Snow falls, roads close at Crater Lake

BY  BY LEE JUILLERAT FOR THE MAIL TRIBUNE October 29, 2018

Changes are happening at Crater Lake National Park, some sooner than expected. Following a Sunday night storm that deposited about 5 inches of snow at Crater Lake’s visitor center, park officials decided Monday to close Rim Drive and the North Entrance Road, which were scheduled to be closed for the winter beginning Thursday.

And, because of a change in the park concessionaire, the Rim Village Café and Gift Shop is closed as Crater Lake Hospitality takes over operations. Food service operations and the gift shop will reopen Saturday, when winter operating hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Concession services will remain open daily except for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Snowshoes will be available to rent during the winter months.

Beginning Thursday the park entrance fee will be reduced from $25 to its winter fee of $15 per car or motorcycle and $10 per person. Fees will be collected at the Annie Creek Entrance Station or at park headquarters. Annual passes, good for one year from the date of purchase, can be purchased for $50. Passes are good both for Crater Lake and Lava Beds National Monument. Lava Beds passes are also accepted at Crater Lake. The cost for an America the Beautiful Pass, good for entrance to all national parks for one year from time of purchase, is $80.

Because of the road closures, all visitors must use Highway 62 to access the park from the south or west. The North Entrance Road and Rim Drive, with elevations from 5,850 to 7,960 feet above sea level, receive an average of more than 40 feet of snow each year and are not plowed from fall to late spring because of deep drifts, avalanche risk and other dangerous conditions. The North Entrance Road and Rim Drive will reopen next year in the late spring or early summer. Exact dates for road openings depend on snow depths.

Crater Lake National Park is open 365 days a year. Highway 62 and Munson Valley Road, which leads to Rim Village and lake viewing access, are plowed throughout the winter. During heavy snowstorms, however, the road from park headquarters to Rim Village may be closed to allow plow operators to focus their efforts on the remaining roads. Park visitors should be prepared for winter road conditions by carrying chains and know how to use them.

Information on visibility and road conditions are available on the park’s webcams at www.nps.gov/crla/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm. Gasoline will not be available in the park until late May.

The Steel Visitor Center at park headquarters will switch to its winter operating hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Christmas Day, beginning Monday, Nov. 5.

Winter recreation opportunities at the park include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and sight-seeing. Ranger-led snowshoe walks will begin Dec. 8, snow permitting. Beginning Nov. 15, reservations can be made by calling the Steel Information Center at 541-594-3100. The walks are free and snowshoes are provided, but space is limited.

For more information on winter conditions, services and programs in Crater Lake National Park, visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/crla.

Reach freelance reporter Lee Juillerat at 337lee337@charter.net or 541-880-4139.

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