Forum Discussion

milo's avatar
milo
Explorer II
Jul 24, 2019

West Rim Drive ... Crater Lake NP ?

Did some searching but no find any info on here.
DW & I are gonna be headed up through central Oregon from the Lassen Volcanic NP area the first part of September. We plan on staying 3 nights at Mazama Village CG at Crater Lake NP. When we leave out of there we plan on continuing to head up hiway 97 through Bend and up to a campground near Government Camp Oregon and then on into Washington.
My question is... When we leave out of Mazama Village, hoping we don't have to back track down through Ft. Klamath toward Chiloguin, how is the West Rim Drive north around the Crater pulling a 30 ft. 5er?
Mountain driving is no problem as we do 70-80% of our towing in the Southern Rockies of Southwestern Colorado (8-10,000 ft elevations). Just asking bout what kind of road it is and would anyone for see any potential dangers towing on that road. In other words is it anything like Hiway 550 between Silverton & Ouray Colorado cuz I aren't allowed to tow over that stretch of hiway (DW says). But we have been towing all over the other mountainous hiways this country has to offer.

P.S. I do consult our copy of Mountain Directory West bunches in our travels but nothing on that road.


Thanks
Milo

5 Replies

  • milo's avatar
    milo
    Explorer II
    Thanks for all your replies. It's a big help.
    Roy&Lynne ... Thanks .... Went to see the High Desert Museum a few years ago when we stayed at Cascade Meadows RV Resort just north of La Pine as we traveled southbound from Hood River down through Klamath Falls. Yes Madras is a planned gas stop but we'll leave 97 just north of Madras and head up 26 as we are planning on staying at the Oak Forks CG south of Government Camp.

    Milo
  • Since others have answered your question, just wanted to recommend that you stop at High Desert Museum just south of Bend. I was so impressed.
    Also,if you are taking 97 into Washington, which I would recommend, make sure you check you gas in Madres. Its about 100 miles to the next gas station.
  • Last year the NPS were doing a lot of work on the west rim road
  • rhagfo's avatar
    rhagfo
    Explorer III
    enblethen wrote:
    Road is a little steep from Mazama to the rim. North from there is curvy but very good two lane road to the junction of OR 232.
    OR 232 is a straight mostly down hill all the way to US 97.
    Nothing like Silverton_Ouray Hwy.
    Very doable!


    On the plus side you will be going counterclockwise on the rim drive, which put you on the uphill side, there is no shoulder on many areas of the outside of the drive and there are extreme drop offs on the edge of the road.
  • Road is a little steep from Mazama to the rim. North from there is curvy but very good two lane road to the junction of OR 232.
    OR 232 is a straight mostly down hill all the way to US 97.
    Nothing like Silverton_Ouray Hwy.
    Very doable!