Crater Lake - Oregon

Open 24/7 365??

Not for camping.

Campgrounds at Crater Lake NP

Crater Lake is open 24/7 365 days per year, definitely worth the trip.

When the 12,000' top of Mt. Mazama was blasted off 7,700 years ago forming Crater Lake it sent ash into Idaho and Montana. We saw Native American dug-out dwellings dug into Mt. Mazama ash along the Snake River in Idaho.

There may be roads/entrances closed a good part of the year however. Currently 1/3 of the rim drive is open to cars.

Another campground within driving distance of Crater Lake is La Pine State Park. They have pull-throughs up to 90' long.

Here is the current Crater Lake road status:

Make sure you inquiry whether Crater Lake is open - sometimes stays closed well into July because of snow.

Thanks all. Very informative. We are going for it, as long as we can find a good CG.

IT all depends if you wish to see a very beautiful high lake and wonderful country. 250 miles is not that bad. Do it , if you have the time . Of course the Columbia Gorge isn't any thing to miss either, most great. BUT I AM BIAS, You shouldn't have a problem finding a CG BUT call ahead .. OREGON is very popular. :B

The highways are great too! Have a safe trip and ENJOY.
CHuck

we've been to Crater Lake twice and loved it both times. It's a beautiful deep lake with pretty scenery but some people wouldn't travel 250 miles out of the way to see it. It's beautiful, peaceful and a great place for pictures and a picnic. You can look up the park on NPS.Gov and see if you think it's worth it. Klamath Falls is also worth seeing south of there if you decide to head south before heading east. I would take US97 south to Crater Lake rather than US197 which is more steep.
From another post: At The Dalles, I84 enters the dry side of Oregon. US197 runs south to US97. It has a drop and climb a Maupin.
US97 is further along, and has a gradual climb to uplands of central Oregon.
One way or other you have to climb from sealevel along the Gorge to 5000' around Bend (and points south). But for the most part the climbs are gradual. Once you leave Crater Lake, you can go back north on US97 to US20 and go east to get back to I-84. US20 is a good road. There is a nice little RV park in Burns (Burns RV Park) where you can overnight. Call ahead if you need a pull thru.
Collier Memorial State Park is right off Hwy 97 and has full hookups. Our friends stayed there in a fifth wheel. 45 min. drive to Crater Lake. There are also RV parks at Diamond Lake which is closer to Crater Lake but farther from US97. You can also stop along the way in Redmond at the Expo Center RV Park (no trees) but very nice. There are also several RV parks in Bend.