Crater Lake National Park
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Crater Lake National Park
The park is located in southern Oregon on the crest of the Cascade Mountain range, 100 miles (160 km) east of the Pacific Ocean
Crater Lake National Park is a great spot for an outdoor adventure family vacation. Whether you love hiking, backpacking, scuba diving, snow shoeing or cross country skiing, you will find it here in one of the countries most unique caldera areas in the lower 48. Visit the deepest lake in the United States and one of the heaviest snow-fall areas in the country. Check below for great Crater Lake National Park information.
Uniqueness
Crater Lake National Park 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 in old growth forests, including Mt. Scott at 8,929 ft. Diverse interpretive programs enhance visitors’ knowledge and appreciation of this national park, 90% of which is managed as wilderness. At an elevation of 7,100 feet, snow lingers long into the “summer”. 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 led by rangers. There are many things to be enjoyed for a family adventure vacation.
Few places on earth command overwhelming awe from observers. Even in a region of volcanic wonders, Crater Lake can only be described in superlatives. Stories of the deep blue lake can never prepare visitors for their first breathtaking look from the brink of this 6 mile wide caldera. Even seasoned travelers gasp at the twenty-mile circle of cliffs, tinted in subtle shades and fringed with hemlock, fir, and pine: all this and a lake of indescribable blue. Believed to then be one of the highest mountains in the Cascade Range at 12,000 feet, Mt. Mazama erupted and collapsed almost 7,000 years ago, creating the lake you now see. This dormant volcano is just one in a group of huge cones that extends along the crest of the Cascade Range. This range extends from Lassen Peak in California to Mount Garibaldi near Vancouver, British Columbia. Four national parks and numerous national forests protect major portions of the Cascade Range, which is a part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
The event which heralded the doom of Mt. Mazama was the opening of a vent somewhere on the north side of the mountain. A column of ash and pumice was sent up by the volcano, creating a blanket of debris 20 feet thick in places. As the pressure of the underground magma grew, a series of other vents around the mountain opened up. Enormous quantities of pyroclastic, or molten rock composed of pumice, material were released. These lava flows traveled up to 25 miles beyond the base of the volcano. As the volcano emptied itself of molten rock, an empty chamber was left underground. The mass of the mountain collapsed in on this void within a matter of days after the eruption. What was left, a 4,000 foot deep caldera and a myriad of other geologic formations, have awed and inspired people for generations. Following the collapse of Mount Mazama, lava poured into the caldera even as the lake began to rise. Today, a small volcanic island, Wizard Island, appears on the west side of the lake. This cinder cone rises 760 feet (233 meters) above the lake and is surrounded by black volcanic lava blocks. A small crater, 300 feet (90 meters) across and 90 feet (27 meters) deep, rests on the summit. The crater is filled by snow during the winter months, but remains dry during the summer.
Crater Lake National Park is dedicated to preserving this environment for the study and enjoyment of future generations. Scientists continue to conduct research in Crater Lake. Every summer, scientists measure the water’s chemistry and clarity and survey the numbers of plants and animals in the water, looking for patterns, trends, and relationships. In 1988 and 1989, scientists explored the bottom of the lake with a one-person submarine. Among other discoveries, they found hot springs at several locations. The springs were surrounded by mats of bacteria thriving in the warm, mineral-rich water.
For a brief time each year, the park emerges from winter hibernation to bask in summertime glory. Early season visitors are often surprised by the amount of snow which remains long into months which are considered mid-summer in most parts of the country. Even most park roads are closed into the late spring which gives a picture of the far more dominant winter scene sensed even in June and early July. For visitors, these few months provide the best opportunity for a comfortable visit. Many interpretive programs are offered which encourage a deeper understanding of the lake and the park. Hiking and camping are popular activities. Fishing for trout and salmon in the lake is also a favorite pastime. And for park staff, this short season provides the only access to numerous projects long buried under the snow. Scuba divers in Crater Lake face special challenges. For the dedicated diver, however, the lake also offers a unique adventure vacation.
However, from October to June, the park turns into a snow covered wilderness, receiving an average of 533 inches of snow annually. A wide variety of skiing and hiking trails and unplowed roads provide winter adventurers with access to breathtaking views, open slopes, and dense forests, making Crater Lake ideal for both day-trippers and backcountry campers who are prepared to face the challenges of winter. By early spring it is typical to still have 10 to 15 feet of snow on the ground. While snowfall is common in the Cascade Mountains, Crater Lake is one of the snowiest areas in the entire Northwest. Even in the long, harsh winter months, Crater Lake National Park can still provide the hearty visitor with a phenomenal outdoor vacation.
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States, and one of the clearest fresh water lakes in the world. It is also the seventh deepest in the world. There are no inlets or outlets to the lake. Evaporation and seepage prevent the lake from becoming any deeper, but the lake level still fluctuates slightly from year to year. The lake averages more than five miles (8 km) in diameter, and is surrounded by steep rock walls that rise up to 2000 feet (600 meters) above the lake’s surface.
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