Crater Lake Scenic Rim Drive

Crater Lake Scenic Rim Drive Oregon

Crater Lake Rim Drive is a scenic highway in Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon. It is a 33-mile (53 km) loop that follows the caldera rim around Crater Lake. Because of its unique engineering and the surrounding park landscape, the drive was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. 

Rim Drive is located high in the Cascade Mountains. At its lowest point, Rim Drive is 6,500 feet (2,000 m) above sea level. The road reaches almost 7,900 feet (2,400 m) at its highest point on top of Cloudcap. Rim Drive has eight main viewing areas with roadside parking. Four of these observation points (Pumice Point, Skell Head, Cloudcap, and Kerr Notch) are located just off the road. Short trails from parking areas lead to the other four observation points (Sinnott Memorial, Discovery Point, Watchman Lookout, and Merriam Point). In addition to the main viewing areas, there are 15 turnout vista points along the road

Crater Lake Formation

Crater Lake was formed by a volcano - The history of how this park began is absolutely incredible. Crater Lake sits in the caldera of the collapsed volcano Mount Mazama and is surrounded by incredible old-growth forests, evergreens, and of course volcano remnants. Mount Mazama formed half a million years ago and erupted around 7,700 years ago. 

Crater Lake features two small islands. Wizard Island, located near the western shore of the lake, is a cinder cone approximately 316 acres (128 ha) in size. Phantom Ship, a natural rock pillar, is located near the southern shore. Water quality, Due to several unique factors, mainly that the lake has no inlets or tributaries, the waters of Crater Lake are some of the purest in the world because of the absence of pollutants.

A hike down to the water reveals new wonders. The water is so blue, so deep, it’s no surprise it’s the deepest lake in America, and one of the deepest on earth. That’s why it’s one of the 7 Wonders of Oregon.

The lake (1,943 feet deep) lies inside a caldera, or volcanic basin, and was created when the 12,000 foot high Mount Mazama collapsed 7,700 years ago following a large eruption. Because the lake is filled almost entirely by snowfall, it is one of the clearest lakes in the world.

Crater Lake's West Rim Drive:

Crater Lake National Park's West Rim Drive is a 6-mile section of between Rim Village and North Junction. Along the west rim, we can stop at Discovery Point, Wizard Island Lookout, Union Peak Overlook, and Watchman Peak Overlook.

Crater Lake National Park is comprised of 183,224 acres of mountains, peaks, evergreen forests, and lake. The ranging elevations throughout the park provide diverse habitats for an array of wildlife and make for an outstanding outdoor laboratory and classroom.

CLIMATE: Most visitors come to Crater Lake National Park during the months of July through mid-September, when the weather is generally mild with little precipitation. Due to the elevation of the park (6,500 ft. at Park Headquarters and 7,100 ft. at Rim Village), weather conditions may change quickly and a warm jacket and wool sweater are always recommended items to carry. During the winter months, from October through June, weather conditions make preparing for extreme winter conditions necessary. Blizzards, high winds, extreme cold and low visibility dominate the weather patterns. Visitors should come with cold weather gear.  

How to Reach : Crater Lake is in Klamath County, approximately 60 miles (97 km) northwest of the county seat of Klamath Falls, and about 80 miles (130 km) northeast of the city of Medford.

Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake National Park Oregon

Crater Lake National Park is located in southern Oregon on the crest of the Cascade Range, 100 miles from the Pacific coast. It is established in 1902, Crater Lake is the fifth-oldest national park in the United States and the only national park in Oregon. The park encompasses the caldera of Crater Lake, a remnant of a destroyed volcano, Mount Mazama, and the surrounding hills and forests.

The highest point in Crater Lake National Park is Mount Scott at 8,929 feet (2,722 m). Getting there requires a fairly steep 2.5-mile (4.0 km) hike from the Rim Drive trail-head.

The scenery of Crater Lake is fully accessible during the summer months. Heavy snowfalls in this park during the fall, winter, and spring months force many road and trail closures, including the popular "Rim Drive", which is generally completely open from July to October and partially open in some other months, such as May, June, and November.

In Crater Lake National park, there are over 90 miles of one-way and loop trails, including 33 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail as well as hikes up Mount Scott, Garfield Peak, and Crater Peak. It is also possible to hike to the lake surface on the Cleetwood Trail.

Famous Trails in Crater Lake National Park

·         Cleetwood Cove Trail

·         The Watchman Peak Trail

·         The Lightning Spring trail

·         Plaikni Falls Trail

·         Garfield Peak Trail

 

Crater Lake Fun Facts to Know

Ø  The lake is 1,949 feet (594 m) deep at its deepest point, which makes it the deepest lake in the United States.

Ø  The second-deepest in North America and the ninth-deepest in the world

Ø  It is One of the 7 Wonders of Oregon.

