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Bicycling
Each year, increasing numbers of cyclists come to Crater
Lake National Park to ride around the lake on the 33-mile Rim Drive. The
route is physically demanding. Steep hills at high elevation may
encourage even the most fit riders to pause at many of the road's thirty
overlooks and pullouts. The payoff, however, is spectacular scenery,
seen at a pace that few visitors choose to take enough time for.
Rules and Safety
Precautions
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Cyclists must respect and obey all rules that apply to
automobile traffic, including speed limits.
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Bicycle helmets are
required. Cyclists face many hazards, including high speeds on steep
downhill runs; rocks, animals, and other road hazards; and heavy
traffic.
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Only cyclists experienced at riding with auto traffic should consider
biking at Crater Lake.
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Park roads seldom have shoulders. Cyclists should use extreme
caution, particularly along narrow areas and blind curves. Wear bright,
highly-visible clothing to help drivers see you.
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Bicycles are not permitted on park trails. All roads closed to
automobiles are also closed to bicycles.
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For mountain biking, the
Grayback Drive provides eight miles of unpaved, one-way road.
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Cyclists unaccustomed to high altitudes may find that the elevation
makes for difficult breathing.
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Water is available
only at Rim Village and Park Headquarters.
Getting Here by
Bicycle
All routes into the park have long, steep grades.
Because road conditions are unfavorable to cyclists most of the year,
and because many roads are closed during the long winter, we recommend
you plan trips only for the summer months of July, August, and
September. See
Current Conditions.
Entrance stations provide maps and information during summer daytime
hours. Fees are $10 to enter the park by automobile, or $5 per bicycle
up to a maximum of $10 per family.
The Rim Drive
The most popular bicycle route at Crater Lake is the
33-mile Rim Drive. This road provides spectacular views of Crater Lake
and the surrounding area throughout its length. The road is narrow with
long, steep grades. Most cyclists start from the Park Headquarters area
and ride around the lake clockwise. This direction puts one of the
steepest and longest grades at the beginning of the trip.
Altitude,
climb, and distance estimates are listed below, assuming a clockwise
trip.
Map
point |
Point
name |
Total
mileage |
Distance
from last |
Climb
(feet) |
Elevation
(feet) |
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
1. |
Park HQ
Rim Village
Discovery Point
Watchman Trailhead
North Junction
Cleetwood Cove
Wineglass
Skell Head
Cloudcap
Kerr Notch
Dutton Ridge
Vidae Falls
Park HQ |
0.0 mi
3.0
4.1
6.8
9.1
13.7
16.5
17.9
20.9
24.4
27.0
30.0
33.0 |
0.0 mi
3.0
1.1
2.7
2.3
4.6
2.8
1.4
2.6
3.5
2.6
3.0
3.0 |
0
600
50
400
200
450
350
400
600
0
650
0
100 |
6500
7100
7100
7350
7050
6850
6700
7100
7700
6700
7350
6600
6500 |
Rim Drive Bicycle Route, Crater Lake National Park
Please feel free to move or zoom in or out of the map below.
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