Crater Lake has inspired people for hundreds of years. No place else on earth combines a deep, pure lake, so blue in color; sheer surrounding cliffs, almost two thousand feet high; two picturesque islands; and a violent volcanic past. It is a place of immeasurable beauty, and an outstanding outdoor laboratory and classroom.

Crater Lake is located in Southern Oregon on the crest of the Cascade Mountain range, 100 miles (160 km) east of the Pacific Ocean. It lies inside a caldera, or volcanic basin, created when the 12,000 foot (3,660 meter) high Mount Mazama collapsed 7,700 years ago following a large eruption.

Generous amounts of winter snow, averaging 533 inches (1,354 cm) per year, supply the lake with water. There are no inlets or outlets to the lake. Crater Lake, at 1,943 feet (592 meters) deep, is the seventh deepest lake in the world and the deepest in the United States. Evaporation and seepage prevent the lake from becoming any deeper.

 
Join A Ranger
Ranger led snowshoe walks are offered Saturdays and Sundays at 1:00 PM from Thanksgiving weekend through late March!
 
Crater Lake - In Depth
Learn more about Crater Lake National Park by visiting our expanded website   
Write to
P.O. Box 7
Crater Lake, Oregon 97604
E-mail

Phone
Visitor Information
(541) 594-3000
Fax
(541) 594-3010

Climate
Weather plays a dramatic role at Crater Lake National Park. Winter, especially, shapes the landscape; snow generally begins to accumulate each year in October and doesn't melt in most places until the following June. Summer weather is more predictable, with warm, dry days, blue skies, and cool nights. Nevertheless, there may be days even in August when the lake is completely obscured by clouds and fog. Visitors to Crater Lake National Park should be prepared for any kind of weather, any time of the year.
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The Clarks Nutcracker is frequently seen around the rim of Crater Lake. It feeds almost exclusively on the seeds of the Whitebark Pine. It gathers the seeds and hides some of them to eat later, helping the tree to disburse its seeds. Forgotten seeds may grow into new Whitebark Pines. Posted by: Gracy    Source

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