Crater Lake National Park // The Bluest Lake I’ve Ever Seen!

For the very first time, in this short VanLife adventure of ours, we were able to work from a National Park! To make this day even more special, it’s easily one of the most beautiful vistas I’ve ever laid eyes on! Despite it being June 26th, the shear amount of snow is keeping most of the roads in the park closed, it still was a spectacular experience. But the view alone, of this blue hue found next to nowhere else in the world, is magnificent. Of course, I’m referring to Crater Lake National Park! Tucked away in the quiet part of southern Oregon, this seldom visited National Park should be on every person’s bucket list. 

I’ve seen blue water all over the world. From the azure blue glacial Moraine Lake to clear turquoise waters of Tahiti. But some how, this lake, sitting atop a dormant volcano, in the Pacific Northwest, is a blue I’ve never seen anywhere before. It was like someone turned up the saturation, in real life, right before my eyes. Even without a single cloud above, the sky looked white in comparison to the blue color of the water below. Combined with contrast of the powder white of the lingering snow. Crater Lake had such an attraction to it, that no matter which view point you stood out from, they all seemed out of this world. 

Though we weren’t able to do much hiking or exploring, due to the aforementioned snow and work, it was all still worth it. The National Park sits in the crater of a dormant volcano. After an eruption 7,700 years ago collapsed a tall peak, the massive crater was all that remained of the mountain. And over that time, it collected rain and snowmelt, resulting in it being the deepest lake in the United States at 1,949ff deep. And in 1902, it was designated as a national park, making it the fifth oldest national park. The kicker is, this national park sits at a whopping 7,500ft in elevation, making our visit at the end of June colder than expected and glad we had our puffy jackets. 

Our stay in Crater Lake National Park was a short one, but we truly absorbed as much as we could. Pulling into the park Tuesday night, after spending a week in Bend, we scored one of the last “first-come-first-served” campsites. in the Mazama Campground. We had no idea, but because of the snow, most of the park and campgrounds don’t open until July when it’s been fully plowed out. But with snowmelt still happening, the mosquitos were aplenty, and forced us to be inside the van the entire night which was a huge bummer. A fire under the tall pines that lined the campground would’ve been a much more enjoyable way to spend our only night in Crater Lake National Park. 

The following day, we got up bright and early and headed up to the main lodge and parking area on the south side of Crate Lake. Arriving before the crowds, we had our pick of parking spaces. We got settled in to a spot near a beautiful view point, hooked up Starlink for the day, and started our Wednesday “in the office”. With any chance we could get, we walked to one of the half dozen view points on the south rim and stared off into the beauty below. I’m sure there is plenty to do in Crater Lake National Park, but I really couldn’t tell you what there is, because I spent the entire day just staring off into the blue spectacle that is held together by jagged mountain peaks. I guess, there was the option to take a boat tour around the lake, but we didn’t have the time for that. But I can assure you that the view alone, just like the Grand Canyon or Bryce Canyon National Parks, is worth the price of admission. You can stare this lake for hours, and I really do mean hours, and it’s beauty will never fade.

In hopes to make the most of our short time in Crater Lake National Park, and the closed to traffic Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway road, I went for a ride on the bike to try and get a different glimpse of this place. In the short ride, I got to see a new perspective on the lake, with views from the west rim getting you closer to Wizard Island, the vast and endless Umpqua National Forest, and even the peaks of the volcanoes to the north. But best of all, was getting to pose next to walls of snow that the massive snow blowers have left behind along side the road. It’s a bit crazy to think this all still is here, by the end of June! Of course, I was wishing we had more time here, and that we’d visited in July when we could hike on snow-less trails and actually drive around the entire rim of the park to really find a special place with the perfect view.

The sad truth is, that unless we move to Oregon or Northern California one day, a return trip to this beautiful place is highly unlikely. Its over 4 hours from the nearest major airport, and not really close to anything else. We were just fortunate that our road trip this summer took us from Northern Oregon, down to Lake Tahoe. Which made the perfect route to check out both Crater Lake National Park, as well as the towering Redwood National Park. Of the two we visited on this trip, it’s a tough call to say which one was better. So I guess you’ll just have to see them both for yourself and make that call! Either way, you’ll have an experience of a lifetime.