Two Days Above the Caldera on the Crater Lake Rim

Day 1 of 2

Rim Village, Discovery Point & Garfield Peak

Plan on roughly 1.5 hours up from Klamath Falls (LMT) or about 1.5 to 2 hours from Medford (MFR), climbing into the southern Cascades. Make for the Rim Village area, the hub on the south rim where the lodge, the visitor center, and the main rim viewpoints all cluster, and your first look over the caldera at that famous blue water.

5 stopsDay one

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⠿Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.

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   Drive from where are you driving from?~1.5 hr up to the rim · Drive

   Plan on roughly 1.5 hours up from Klamath Falls (LMT) or about 1.5 to 2 hours from Medford (MFR), climbing into the southern Cascades. In a heavy snow year the access road and the rim can be plowed open late, so check nps.gov for current conditions before you set out.

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   Rim VillageSouth-rim hub · first lake view · Viewpoint

   Make for the Rim Village area, the hub on the south rim where the lodge, the visitor center, and the main rim viewpoints all cluster. This is your first look over the caldera at that famous blue water, and the launch point for the rim walk and Garfield Peak.

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   Rim Trail to Discovery PointEasy · constant lake views · Hike

   Warm up on the Rim Trail to Discovery Point, an easy walk along the caldera edge with constant lake views and looks down on Wizard Island. It is a gentle way to acclimate to the altitude before the steeper climb up Garfield Peak.

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   Garfield Peak Trail~3.4 mi RT · big caldera views · Hike

   Take on Garfield Peak (about 3.4 miles round trip from Rim Village, moderate to strenuous), which climbs steadily to one of the broadest panoramas in the park, looking down on Wizard Island and the whole sweep of the caldera. You are above 7,000 feet here, so pace the climb and carry water.

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   Stay at Crater Lake LodgeOn the rim · seasonal · books ahead · lodge

   Crater Lake Lodge sits right on the rim, is run by the park concessioner, and is seasonal, so it books up far ahead for summer. Staying here puts you steps from the Garfield Peak trailhead and a rim sunset. If it is full, base down in Prospect, Fort Klamath, or Klamath Falls.

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Day 2 of 2

The 33-mile Rim Drive · Watchman, Mount Scott & Sun Notch

Spend the day looping the Rim Drive, the 33-mile road that circles the entire caldera with roughly 30 overlooks. Drive it clockwise and stop often: the colors and angles on the lake shift constantly. Heads up that the north and east sections often stay closed under snow until around July, so check the road status before you set out.

6 stopsDay two

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⠿Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.

1. ⠿↑↓1
   Rim Drive · 33-mile caldera loop~33 mi · ~30 overlooks · Drive

   Loop the Rim Drive, the 33-mile road that circles the entire caldera with roughly 30 overlooks. Drive it clockwise and stop often, because the colors and angles on the lake shift constantly. The north and east sections often stay closed under snow until around July, so check the road status before you set out.

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   Watchman Peak~1.6 mi RT · fire lookout · sunset · Hike

   Watchman Peak (about 1.6 miles round trip) climbs to a historic fire lookout straight across from Wizard Island and is the classic sunset perch on the rim. It is a short, rewarding climb, so save it for late in the day and bring a headlamp for the walk back down.

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   Mount Scott~4.4 mi RT · park's highest point · Hike

   On the east rim, Mount Scott (about 4.4 miles round trip) tops out at the park's highest point with a view over the whole lake and the Cascades. The east-rim road has to be plowed open before you can reach the trailhead, so confirm it is open before planning this one.

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   Sun Notch · Phantom Ship view~0.8 mi RT · easy · Viewpoint

   Add a short stop at Sun Notch (about 0.8 miles round trip, easy) for a dramatic view down to the Phantom Ship, a jagged rock formation rising from the lake. It is a quick, worthwhile leg-stretcher off the Rim Drive on the way around the loop.

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   Cleetwood Cove TrailOnly lakeshore access · check nps.gov · Viewpoint

   The Cleetwood Cove Trail (about 2.2 miles round trip, steep) is the only legal route down to the lakeshore and the launch for the lake boat tours. Both the trail and the boat tours can be closed for multi-year rehabilitation, so check nps.gov before counting on reaching the water.

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6. ⠿↑↓6Ken Lund from Reno, Ne / CC BY-SA 2.0
   Stay in Klamath Falls or on the rimGateway city or seasonal rim lodge · lodge

   For your last night, stay on the rim at Crater Lake Lodge if you can get a room, or drop back down to Klamath Falls, Fort Klamath, or Prospect where there is more lodging and dining. A rim stay buys you a second sunset; a gateway-town stay sets you up for the drive out.

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