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

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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?

How are the nearby fires affecting the visibility and accessibility of the park right now?

Planning a trip to Crater Lake in September. My wife has stayed in Klamath Falls previously, but we were excited about the Crater Lake Lodge.

When we checked out the booking site, it doesn't appear like there are any rooms available for our dates, or really for any dates at all.

Is this just a super popular (and small) lodge, or am I doing something wrong?

We are planning a trip to Crater Lake and the falls along highway 138. We were so excited to camp at Diamond Lake, but there aren't any decent sites available during the time we will be passing through. We are looking into Tokeetee Lake Campground but would love to hear your suggestions! Only requirements: bathrooms, tent camping, no disbursed/BLM.

Thank you!

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Hi! We are planning on heading to crater lake tomorrow (Sunday morning). Should I be concerned about getting a parking spot? We likely won’t get there until around 11:00 as we have a ways to drive. TIA!

I don’t plan to hike much, I’m mostly there for the view of the lake. How was your experience with a dog? I did see that dogs have very limited access in the park.

If we buy a pass before hand and just drive around the lake (I am aware of the road closures)and take pictures from viewpoints, would that still give us stunning views?

Would we be stuck behind crowds? We plan to go first weekend of August.

Any other must see gems in the area ? Coming from northern Washington.

Thank you

Hi! I was wondering if people can give me an idea of how busy the Crater Lake is on Wednesday or Thursday the first week of August.

Thanks

Planning a trip there in a couple weeks. Are any of the boat tours worth it?