Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake National Park is located high in the Cascade Mountains of southern Oregon. Summer weekends in May-September are peak season, when the loop drive around the lake clogs with traffic.
Situated atop a volcano, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the US, and its clarity is unmatched.
Places to Stay When Visiting Crater Lake
If you want lodging inside the park, you may have some trouble finding any availability during the busy summer season. All in-park lodging is on the south rim of the lake. Crater Lake Lodge is the most popular stay, but the Cabins at Mazama Village also offer nights, however these are bare-bones and do not come with any extra amenities like A/C or TVs. There are a handful of campgrounds in this area as well.
Nearby towns that can easily reach Crater Lake’s Visitor Center from:
- Chiloquin, OR (36 miles away)
- Shady Cove, OR (58 miles)
- Klamath Falls, OR (60 miles)
- Medford, OR (80 miles)
Unfortunately, there isn’t much in the way of amenities within 40-50 miles of this park. Medford is the largest “close” town, and it is an hour and a half away. We stayed in Chiloquin – a small reservation town south of Crater Lake, and there wasn’t much there other than a few Airbnbs. Klamath Falls is probably the best place to stay if you are looking for a decent array of lodging, food, and grocery options near Crater Lake NP.
VISIT Crater Lake National Park:
Park Details
Crater Lake National Park was established in .
| Address | |
|---|---|
| Phone | 541-594-3000 |
| Hours | The park is open year-round, 24 hours a day. But many of the park's roads, trails, and facilities are closed seasonally due to snow. |
| Entrance Fee | $30 in the summer (May 22-October 31), $20 in the winter (November 1-May 21). Admits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15-passenger capacity or less) and all occupants. Good for 7 days. |
When to Visit: Weather vs. Peak Visitation
Crater Lake is open year round, but the famed Rim Drive around the lake is closed in the winter. Crater Lake gets an unusually large amount of snowfall in the winter, and enormous banks of snow often stick around well into July. We visited this park in 2022, and the West Rim drive was still closed as of June 2nd. That year, it opened up on the 12th of June, which is later than usual, but still within its stated range of Late May to Mid June.
Using Historical Data to Predict
We crunched 30 years of historical weather and/or park service data to find the best months to visit Crater Lake National Park. We looked for the optimal temperatures, the least amount of snow and rain, and stayed away from peak visitation months if we could help it. All this data then helped us paint a picture as to what the absolute best time to visit Crater Lake National Park is.
Our data shows the best months to visit Crater Lake National Park are July, August, September & June.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Visits | 8,026 | 7,803 | 15,312 | 25,680 | 56,746 | 95,155 | 194,712 | 106,379 | 64,152 | 47,196 | 19,410 | 7,180 |
| Precipitation | 197 | 140 | 136 | 97 | 68 | 39 | 13 | 13 | 24 | 73 | 184 | 211 |
| Avg Temp | 36 | 37 | 41 | 46 | 53 | 61 | 70 | 70 | 65 | 55 | 41 | 35 |
| Max Temp | 49 | 51 | 56 | 64 | 71 | 75 | 81 | 81 | 78 | 70 | 58 | 48 |
| Avg Temp | 23 | 23 | 26 | 29 | 34 | 39 | 46 | 45 | 41 | 34 | 27 | 23 |
| Min Temp | 10 | 9 | 14 | 17 | 21 | 27 | 34 | 34 | 28 | 20 | 14 | 9 |
Crater Lake National Park Road Trips
Many family vacations consist of stringing one or more national parks together during a week-long trip. Creating these types of trips is our specialty! Here are the road trips we've created where Crater Lake National Park is visited.
| Trip Name | Trip Miles | Trip Days |
|---|---|---|
| Lassen Volcanic, Redwoods to Crater Lake | 767 | 8 |
| Crater Lake, Redwoods to Golden Gate Bridge | 720 | 9 |
Other Nearby National Park Sites
From national monuments, to historic sites to seashores and more, here are the other parks closest to Crater Lake National Park.