Crater Lake National Park: Resume Building

Crater Lake & Wizard Island

Crater Lake isn’t much like the other national parks we have visited so far on our trip. Most other parks have a number of must see attractions, whereas, as the name suggests, Crater Lake N.P. is just that. A lake.

Although not quite...

Rather than a lake that has developed in a crater, it actually formed when Mount Mazama erupted nearly 8000 years ago, and the resultant collapse of the caldera was sealed. (For the year 12 geography star pupil in you Mike, a crater is caused by impacts from meteorites, and calderas are large circular depressions formed at the top of a volcano when the magma chamber collapses – cheers Wiki). Over the following years rain water and snow melt have filled the caldera and given the lake its mesmerising blue colour.

Crater Lake has a very much relaxed feel to it as a park. In most other parks, given the number of attractions that are listed as must see, and the FOMO (fear of missing out for all you oldies) in all of us, you feel guilty if you aren’t spending every waking hour of the day walking your sorry arse to one of the said attractions. Given Crater Lake is just the lake we were able to relax, and actually take the time to enjoy the park.

Crater Lake viewed from Mount Scott

None of the hikes are too strenuous and if you are pushed for time you could actually tick this one off in half a day. But if you have the time, spend a night or two. Take your time completing the circuit drive around the lake, hike up Mount Scott for the best all-encompassing view of the lake and the surrounding Cascade Mountain Range, walk to the water’s edge and get lost in its blue depths, and finally take in the differing colours of the lake from Watchman Overlook as the sun sets over the Cascades.

I don’t know how unique it is, but Crater Lake is not fed by any river system, and as such the water is of a colour I have never experienced. In fact, over the years the lake has had a number of different names, with 3 of the 4 all using the word blue in the title – they were a creative bunch back in the day.

Not that I set out to do this when we first left on this trip, but I can now say that I have climbed an active volcano, which happened to erupt about 9 months later (have a loo at this if you don't believe me), and swum in a dormant one. Shit, I might even add that to my resume if we ever stop and try to find a job. But who am I kidding....

 

The changing colours of Crater Lake at sunset