This national park offers access to a spectacular volcanic caldera containing the nation's deepest lake, Crater Lake—1,943 ft/592 m from the lake's surface to its floor. The lake is surrounded by a rim rising nearly 2,000 ft/610 m above the shoreline
From the visitors' center in Rim Village, visitors can choose from a variety of trails to hike and natural wonders to see. (Many of the trails can be reached from scenic Rim Drive.) Sites of interest include Llao Rock, a huge cliff; Devil's Backbone, which snakes down the crater from the rim to the lake; and the towering spires of Phantom Ship.
Boat trips around the lake are recommended for those in good physical condition. (Those taking boat trips must be capable of hiking down to the lake and, more important, back up to the rim. The climb is steep and strenuous, with a vertical change of 700 ft/213 m in a little more than 1 mi/1.6 km.) Some of the trips go to Wizard Island, near the lake's edge, where visitors can step off for a hike. Don't plan on swimming in the lake, as the water is approximately 38 F/3 C year-round, which can be fatal, let alone uncomfortable.
The Crater Lake Lodge, a private hotel within the park, was built in 1915 and has been repaired and refurbished many times since. This is a hotel in the grand old lodge style, with a huge stone fireplace in the lobby. Room must be reserved months in advance.
The park is open daily. Phone 541-594-3000. https://www.nps.gov/crla.
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