Crater Lake National Park

A winter scene at Crater Lake.

A view of Annie Creek at Crater Lake National Park.

Wizard Island, viewed from the Discovery Point Trail.

Take an ancient sunken volcano, fill with deep, blue waters and decorate it with majestic evergreens, and you have Crater Lake.

The deepest lake in the United States and the seventh-deepest in the world, it forms the centerpiece of Oregon's Crater Lake National Park.

At its deepest, Crater Lake measures 1,943 feet. Yet its slopes, located on the crest of the Cascade Range, rise 8,000 feet above sea level.

Hiking trails ring the lake and thread the park, which also contains a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail. Many of the 90 miles of park trails are strenuous, but hikers are rewarded with spectacular displays of wildflowers, dramatic canyons and mystical views of Crater Lake.

The park has two developed campgrounds at Crater Lake and wilderness backpacking is allowed with a free permit.

Winter backcountry ski camping and snowshoe camping are popular, though services are limited throughout the park.

The park's paved roads are popular with touring bicyclists, especially the Rim Drive, which is open from July through September. Mountain bikers are allowed on the unpaved Grayback Road and on the Pinnacles Trail.

Except for Sun Creek, all water bodies in the park are open to fishing, and species include rainbow trout and Kokanee salmon. Private boats are not permitted on the lake.

Entry fees are charged from May through October.