Crater Peak Trail

Crater Peak Trail – Crater Lake National Park

Time: 3.5 hoursDifficulty: Strenuous

Length: 2.68 mi (4.31 km)

Elevation: 6677* – 7211 ft (2035* – 2198 m)

Trailhead coordinates:Latitude: N +42° 52.57 or 42.87623

Longitude: W -122° 06.30 or -122.10504

Altitude: 6677* ft (2035* m)*from East Rim Drive, not Vidae Falls picnic area Timber Crater summit

Highlight: forest, views, solitude; Forest, panoramic views of the southern part of the park (but no view of the lake), occasional wildlife

REI Trails Project  partners with Crater Lake Institute to produce their trails app. Click the map below, get the app – then come back, we offer more.



Trail Description

shasta-red-fir-cone

Shasta red fir (Abies magnifica var. shastansis) cones, photo by Robert Mutch

The first two miles are moderately strenuous as it moves down the Vidae Ridge with a dominant forest cover of Mountain hemlock and Shasta red fir.

 

In approximately 1.7 miles, a spur trails takes you to the last .6 of a mile in a steep winding way up to the summit of Crater Peak, a small shield volcano. You will pass through several intermittent stands of whitebark pine on the way to the summit. At the summit, there are no Crater Lake lake views, but beautiful views of the Klamath Basin to the southeast.
Trailhead Location: East Rim Drive, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Park Headquarters at the Vidae Falls Picnic Area.
Nature Note: Upper Klamath Lake is the largest in Oregon, but its average depth is only 14 feet.
Seasonal Information: Expect the trail to be covered in snow from October to early July, however, conditions vary somewhat from year to year. See Crater Lake Current Conditions for more information.

Crater Peak Trail Elevation Profile


crater-peak-trail-elevation-profile

 

Related Maps

Digital USGS topographic maps (PDF files) – the following maps are relevant to the Crater Peak trail. See more Crater Lake Institute online USGS digital maps.

Series Name Year Scale Contour Interval File Size
USGS 7.5′ Crater Lake East 1985 1:24,000 40 ft usgs-crater-lake-east-7.5
USGS 7.5′ Maklaks Crater 1985 1:24,000 40 ft usgs-maklaks-crater-7.5
USGS 30′ x 60′ Crater Lake 1989 1:100,000 50 m usgs-crater-lake-30-minute
USGS 30′ x 60′ Diamond Lake 1978 1:100,000 50 m usgs-diamond-lake-30-minute
USGS 1° x 2° Klamath Falls 1970 1:250,000 200 ft usgs-klamath-falls-1-2
USGS 1° x 2° Medford 1976 1:250,000 200 ft usgs-medford-1-2
USGS 1° x 2° Roseburg 1970 1:250,000 200 ft usgs-roseburg-1-2

leave-no-trace-logo

Please remember to practice “leave no trace outdoor ethics” when you are out on Crater Lake National Park’s trails…and have fun!

 

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