Superintendent, Crater Lake National Park

Jon F. Haman, Environmental Specialist, Denver Service Center

with the assistance of the staff of Crater Lake National Park, Klamath Falls Group Office, the Denver Service Center, and the Pacific Northwest Regional Office, Seattle, Washington.

Publication services were provided by the graphics staff of the Denver Service Center. NPS 1183

As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has basic responsibilities to protect and conserve our land and water, energy and minerals, fish and wildlife, parks and recreation areas, and to ensure the wise use of all these resources. The Department also has major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in island territories under U.S. administration.