Crater Lake National Park

April 10, 2024

We ventured to Crater Lake National Park. Though there were signs of spring everywhere, it was still very snowy at Crater Lake in April. The park gets around 44 - 45 feet of snow per season. We guessed that there was every bit of 20+ feet of snow around the lodge and ranger station. In fact, when we saw how much snow there was, we were even more impressed that anything was open at all. It was no small feat to clear that much snow. 

That said, this is the second park in a row that we've definitely hit in off season as opposed to shoulder season. Both Lassen Volcanic National Park and Crater Lake National Park were extremely limited in availability of things to do unless you like cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and winter backpack camping. The roads through the park were still closed because of snow. Visitor centers operated under limited hours or were not open for winter.

Short of renting snowshoes, after about 20 minutes of viewing the lake and watching a film at the visitor center, we headed back to the campground. 

Did you know that Crater Lake is the deepest Lake in the United States? It's over 1900 ft deep of rain and snowmelt water. No streams run into or out of the lake. Less sediment is one of the main reasons the water is so beautifully blue and clear. 

The road into the park

The snow depth at visitor parking

Visitor Center and park store

Ah...beautiful and peaceful

Where Are We Going Next?