Forum Discussion

Berner2's avatar
Berner2
Explorer
Jul 31, 2015

Crater Lake

Heading up to Oregon in Sept. we would like to spend a couple days around Crater Lake. This is our first time at Crater Lake and we don't know anything about the area. Can we stay right at the lake etc. We are looking for suggestions for RV parks and attractions in the surrounding area. We will have a toad so there won't be transportation issues.

Thanks, Terry
  • I would stay at crater lake resort. it is a vary nice rv park with full hook ups. Close to FT Klamath on Hwy 62. you can review it at craterlakeresort.com excelant rv park.
  • Do you like to fish? If so try the Water Wheel RV park in Chiliquin OR, it's right on the Williamson River. About 50 feet from you front door to fishing. Even if you don't like to fish, the setting is beautiful. The park is nothing fancy, but does have full hook ups and WiFi. The setting is beautiful.......it's just off the hiway. It's an easy 35 miles or so drive up to Crater Lake. Check out Train Mountain online too.......it's just a couple miles up the road from the Water Wheel.
    Brian
  • Here's the official link for the park. It gives lots of good information.

    Crater Lake Nat'l Park

    There is a campground in the park and some sites have hookups.

    Check on the closing date as it gets a LOT of snow.

    If you don't want to stay in the park I would suggest one of these state parks:

    Collier Memorial on Hwy 97.
    Joseph H. Stewart State Recreation Area on Hwy 62.

    Both highways are excellent for RVs. Depends which direction you're coming from. If from I-5, take 62 toward Prospect, OR.

    Have a great trip. It's awesome to see!
  • We've been there many times. There is just something majestic about the lake. It's really a full one day trip or leisurely two day visit. I would camp at Diamond Lake or in Grants Pass. I think it's about an hour drive from Grants Pass.

    You can use your toad to drive around the rim. There is a lodge and visitor's center. On one side there is a parking lot with a zigzag trail down to the lake where you can take a boat ride. It's a pretty good hike, so make sure you're up to it. There is no other contact with the lake.

    If you stay in Grants Pass, you have access to either rafting or jet boating the Rogue River. The Oregon Caverns are also nearby and very nice day trip.

    You could easily spend three to four days in that area and have plenty to do.
  • You won't be staying on the lake or even have a view of it. The park's campground used to have a unique color coding at the sites to help campers choose a site appropriate for their rig. Campground reviews suggest they still do. We tried to visit last September, but fires changed that. Probably try again this fall. We plan on staying at Crater Lake RV park because it has full hookups.
  • Down the hill to the east is Collier Memorial State Park with camp ground and a decent logging museum across the road. Worth a stop even if you dont camp there.
  • We have been to Crater Lake twice. Once with our TT and truck and once with our long Class C motorhome. We didn't have a toad so we actually toured the whole park in the Class C. We had no problems with parking at any place we wanted to stop. It was very nice to have a bathroom and kitchen with us because the services inside the park are sparse. Eating our meals with a panoramic view outside the window was great. We didn't sleep in the park we stayed at Crater Lake RV park in Pioneer which is to the south.
  • There is a CG inside the national park, which I believe is run by a concessionaire. No hookups, and sites may be small (it's been about 20 years since we were there, and we had a popup at the time, so no issues with campsite size then). I would strongly advise reservations. The CG does not have a view of the lake.
  • When we were in the area to see Crater Lake we stayed in Grants Pass and also took advantage of the jet boat ride on the river.

    We took a day trip to Crater Lake.
  • there is no camping on the lake
    the closest rv park is at diamond lake about 11 easy miles away
    it is a nice park but very busy so reservation are advised(we were there 2 weeks ago and it was full)
    http://www.diamondlakervpark.com/