Two Days Above the Caldera
on the Crater Lake Rim
Two days hiking the Crater Lake rim: the 33-mile Rim Drive, Garfield Peak and Watchman Peak above the caldera, Mount Scott, and the deepest, bluest lake in the United States.
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Drag stops between days, swap rim hikes, and add your own overlooks along the Rim Drive with the place search. The live map and drive times recalculate as you go, and we'll warn you before the north and east rim sections that stay closed under snow until July.
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One caldera, the deepest, bluest lake in the country.
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States at 1,943 feet, and it has no rivers flowing in or out, just snowmelt and rain filling the collapsed caldera of Mount Mazama, a volcano that blew its top and fell in on itself roughly 7,700 years ago. That depth and purity is why the water glows an almost unreal blue, the single most famous sight in Oregon.
This 2-day route is built around the Crater Lake Rim Trail and the best hikes above the caldera: Garfield Peak and Watchman Peak from the Rim Village area, Mount Scott at the park's high point, and short walks to Sun Notch and Discovery Point. You'll loop the 33-mile Rim Drive with its roughly 30 overlooks, and we'll flag the famous closures so your plan actually matches what is open.
July through September is the only reliably snow-free window. Crater Lake gets enormous snowfall, so the north and east sections of the Rim Drive often stay closed until around July, and the road can be plowed open late in a heavy year. In winter the park becomes a snowshoeing destination, with the rim buried for months.
Crater Lake Lodge sits right on the rim, is run by the park concessioner, is seasonal, and books up far ahead for summer. If it is full, base down in Prospect, Fort Klamath, or Klamath Falls and drive up. Check nps.gov before you go: the Cleetwood Cove Trail and the lake boat tours can be closed for multi-year rehabilitation, and the north and east Rim Drive sections stay shut under snow until roughly July.
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.
Warm up on the Rim Trail to Discovery Point, an easy walk along the caldera edge with constant lake views, then 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.
- ~3.4 mi RT from Rim Village · moderate to strenuous · huge caldera views
- Easy walk along the caldera edge · lake views the whole way
- Lodge, visitor center & the main south-rim viewpoints
- Stay on the rim or in a gateway townCrater Lake Lodge is seasonal and books far ahead · or base in Prospect or Klamath Falls
- Garfield Peak starts right behind Crater Lake Lodge at Rim Village, so you can hike it straight from your first viewpoint without driving.
- The whole rim sits above 7,000 feet. The thin air makes the climbs feel harder than the mileage suggests, so pace yourself and carry water.
- Crater Lake Lodge is on the rim, run by the park concessioner, and seasonal. Book far ahead for summer, or base down in Prospect, Fort Klamath, or Klamath Falls.
Garfield PeakWizard IslandThe 33-mile Rim Drive · Watchman, Mount Scott & Sun Notch
Watchman Peak
Mount ScottSpend 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.
Break up the loop with the park's best short summits. 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 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. Add short stops at Sun Notch (about 0.8 miles round trip) for the Phantom Ship and the spur to Plaikni Falls. Note that the Cleetwood Cove Trail, the only legal route down to the lakeshore, can be closed for multi-year rehabilitation, so check nps.gov before counting on it.
- ~33 mi · roughly 30 overlooks · north & east sections closed by snow until ~July
- ~1.6 mi RT · fire lookout · the classic sunset summit
- ~4.4 mi RT · the park's highest point · views over the whole lake
- Sun Notch ~0.8 mi RT for the Phantom Ship · short spur to Plaikni Falls
- ~2.2 mi RT · the ONLY legal lakeshore access · steep · check nps.gov for rehab closures
- The full 33-mile Rim Drive only opens once the north and east sections are plowed, usually around July. In a heavy snow year it can open later, so check the road status on nps.gov.
- Watchman Peak is a short climb to a fire lookout facing Wizard Island and is the best sunset spot on the rim. Bring a headlamp for the walk back down.
- The Cleetwood Cove Trail is the only legal way down to the lakeshore and can be closed for multi-year rehabilitation along with the boat tours. Confirm on nps.gov before planning a swim or a lake walk.
Now build your Crater Lake trip.
You've seen both days. Open the free drag-and-drop planner and tune it for your dates, your pace, and whether you base on the rim at Crater Lake Lodge or down in Prospect, Fort Klamath, or Klamath Falls.
What we actually learned on the rim.
Pay the entrance fee or bring your pass
Crater Lake charges about $30 per vehicle for a 7-day pass. The annual America the Beautiful pass ($80) also covers entry and pays off fast if you visit other national parks. Pay at the entrance station or online ahead of time.
Go July through September
This is the only reliably snow-free window. The full 33-mile Rim Drive usually opens around July once the north and east sections are plowed, and snow can linger into summer. Winter buries the rim for months and turns the park into a snowshoeing destination.
Check road and trail status before you go
The north and east Rim Drive sections stay closed under snow until roughly July. The Cleetwood Cove Trail and the lake boat tours can be closed for multi-year rehabilitation. Always confirm what is open on nps.gov before you build your day.
Respect the altitude
The entire rim sits above 7,000 feet, and the summits crest higher still, roughly 7,000 to 8,000 feet and up with Mount Scott the tallest, so the climbs to Garfield Peak, Watchman Peak, and Mount Scott feel much harder than the short mileage suggests for anyone coming from sea level. Pace yourself, carry water, and give yourself time to acclimate if you came up from the coast.
Cleetwood Cove is the only way to the water
The Cleetwood Cove Trail is the single legal access down to the lakeshore, and it is steep, about 2.2 miles round trip with a hard climb back out. When it is open it is also the launch for the boat tours. Check nps.gov, because it can be closed for rehabilitation.
Lodging is limited, so book early
Crater Lake Lodge on the rim and the Mazama Village cabins are seasonal and sell out far ahead for summer. Reservations for the lodge can open close to a year out, so try to book roughly 12 months ahead for peak summer dates. If they are full, base down in Prospect, Fort Klamath, or Klamath Falls and drive up to the rim each morning.
Everything you'll actually want to know.
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Crater Lake rim route.
Trailheads and mileages, the seasonal rim lodge, the Rim Drive overlooks, drive times from Medford and Klamath Falls, and the snow and rehab closures you need to know before you build a day at Crater Lake.
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