Crater Lake, Oregon’s only National Park, is situated between Eugene to the north and Ashland to the south. More than 5 million people go to the Grand Canyon every year; less than 750,000 visit Crater Lake. I highly recommend a visit, although perhaps for not an entire week like I did.

7,700 years ago, the 12,000-foot volcano Mount Mazama erupted, then fell, leaving a caldera where the mountain’s peak once stood. The blast was 100 times more powerful than Mount St. Helens. Centuries of rain and snow filled the basin, forming a cerulean blue lake unmatched in color and clarity; no streams run into the lake, so very little sediment clouds the waters.

Rain and over 44 feet of snow each winter continues to fill the lake. Balanced with evaporation and seepage, the lake level remains constant. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States.

Let’s hear it for the researchers, the scientists, and the chronically curious. The first attempt to determine the lake’s depth was in 1886; a boat made in Portland was transported by train, then by mules, then lowered to the lake with ropes and skidded the final 150 feet.

With this simple wooden sounding device, a section of pipe, and some piano wire, the measurement was 1,996 feet. In the 1950s, using sonar, the depth measured at a very comparable 1,943 feet.

If you have only a few hours to explore Crater Lake, spend them at Rim Village. There is a passable cafeteria and gift shop, and the 1915 Crater Lake Lodge has a fine dining restaurant and back patio that overlooks the lake.

A paved path on the edge of the caldera runs the length of Rim Village. Just a few steps away from the lodge is the Sinnott Overlook, perched on a rock ledge behind the Rim Visitor Center. There is an indoor exhibit room and an open parapet with spectacular lake views.

The 33-mile rim drive has over 30 pullouts for those who want to explore on wheels. For my first spin around the rim I opted for the Crater Lake Trolley, a two-hour excursion which departs from Rim Village.

The tour is narrated by a park ranger with plenty of stops to get out and look at the scenery. We stopped at Vidae Falls, a spring-fed creek above the lake that drops 100 feet, still trickling even in September,

a view of the Phantom Ship, an island resembling an ancient ship sailing into the eerie unknown and over 400,000 years old,

and the Pumice Castle, a layer of orange pumice rock that has been eroded into the shape of a medieval castle on the eastern wall.

On other days, exploring on my own, I saw The Pinnacles, eerie spires known as fossil “fumaroles,” where volcanic gas once rose up through a layer of volcanic ash, cementing the ash into solid rock,

and Watchman Overlook, with the best view of Wizard Island, a cinder cone that erupted out of Crater Lake 7,300 years ago.

One evening I drove to Cloudcap Overlook, the highest paved road in Oregon at 7,865 feet, to watch the sun set over the lake. The glow turned the azure water to silver, and the surrounding caldera resembled a 1950s sci-fi movie set on Mars.

Another way to experience the lake is via boat tour. I arrived late in the season in September, when boat tours had concluded, but I didn’t mind one bit; the only route down to the water is the steep Cleetwood Cove Trail.

A ranger was asked about medical emergencies at Crater Lake, and he said the majority of them occurred on Cleetwood Cove Trail.

(If you do want to take a boat tour, start trying to make the reservation at least six months in advance. They fill up quickly.)

Crater Lake feels, and certainly is, remote. Nights are dark, and quiet, especially at the end of camping season with two-thirds of the sites empty. (Mid to late September can also be cold. In the daytime temps were in the high 60s, but dipped below freezing a couple of nights.) Eugene is 139 miles away to the north. Klamath Falls and Medford are 50 miles away in opposite directions. Gasoline is available at Mazama Village, but not diesel. There are no good opportunities for daytripping from the park. Phone and data service is nonexistent; a Wi-Fi data connection is $4 per hour, or $10 per day.

This is Black Bear country, and each campsite is outfitted with a bear-proof locker for food. I saw plenty of deer, but the ubiquitous critter was the Golden Mounted Ground Squirrel, which makes an adorable squeaking sound and drove the dogs insane.

(Photo: Shellie Washburn)

The Nuts And Bolts For Big Rigs

Of the two campgrounds at Crater Lake, only Mazama, near the park’s south entrance and about seven miles to Rim Village, can accommodate large motorhomes. I made a reservation ten months in advance. Most sites at Mazama have no hookups.

A reservation does not assign a specific spot. Upon arrival you receive a color-coded tag which corresponds to your vehicle size. Big rigs are red. You drive through the various park loops to find an open red spot. A few, but not very many, stakes are painted red and white, indicating water is also available.

I lucked out on a sleepy mid-September Monday with a full hook up spot near the dump station, probably avoided by others because someone had run over and damaged the concrete slab by the front door. The site seemed tailor made for a park host, and maybe someone in that role occupied it earlier in the season.

Mazama Village has a laundromat, general store, restaurant, and gift shop. There’s also a small motor hotel. During July and August the whole village must be hopping, not only with campers but with hikers on the Pacific Coast Trail. In mid to late September, the shelves at the general store and the gift shop were almost bare, and nothing was being restocked.

I’m so glad I stopped at Crater Lake. Even someone like me, who prefers nature in small doses and has no interest in strenuous hiking, can find plenty to do, at least for a handful of days. Even if you can spend only a few hours, the beauty is jaw-dropping. It’s worth the trip.