7 of my friends and I are going to Crater Lake in August for my 30th. We've started a tradition, whenever one of us turns 30, we all visit a National Park together. So far we've done Zion and Joshua Tree.

We're all from NYC and will be flying. We're trying to figure out where to stay - Airbnb, etc. and what to do in the evenings after the hike(s). Are there any particular villages/bars/breweries in the area that anyone could suggest?

Thank you in advance!

I'm doing a road trip down the coast later this year and was anticipating stopping at crater lake for a few hours or something. This would literally be the very end of June or very beginning of July. I'm just wondering what would be there to do/look at and what you could do in a few hours. roads, visitor centers, other facilities, etc. I've seen so many mixed things said around this time.

Hi! I’ll be working and living at Crater Lake in a few months, and I was wondering if anyone who’s worked there before would be willing to answer some questions?

Right now I only have 3 questions, but it’s all I’ve been thinking about since I got my offer letter, so I’ll probably have more later, lol.

What are things I should bring that are commonly forgotten or overlooked? What shouldn’t I bring?

Is there a gym for employees?

How do visitors work? Can I have friends or family in my room on days off, and if so, for how long?

Does it make sense to visit Crater lake this summer if East rim would be closed and there is no way to go down to the lake? Would you postpone the trip or go anyway? How much time would you need at the park? What else would you recommend close by?

hey all, was considering doing a day trip to Crater Lake from Medford, OR on a road trip through. I saw that the website says boat tours are closed for the 2025 and 2026 season. anyone have any information and if there's a total freeze on it? thanks!

Have never seen the lake before and we will have a baby with us as well. Would the lake be accessible now? It will be our little one’s first snow experience and we want it to be a stress free experience. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Happy holidays

We’re planning a trip for July 2025 and will be booking campgrounds in the park. How many days are enough to see the park?

Planning on driving down from Portland to Sacramento in mid-December and was wondering if Crater Lake would make a good stop to stay overnight? If so, any recommendations on where to stay overnight and if it's possible to make it onto the rim during this time?

Thanks

I'm curious how much we will miss if we go to Crater Lake in January or February.

Cheers

There was 4 feet of snow on Sunday when we visited. It was truly breathtaking!

So we are planning to visit towards the end of June 2025. I have read that some of the roads might not be open at this time, does that mean all roads or are some kept open year round? I understand weather is unpredictable just trying to get some input. Thanks

Lots of 'closed' campgrounds allow campers to stay off season for free, but this one is NPS so...

Or if there's anywhere to camp last minute in the area, I'd be glad to know of it!

Thanks!

Does crater lake have a unigrid? I've been to two different information spots and they just have the newspaper.

Decided to take a last second trip to Crater Lake this weekend. I've never been there before and I see all the spots at Mazama are booked and most of the spots at the campgrounds around Diamond Lake along with Union Creek are first come first serve for the rest of the month. If I arrive there around 11-12 on Saturday do I have much chance of there being a spot available?

Hello! I've seen resources online that say the north entrance is open in winter, while others say it isn't. If I'm planning on driving down from Portland in mid-December, will it be worth? Any tips?

🌲❄️ Our June trip to the Pacific Northwest was one I had been eagerly anticipating, especially the chance to visit Crater Lake National Park! Being from the Southeast, our school year wrapped up in early June, so I was excited about the prospect of beating the summer crowds at Olympic, Mt. Rainier, and Crater Lake.

What I didn’t expect was how much snow would still be in the park! Many of the hikes I had planned, including the iconic Garfield Peak Trail, were closed due to snow. We attempted the trail but had to turn back because we didn’t have ice shoes for the snow and ice. Sadly, we didn’t make it to the top for those famous views.  If interested here is a link to a YouTube Video of the hikes and overlook https://youtu.be/kjFwx-bA4DY

After Garfield, we headed to Discovery Point for a scenic overlook, which was as far as we could go since much of the park was still closed. Lesson learned: if you’re planning a visit to Crater Lake, aim for late July or later to avoid snow closures!

This is definitely a park we’d love to return to when the trails are clear! 🌄✨

Trails Visited

Garfield Peak Trail - https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/garfield-peak-trail

https://preview.redd.it/lz6cdnxey7od1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=879dbcdbb6f62d72ff8319ce46428f1bfdded7eb

https://preview.redd.it/c7338oxey7od1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c7567fd69706065ccf48bc6ee65eaa07fa702d8

https://preview.redd.it/ispa9oxey7od1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=76ac58dd9f67dbd5a79e29b9a6e04a0593d118c1

https://preview.redd.it/xwkbnnxey7od1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b0788ab3e20d7e2a72933b08fd3859a0c8f48c23

I heard that Aramark recently lost their contract with Crater Lake National Park. This is great news, but how did this happen?

Did employees come forward? How long did this take?

The reason why I ask is because Yosemite National Park is in trouble. Aramark has neglected their responsibilities and it's very difficult for changes to be made when so many employees are in fear of retaliation.

Below is an open letter to the public regarding issues in Yosemite.

If anyone has any info on how Aramark lost their contract with Crater Lake National Park, please share!

https://www.reddit.com/r/Yosemite/comments/1fbhhad/urgent_open_letter_to_the_public_regarding/

Hello! I know Crater Lake NPS website indicates: "Major road construction on the East Rim Drive near Mount Scott makes it unsafe to hike or bike to the trailhead on the closed road. Once construction moves beyond that area later in the summer, the trailhead will reopen."

Has anybody observed any developments over that way since 8/14? We visit end of month and are really hoping to be able to hike this trail. The wording would lead me to believe it would reopen? I can't imagine they would need to close it for 6 weeks? I know we are just speculating but figured I'd ask here in case anybody has been over near that way recently, etc.?

Hey yall,

Im getting ready to head up to Crater lake to stay the evening and catch the sunrise tomorrow. Any trails I should take time to walk? Ive been several times but still havent scratched even a quarter of whats available 😭

Also what is the consensus on bringing a blackstone to make breakfast on?? Are bears gonna be okay with that?

I'll try to keep it vague. I'm soon to start in a year round position for Explorus. I know that Aramark did a lot of terrible things, so I won't ask about management.

Whats it like on site? Whats there to do after work hours? What are the facilities (that weren't allowed to go to crap) like?

Headed to Crater Lake this weekend, looking to do some of the steeper hikes, but it seems none are very long. Are hiking boots necessary or will light trail runners be ok? Any other hiking tips are welcome.

I'm mulling a job at Crater Lake national park. They have onsite housing, but I'd like to live offsite at first. I've made peace with the commute.

I've lived rural in another part of the country so I know that local papers are a better source of rental (not vacation) housing than the usual websites. Does anyone know the best places to look for housing for a job at Crater Lake?

I'd like to bring my 40 lb dog, but my partner is willing to coparent.

Hey with the north rim closure what route would you take to get here from Eugene?