Crater Lake National Park ,one of the Planet's Treasures

Each time I have been to Crater Lake National Park it has been with at least one person who has never been there before. I always tell them if they are not wowed when we clear the rim on the way up and peer over into the collapsed volcano crater they should reconsider their understanding of amazing.

From the top you see something unlike any other lake in America. If you drive or bike around the rim, it stays dumbfounding. You can't help but be amazed by the sheer power of the explosion of Mount Mazama that created the crater thousands of years ago. The stunning beauty exists as it's own entity, oblivious to everything around it, doing nothing but causing amazement.

Crater Lake National Park basically forms a square around the former Mount Mazama, which erupted violently 7,700 years ago. It is situated atop the crest of the Cascade Mountain range, which were all formed as a result of volcanic activity. When at Crater Lake much of the dust still has the appearance of volcanic ash.

The cliffs around the edge of the ancient caldera rare nearly 2,000 feet high and very steep. There is only one hiking trail down, and it's more of a hike than you might imagine. A little over two miles round trip with some very steep spots that use switchbacks to navigate down the steep face.

Once at the bottom, there is a seasonal boat ride you can take. It goes out to Wizard Island and around the lake. Wizard Island is so named because it is shaped like a wizard's hat. It is the cone of a later eruption when part of the mountain rebuilt itself, as volcanoes do. If you take the boat ride or not, the hike is worthwhile on it's own.

With an average of 533 inches of snow a year, Crater Lake has plenty of water to keep it's level where it's at. There are no rivers going in or out - evaporation and seepage maintain the balance.

Although most of the road system is closed during the winter, the park remains open, with the south entrance to the rim plowed and passable except during major storms. Winter activities include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and winter ecology walks. Many consider winter the best time to visit, just be sure to check road conditions.

Lodging options are limited in the area. Many people choose to stay in the Medford - Ashland area to the southwest or Klamath Falls to the southeast. There are camping options too. The last time we visited Crater Lake National Park we camped at Jackson F. Kimball State Recreation Site.

It's a basic campground with no running water and primitive tent sites situated at the headwaters of the Wood River. It's a short and pretty hike from the camping area to the spring beginning the Wood River set back in the pines. Be prepared for mosquito concerns, however. The state has installed bat boxes, but they don't get all the mosquitoes.

The Wood River flows out from the headwaters and quickly becomes a slow-moving meandering stream through cow pastures, but it's pristine at the Stephen F. Kimball site!

Wherever you stay, a trip to Crater Lake National Park is something you will treasure forever. For more information about Crater Lake, visit the National Park Service site (here)
To learn more about Stephen F. Kimball State Recreation Site, go (here)