Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake National Park, 183,224 acres (74,206 hectares), SW Oreg., in the Cascade Range; est. 1902. Crater Lake, 20 sq mi (52 sq km), lies in a huge pit that was created when the top of a prehistoric volcano was blown off by a violent eruption. The second deepest lake (1,932 ft/589 m) in North America, it is 6 mi (9.6 km) wide, lies 6,164 ft (1,879 m) above sea level, and is surrounded by cliffs that are from 500 to 2,000 ft (152–610 m) high. Having no inlet or outlet, the lake was formed by rain and snowfall, and its waters are maintained by precipitation. The lake was found in 1853 by prospectors, who called it Deep Blue Lake because of the intense blue of the water, and was renamed Crater Lake in 1869. A scenic highway follows the rim of the crater. Wizard Island, a cinder cone 776 ft (237 m) high, near the lake's western shore, was also formed by volcanic activity. See National Parks and Monuments (table).

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Crater Lake National Park

Parks Directory of the United States / US National Parks / National Parks

Address: PO Box 7
Crater Lake, OR 97604
Phone: 541-594-3000;
Fax: 541-594-3010;
Web: www.nps.gov/crla/
Size: 183,224 acres.
Established: Established on May 22, 1902.
Location: In southwestern Oregon, on the crest of the Cascade Mountain range, 100 miles east of the Pacific Ocean. From Roseburg, take Route 138 east to the park's north entrance; from Bend, take Route 97 south to Route 138 west to the park's north entrance; from Medford, take Route 62 north and east to the park's west entrance; from Klamath Falls, take Route 97 north to route 62 north and west to the park's south entrance.
Facilities: Campgrounds (é), picnic area, rest rooms (é), lodge, motor inn, groceries, restaurant/snacks, visitor centers (é), museum/exhibit, self-guided tour/trail. Entrance fee required.
Activities: Camping, hiking, fishing, boat tours, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, auto touring, interpretive walks, evening programs.
Special Features: Crater Lake is well known for its deep blue color. It lies within the caldera of Mount Mazama, a volcano of the Cascade Range that erupted about 7,700 years ago. The mountain collapsed, forming a caldera. With a maximum depth of 1,932 feet, it is the deepest lake in the United States. The 33-mile Rim Drive (open from late June to mid-October) circles the caldera rim, providing scenic lake vistas.

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See other parks in Oregon.