Camping is the smartest way to hike Crater Lake. Staying inside the park puts you minutes from the rim at sunrise, before the day-trippers arrive from Medford and Klamath Falls and before any afternoon smoke or haze settles in. Crater Lake National Park keeps things simple with two developed campgrounds and a backcountry permit system, but the short season and limited sites mean you need a plan. Here is how to camp here without getting shut out.
Mazama Campground: The Main Base
Mazama Campground is the park's primary car-camping option, set in a fir and pine forest near the South Entrance at about 6,000 feet, roughly seven miles below Rim Village. It has more than 200 sites and is the place most hikers stay. Key details:
- Season: typically opens in late June or early July and closes in late September, snow dependent.
- Reservations: most sites are reservable in advance, and you should book early for August weekends; a portion may be first-come.
- Amenities: flush toilets, potable water, coin-operated showers and laundry, and a camp store with fuel and basic groceries at Mazama Village.
- Sites: a mix of tent and RV sites, including some with hookups.
From Mazama you can be at the Garfield Peak trailhead at Rim Village in about fifteen minutes, which makes it the natural home base for the two-day plan in our Crater Lake Rim Trail itinerary.
Lost Creek Campground: Small and First-Come
Lost Creek is the park's small, tents-only campground, with around 16 sites along the Pinnacles Road in the southeast corner of the park. It is first-come, first-served and sits closer to the Mount Scott trailhead and the Pinnacles overlook. Because it is tiny and cannot be reserved, it fills early on summer days. Arrive by midday if you want a shot, and have Mazama as a backup. Lost Creek usually opens a bit later in the season than Mazama because of its higher, snowier setting.
Backcountry Camping
If you want solitude, the park issues free backcountry permits for overnight trips, available at the Steel Visitor Center and the Rim Village ranger station. Popular routes follow the Pacific Crest Trail, which clips the park's western edge, and there are designated zones away from the rim. Rules to know:
- Camp at least one mile from any road and out of sight of trails and the rim.
- No camping is allowed inside the caldera or on the lake shore.
- Water sources are scarce on the high plateau, so plan your refills carefully.
- Snow lingers on shaded backcountry routes well into July.
Camping Outside the Park
When the in-park campgrounds are full, the surrounding Fremont-Winema and Rogue River-Siskiyou national forests offer dispersed and developed camping. Diamond Lake to the north, off Highway 138, has large Forest Service campgrounds and is a popular overflow base, about 30 to 40 minutes from the North Entrance when it is open. To the south, the towns of Fort Klamath and Chiloquin have private campgrounds and RV parks.
Bears, Food Storage, and Weather
Black bears live in the park, so store all food, trash, and scented items in your vehicle or a hard-sided container, never in your tent. Even in August, nighttime temperatures at 6,000 feet can drop into the 30s Fahrenheit, so bring a cold-rated sleeping bag regardless of how warm the afternoons feel. Afternoon thunderstorms are common, and mosquitoes can be fierce in early summer right after snowmelt.
A Simple Camping Plan
For a two-night trip, reserve Mazama, arrive in the afternoon, and hike the short Sun Notch or Discovery Point trail to shake out the legs. Spend the next two full days on the bigger climbs, then drive out on the third morning. That rhythm lines up exactly with the day-by-day structure in the Rim Trail itinerary, so you can hit Garfield Peak, Watchman Peak, and Mount Scott from a single, easy base camp.