Ø  The caldera rim ranges in elevation from 7,000 to 8,000 feet (2,100 to 2,400 m)

Ø  Crater Lake has no streams flowing into or out of it.

Ø  The lake's water commonly has a striking blue hue, and the lake is refilled entirely from direct precipitation in the form of snow and rain.

Ø  Crater Lake National Park was established May 22, 1902 by President Theodore Roosevelt. And open all year.

Ø  Volume of water within the Lake: 5 trillion gallons (19 trillion liters)

Ø  Park Size: 183224 acres (74,148 hectares)

Ø  A 30-foot long hemlock log called the "Old Man of the Lake" has been floating upright in the lake for over 100 years

Ø  Hillman Peak, highest point on rim: 8,151 feet (2,484 meters)

Ø  Mount Scott, highest point in park: 8,929 feet (2,722 meters)

Ø  Union Peak: 7,709 feet (2,350 meters)

Ø  Rim Village elevation: 7,100 feet (2,164 meters)

How to Reach : Crater Lake is in Klamath County, approximately 60 miles (97 km) northwest of the county seat of Klamath Falls, and about 80 miles (130 km) northeast of the city of Medford.

Wilson River Tillamook

Wilson River Tillamook State Forest Oregon

The Wilson River, is about 33 miles (53 km) long, flows from the Northern Oregon Coast Range to Tillamook Bay in the U.S. state of Oregon. Formed by the confluence of its Devil's Lake Fork and its South Fork, it runs generally west through the Tillamook State Forest to its mouth near the city of Tillamook. It is one of five rivers—the Tillamook, the Trask, the Wilson, the Kilchis, and the Miami—that flow into the bay.

The river rises in the Tillamook State Forest in the mountains of northeastern Tillamook County. The river's North Fork rises in northern Tillamook County and flows south. Its South Fork rises in eastern Tillamook County and western Washington County and flows west to merge with Devils Lake Fork. Further downstream, the Wilson River receives the North Fork near Lees Camp. It then flows southwest to Tillamook, entering the southeast end of Tillamook Bay about 3 miles (5 km) northwest of the city. The mouth of the river is about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the mouth of the Trask River and slightly south of the mouth of the Kilchis River. Oregon Route 6, also known as the Wilson River Highway, runs parallel to the river and links the Tualatin Valley and the Portland metropolitan area with the Oregon Coast.

The Wilson River is a rain-fed river in the Coastal Range of Oregon. It’s in Tillamook State Forest, which is only 45 minutes from Oregon’s largest city, Portland. Given the proximity, it is surprising how uncrowded sections of the Wilson River can be, in particular, the 23-mile route known as the Wilson River Trail. It begins at Jones Creek Campground, which is a homestead on the banks of the river.

The Tillamook State Forest is a 364,000-acre (1,470 km2) publicly owned forest in the U.S. state of Oregon. Managed by the Oregon Department of Forestry, it is located 40 miles (64 km) west of Portland in the Northern Oregon Coast Range, and spans Washington, Tillamook, Yamhill, and Clatsop counties. The forest receives large amounts of precipitation and is dominated by Douglas-fir trees.

The Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests are 45 minutes outside of Portland and one of the state’s best keep secrets. But these forests also have a fraught history with logging, fires and more logging.

Clearwater Falls Oregon

Clearwater Falls in Umpqua National Forest Oregon 

Clearwater Falls can be found just off Highway 138, near mile marker 69. Clearwater Falls is easily accessed from a nearby parking lot. The path from the parking lot is well developed and runs parallel to the Clearwater River. It's an easy and beautiful walk. 

The waterfall itself is just about 30 feet in height, which is relatively modest. But don't let the size of the falls dissuade you from visiting. It's a fascinating little spring-fed waterfall, meaning that it flows year-round. For that reason, hikers who decide to explore will find that the river is placid above and below the falls area.

The Umpqua River drainage, especially, has enough waterfalls to make a tour route out of it, with 18 named waterfalls, plus another half dozen on the drainage to the north, the Row River. Few beautiful water falls are

·         Toketee Falls

·         Watson Falls

·         Clearwater Falls

·         Lemolo Falls

·         Mill Creek Falls

·         Barr Creek Falls

Hike to Clearwater Falls : This half mile roundtrip hike to clearwater falls is an easy trip to this stunning waterfall. The hike has minimal elevation gain and easy access with a nearby parking lot. 

Clearwater Falls Campground is located along the Rogue-Umpqua National Scenic Byway. The Clearwater River meanders through old growth Douglas fir forest, surrounded by picturesque moist green foliage. Clearwater Falls separates the campground into two sections with one section situated above the falls. 

How to Reach : The falls are situated within the Clearwater Falls Campground, located 8 miles east of Toketee Lake (or 67 miles east of Roseburg) along Highway 138. The falls are about 100 feet away from the parking area.