8 Adventurous Things to Do in Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
Bindu swetha
An untold history, unexplored beauty and adventure activities on offer, Crater Lake National Park is one of the most treasured national parks of America. Though visitors flock the park throughout the year, if you want to go hiking or boating, then summers are the best time to visit! The Rim roads and other elevated roads open in June, depending on snowfall.
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video.
Drive through the Rim
The Rim Drive is a popular driveway road around the entire Crater Lake, that stretches about 30 miles. It takes about an hour to drive through the road without stopping by to admire the breathtaking views!
If you want to be amidst one of the most beautiful places on the earth - Crater Lake, then you must spend at least a day to visit all the spots in here.
Educate yourself with each of the spots having a historical, geographical, ecological, and scientific information.
Drop by the Crater Lake Lodge
The main man-made attraction at the park, the Lake Lodge, dating from 1915, is the perfect place to grab a delicious full-spread breakfast or a glass of wine. The place is open from mid-May to mid-October.
Explore the Wizard Island
While at Crater Lake National Park, you must take a boat ride to Wizard Island and spend 3-6 hours on the island. The Wizard Island is the tip of a submerged volcano that rises about 2,500 ft from the bottom of the lake.
You can hike to the summit of the island, an active volcano or hike to the edge of the island of Fumarole Bay.
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video.
Hike up the Garfield Peak
Hiking is one of the popular adventure activities that one can indulge in while at Garfield Peak.
With around 90 miles of hiking trails on offer, most of which are day hikes, the Garfield Park's best hike is a 3.6-mile round trip hike to a dominant peak.
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video.
Swim at the Lake
You can swim at the Carter Lake at two places - bottom of Cleetwood Cove Trail and the Wizard Island.
The 15-feet cliff at the Cleetwood Cove is a perfect place for an adventurous dive off! The water is super cold - about 55F year-round! Though the water is super cold, you don't want to miss out on an opportunity taking a dip in a crater.
Camping near the Lake
Tent-only sites at the lake, as cheap as $10, and an opportunity to see the sunrise over the mountains, having dinner while watching the sunset and sleeping under a blanket of stars - sounds like a perfect camping setup, isn't it? That's what the Crater Lake National Park has on offer.
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video.
See the Plaikni Falls
Apart from the scenic beauty of the lake, natural waterfalls, mounting forests, and pumice plains offer a variety of attractions. The Plaikni falls is a hiking trail along the Pinnacles Road.
The 2-mile round trip hike leads through a fully-grown forest to a waterfall with wildflowers by the side and grassy lands, which makes for an unusual sightseeing!
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video.
Winter Playground
Though most of the spots at the Park can be best enjoyed during summers and early rains, winters at the Park means abundant snow and a perfect winter playground!
Several trails at the Rim Drive and other places are available to cross-country skiers. The North Entrance Road is perfect for snowmobiling.