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General Information
Crater Lake National Park is open year round. About a half million people visit the park each year, with Jul and Aug being the busiest months. There are winter programs and activities in the park.
For a brief time each year, Crater Lake National Park emerges from winter hibernation to bask in summertime glory. Early season visitors are often surprised by the amount of snow which remains long into months which are considered mid-summer in most parts of the country. Even most park roads are closed into the late spring which gives a picture of the far more dominant winter scene sensed even in June and early July.
During this brief summertime window, one maginficent day typically follows another. For visitors, these few months provide the best opportunity for a comfortable visit. Many interpretive programs are offered which encourage a deeper understanding of the lake and the park. Hiking and camping are popular activities. Fishing for trout and salmon in the lake is also a favorite pastime. And for park staff, this short season provides the only access to numerous projects long buried under the snow.
However, from October to June, the park turns into a snow covered wilderness, receiving an average of 533 inches of snow annually. A wide variety of trails and unplowed roads provide winter enthusiasts with access to breaththaking views, open slopes, and dense forests, making Crater Lake ideal for both daytrippers and backcountry campers who are prepared to face the challenges of winter. By early spring it is typical to have 10 to 15 feet of snow on the ground. While snowfall is common in the Cascade Mountains, Crater Lake is one of the snowiest areas in the entire Northwest. Even in the long, harsh winter months, Crater Lake National Park can still provide the hearty visitor with a phenomenal outdoor experience
Crater Lake National Park has some fantastic Cascade Rocky Mountain scenery, forest, wildlife, and the deepest lake in America resting inside a dormant volcano.
Visitor Center
The Steel Visitor Center
Open all year
Hours
Nov - Mar 10:00 am - 4:00 pm - Daily (except Christmas Day) Mar - Nov 9:00 am - 5:00 pm - Daily
Post Office Hours
Monday through Saturday - 9:00 am - 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm, except holidays.
Phone - 541-594-2211 ext. 402
Location - Park Headquarters
Special Programs - A 16-minute film, The Crater Lake Story, is shown every half hour
Exhibits - Current exhibits include park orientation and the Bull Trout Restoration Project
Books, maps, posters, postcards, and educational materials are available for purchase here from the Crater Lake Natural History Association
The Steel Center has public restrooms and is fully accessible
Rim Village Visitor Center
The Rim Village Visitor Center is open from early June through late September, although the park's concessioner operates a cafeteria and gift store through out the winter. This visitor center is located on the south rim of the caldera, approximately 200 yards west of the Crater Lake Lodge. General park information, backcountry camping permits, and educational sales items are available at this location
Other visitor services are quite limited. For lodging, evening meals, or gasoline, you will need to drive outside the park to the communities of Ft. Klamath, Chiloquin, Prospect, or Diamond Lake.
Jun - Sep 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
May - Jun 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
Month of Sep 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
Phone - 541-594-2211 ext 415
Location - Rim Village
Available Facilities - Gift shop, cafeteria, and Crater Lake Lodge
Cafeteria and Gift Shop at Rim Village - Winter Hours
10:00 am - 4:30 pm - Weekdays
10:00 am - 5:00 pm - Weekends and Holidays
Rim Village Visitor Center & Other Stores Summer Hours - 31 May through 30 Sep
8:30 am - 6:00 pm - Daily
8:00 am - 8:00 pm - Daily - Cafeteria and Gift shop at Rim Village
7:00 am - 10:00 pm - Daily - Mazama Village Store
Both Sinnott Memorial Overlook and Crater Lake Lodge have interpretive displays and exhibits which are open to the public in the summer.
Ranger Activities
Boat Tours - Rangers are your guides for a 1 hour and 45 minute concession-operated boat tour of Crater Lake. The tours run from late June through mid-September. During peak season 9 tours operate per day with the first tour leaving at 10:00 am and the last tour leaving at 4:30 pm.
Interpretive Walks - Ranger guided hikes are available daily late June through Labor Day and include backcountry natural history hikes and frontcountry historical walks. Additional hikes may be offered when staffing is available.
Evening Programs - Join park rangers for in-depth presentations of various topics relating to the natural and cultural history of Crater Lake. Specific topics are posted at the visitor centers and campgrounds and held nightly at the Mazama Campground Amphitheater, programs are presented at 9 pm late June through July 31, 8:30 pm in August, and 8:00 pm September 1 through Labor Day.
Discovering Crater Lake Talks - This 15 minute talk is presented twice daily starting June 30th through Labor Day at the Sinnott Memorial overlook behind the Rim Village Visitor Center.
Winter Programs
Rangers lead interpretive walks and discuss various topics on winter ecology. Walks are presented in the Rim Village area every Saturday and Sunday starting Thanksgiving weekend through late March at 1:00 pm. Participants must wear snowshoes because of the deep snow conditions along the route. Snowshoes are provided and there is a 20 person limit on each walk, and a minimum age of 9 years old.
Park programs may change due to weather considerations.
Summer boat tours from Cleetwood Cove, fishing for kokanee salmon and rainbow trout on Wizard Island and at Cleetwood Cove, ranger-guided programs, numerous hiking trails, and the Rim Drive scenic roadway.
A Junior Ranger Program is available for 6-12 year olds at the Mazama Campground Amphitheater from late June to the end of August at 5:00 pm.
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This site is in no way associated with the United States Government, the Department of the Interior or the National Park Service
