We find ourselves stopping every twenty feet or so to absorb yet another breathtaking view of Crater Lake and its iconic Wizard Island. Our first thought is Yup, this definitely deserves to be a national park.

July 23–25, 2024

The roughly two hour drive from Medford to Crater Lake rolls by in patches of charming farmland and forested mountainside. Upon arriving we stop in at the Steel Visitor Center to pick up a trail map and some park information. Continuing our ascent up the slopes to the crater rim, we wind up six switchback curves and pop out at Rim Village, a quaint complex with a cafe, visitor center, and lodge. Eager to catch our first glimpse of the lake, we park on the road and jump onto the Rim Trail. We find ourselves stopping every twenty feet or so to absorb yet another breathtaking view of Crater Lake and its iconic Wizard Island. Our first thought is Yup, this definitely deserves to be a national park.

Feeling content with our first glimpses, we head back down the slope. We recount the six switchbacks down to Mazama Village and locate campsite 16 in Loop E. It’s not exceptional, but it fits our needs well—proximity to the park, available showers, restrooms, and most importantly an affordable price. Once camp is situated, we drive back up the switchbacks (which are growing very familiar), turn onto West Rim Drive and make for Watchman Overlook for sunset.

Expecting a large crowd, we arrive two hours early and decide to hike the short three-quarter mile trek up to the official summit of Watchman Peak. Here, a fire lookout station sits presiding over the surrounding land with 360-degree views. An orange sun sets behind us to the west in a shroud of wildfire haze causing the eastern caldera rim to glow iron red, then rosy purple, and finally blue. The evening clouds illuminate in pinks and purples—a heavenly sight for sure. With blue hour falling slowly, we retrace our steps down Watchman Peak to our car and return to Mazama Village to complete our first day in the park.

The next morning, we wake up early to enjoy sunrise from Garfield Peak, another high point along the southern rim of the lake. Taking care to count the switchbacks on the road up once again, we pull into a parking stall and begin the 1.5-mile hike. The moon is bright but still we don our headlamps for a good portion of the trail. Switching back and forth we ascend Garfield Peak, setting up shop on top for a spectacular sunrise. In a few moments, the sun crests the horizon lighting up the crater slopes in golden shades of green and blue. Down below, we can see the Phantom Ship rock formation clearly. Being the only ones up here, we take in the quiet solitude as the morning greets the lake.

Later that afternoon, we visit Rim Village Visitor Center learning more about wildlife and wildflower opportunities. Taking their advice we head back down all six switchbacks—one, two, three, four, five, six—to the East Rim Drive and pull over at the Castle Crest Wildflower Garden to check out the recent summer blooms. This quaint idyllic path leads us on a half-mile loop through a spring-fed meadow and some of the park’s densest patches of Lewis’ monkeyflower and lupine.

Further along the East Rim Drive and just off the roadside lies Vidae Falls, our next stop. Cascading down 100 feet in an array of streams, this site is the most visited and photographed waterfall in the park. Because it does not require hiking, we stop for a short while to capture slow-shutter images and continue on our way back up the mountain (one, two, three, four, five, six) to Discovery Point Trail for a sunset view. Though not as tall as Watchman Peak, we are still treated to a spectacular sunset as we watch Wizard Island descend into shadow and stars begin to pop out. With clear skies and little wildfire smoke, we decide to linger for some astrophotography over the lake. A waxing moon illuminates the monolithic cliffs of Llao Rock as the Big Dipper kisses the horizon bringing a close to our second day.

Our final morning in Crater Lake begins early as we pack up our campsite and head along West Rim Drive to Cleetwood Cove Trail for our “cherry on top” activity—a boat shuttle to Wizard Island. The only way to access Crater Lake’s shoreline is to descend 700 feet down a one mile path. Here a small dock with a U.S. Coastguard-certified shuttle boat awaits us. The brand new watercraft was lowered into the lake via a Chinook helicopter just last year. We climb aboard and begin the four mile, fifteen minute tour to Wizard Island. Along the way, we marvel at the clarity of the water. Crater Lake boasts the cleanest and bluest water on the continent. While most lakes lose visibility nearly 100 feet below the surface, Crater Lake extends that distance to 130 feet, causing the water to capture more light rays and emit an unnaturally extreme blue color.

We dock at the island and synchronize our watches to return in three hours. While most people head straight for the Summit Trail, we decide to begin our time hiking along Fumarole Bay Trail. This short out-and-back trail winds along the coast of Wizard Island offering many secluded inlets for a quick dip in the lake. With enough time to hike both trails, we return to the dock and ascend 1.25 miles up the Summit Trail. Once atop the summit of the dormant island volcano, we circumnavigate the small caldera for unique views of the crater rim. Dead bleached trees crown the path as we make our way over the volcanic rock and back down to the dock in time to catch the shuttle back to Cleetwood Cove.

With our final activity behind us, we hike up the grueling path to the car and make ready to leave the park. Thankfully, the thirty-minute drive back to Rim Village affords us time to soak in the lake scenery one last time before dropping down the notorious six switchbacks for a final goodbye.