Adventures with Apple : Crater Lake National Park
There are some wild places that you simply cannot capture - you truly need to see them for yourself to try to soak in the vast beauty. Crater Lake National Park is one of them. Friend, plan the trip and make the drive to get yourself to the rim of this crystal blue massive lake floating in the clouds. Although you could easily drive through and see it all in a day we encourage you to give yourself a couple days to take our time and enjoy exploring the rim. Here were our favorite spots!
Day 1:
Explore the Rim, drive and pull out at as many spots as you can. The view is gorgeous and different from every view point.
Check out the Lodge, it’s pretty amazing what was built in 1915. The bark walls and big fireplace all overlooking the lake will make you want to book a night to stay.
From the lodge, hike to the top of Garfield Peak. It’s about 3.5 miles round trip and work the uphill hike for the great views.
Head to Sun Notch to watch the sun set
Day 2:
If the trails are all open start at the WatchTower Overlook and hike the rim to the Rim Village. You can hop onto the Rim Trail all along the West Rim road. Hike as much of it as you can! It is the most spectacular trail with some epic lunch spots.
Head to Skell Head to watch the sun set!
Day 3: **or whichever day will be the warmest during your stay!
Pack your towels and sunscreen, wear clothes that you can jump in the lake with, pack a lunch and your fishing pole and head to Cleetwood Cove for the day. It’s a rocky boulder type ‘beach’ with tons of spots to find a flat rock for epic lunch and a jump into the crystal blue water. The hike is a little over a mile switch backing down into the crater. It is worth the uphill climb after a day enjoying the lake!
Our kids all said they would gladly head back to Crater Lake they loved it so much. It’s ranking pretty high on our National Park Adventure List.
For camping, we stayed in the Diamond Lake Campground, which was rustic but in easy driving distance to the Park. Plan ahead if you can and snag one of the reservations in Mazama Campground, we’ll be trying to claim one of them for our next trip to Crater!
Cheers to adventures and going with your own feet to see the world with your own eyes. We promise it will call your heart out into the wilderness and on adventures in a ways no photo or beautiful words ever could.
