National Parks:
Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake, Oregon -- For generations, Crater Lake has been a place of beauty and mystery. In 1902, it became one of America's first national parks. Today half a million people visit the park every year, to gaze in awe at its beauty and wonder at its origin.

Crater Lake's significance began with the native inhabitants of southern Oregon, and it remains an important part of their culture. American settlers saw Crater Lake for the first time in 1853. As word spread, increasing numbers traveled to see the magnificent sights. In 1885, William Steel began a 17-year campaign to establish a national park.

Visitors find Crater Lake to be a source of endless mystery. Even in a region of volcanic wonders, Crater Lake can only be described in superlatives. Stories of the deep blue lake can never prepare sightseers for their first breathtaking look from the brink of this 6-mile wide caldera that was created by the eruption and collapse of Mount Mazama 7,700 years ago. Even seasoned travelers gasp at the twenty-mile circle of cliffs, tinted in subtle shades and fringed with hemlock, fir, and pine: all this reflected in a lake of indescribable blue.

DID YOU KNOW

• At 1943 feet deep, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and seventh deepest lake in the world!
• Crater Lake lies inside a caldera, or volcanic basin, created about 7,700 years ago when the 12,000-foot high Mount Mazama collapsed following a major eruption.
• Because Crater Lake is filled almost entirely by rainfall and snowmelt, it is one of the clearest lakes anywhere in the world. Scientists, using a reflector called a Secchi disk, commonly record clarity readings of 120 feet. On June 25, 1997 scientists recorded a record clarity reading of 142 feet!

DON'T MISS ATTRACTIONS

• Crater Lake is widely known for its intense blue color and spectacular views. During summer, visitors may navigate the Rim Drive around the lake, enjoy boat tours on the lake surface, stay in the historic Crater Lake Lodge, camp at Mazama Village, or hike some of the park's various trails including Mt. Scott, the park's highest peak at 8,929 ft.
• Diverse interpretive programs enhance visitors' knowledge and appreciation of this national park, 90% of which is managed as wilderness.
• The winter brings some of the heaviest snowfall in the country, averaging 533 inches per year. Although park facilities mostly close for this snowy season, visitors may view the lake during fair weather, enjoy cross-country skiing, and participate in weekend snowshoe hikes.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PRIORITIES

These are exciting times for Crater Lake National Park. The National Park Service has recently completed many construction and rehabilitation projects, tremendously improving a number of historic structures in the Rim Village area. The park has rehabilitated the Sinnott Memorial and installed new interactive exhibits. The historic Kiser Studio has been entirely rehabilitated and is open as the summer Rim Visitor Center. The Community House reopened last year with an exhibit of artwork from the park's Artist in Residence Program. The building also serves as a gathering place for interpretive programs.

One of the park's upcoming projects is the Crater Lake Science and Learning Center. The Center will be housed in the soon to be rehabilitated Superintendent's House, a National Historic Landmark. The operation will be funded by an endowment created with proceeds from the sale of the new Crater Lake License Plate available to vehicle owners in the State of Oregon. The Center will partner with researchers and educators, inviting and supporting high quality scientific investigations and then incorporating research findings into management goals, interpretive programs and resources for educators from kindergarten through college. On the Crater Lake "campus" the park envisions bringing together scientists, artists, educators and pupils toward a common goal of inspiration, appreciation and resource stewardship.

Source: National Park Service