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Guide To Visiting Crater Lake National Park In A Day

people looking out at crater lake

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Oregon is well known for its unrivaled natural beauty, and nowhere truly captures this statement better than Crater Lake National Park.

This deep blue lake is famous for its scenic vistas, surrounded by meadows with wildflowers sprinkled on the mountain sides, which seems to slope into the waters.

It’s also a popular fishing spot, has jaw-dropping waterfalls, scenic overlooks, and caves.

We’re so glad we went – it’s spectacular and a worthy stop on your Oregon Road Trip, and easily viewable as a day trip from Eugene or Umpqua National Forest.

In this guide, we’ll share everything you need to know about visiting Crater Lake National Park and how you can spend a day here.

About Crater Lake National Park

Nestled in the remote mountains, this sapphire jewel of South-Central Oregon is a geological wonder

The 1,943 feet deep Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the US and the second deepest in North America.

Nearly 8,000 years ago, Mount Mazama blew the lid of its mountain. Rock and lava collapsed into the mountain’s crater, creating a massive caldera in replacement of what was a 12,000 ft. peak

Over time the caldera filled with rain and snow to create the spectacular Crater Lake, which is Oregon’s only national park.

Why is Crater Lake so blue?

wizard island in crater lake

Crater Lake is famous for its blue color, and you may have thought it was only photo-shopped by photographers around the world showcasing it, but it’s natural!

Crater Lake holds a no filters needed persona.

The reason it is so blue is because of its purity. Water molecules, just plain water with no sediments, algae, pesticides or pollution, will absorb all the colors of the spectrum except the blues.

There are 4.6 trillion gallons of relatively pure water in Crater Lake, which is why you get this sapphire blue.

Things to Do in Crater Lake National Park in a Day

1. Drive the Crater Lake Rim Scenic Drive (East Rim Drive)

view of wizard island in crater lake
Crater Lake Rim Drive

The 33 mile East Rim drive offers beautiful viewpoints and interpretative signs along the way.

Even though Crater Lake is small enough to take in its entirety at every viewpoint (especially Phantom Ship Overlook), each viewpoint offers a different perspective just as beautiful as the other.

My favorite was standing behind Wizard Island and experiencing the…

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