Preliminary Draft Environmental Assessment for

Crater Lake Master Plan

 I. Statement of the Problem

 

Among the issues to be addressed in the assessment are the following:

B. Crater Lake Lodge

The existing Crater Lake Lodge was built in the early 1900s to replace ‘the temporary wooden hotel at the rim. The lodge was formally opened for business on July 1, 1915. An annex to the lodge was added to the westerly end of the structure in 1924. Through the years the lodge has served as the primary overnight facility for those visitors who wished to stay in the park for an extended period of time. Because of this traditional use and the uniqueness of the stone masonry-wooden structure, Crater-Lake Lodge has recently been nominated to the “National Register of Historic Places and is therefore entitled to protection under Section 1(3) and Section 2(b) of Executive Order 11593.

Over the years the lodge has been subjected to the severe winter weather of the Cascades as well as heavy visitor use during the summer months; and deterioration, both external and internal, is evident. As a result, constant seasonal repairs are required to maintain this structure. Further, visitor needs and requirements have also changed with the times.

Because of these factors, it is imperative that the role of Crater Lake Lodge as an integral part of the Crater Lake scene be reassessed. All viable alternative actions, from complete or partial obliteration to thorough renovation, must be explored to insure proper management and use of the lodge in the future.

 

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