Rim Drive, according to the prospectus, was to be interpreted by thematically related wayside exhibits. At the time there were approximately 20 signs and/or exhibits, including those on the Watchman Parapet, located at various points around Rim Drive. It was recommended that the number be reduced to fifteen and be focused on a unifying theme. Among the sites selected for such exhibits were Cloudcap, Kerr Notch, Sun Notch, Wineglass, and Discovery Point. In addition to roadside interpretive devices, the prospectus recommended development of a taped tour system for Rim Drive. Interpretation at the Watchman Parapet was to emphasize personal contact by an onsite interpreter, supplemented by several exhibits mounted at low levels around the parapet. A modest, unmanned interpretive shelter and wayside exhibit was to be located near the trailhead at Cleetwood Cove.
At the time there were 21 wayside exhibits or signs other than those on Rim Drive. Two were located on the south entrance road, one each on the north and west entrance roads, one at the Pinnacles overlook, and sixteen on the 4-mile Grayback motor-nature road from Vidae Falls to Lost Creek Campground that had been opened in 1969. The prospectus recommended that these exhibits be reviewed with special attention to thematic unity. The Grayback road exhibits, in particular, were to redesigned around the theme of “Evolution of a Landscape.”
The prospectus proposed little change in trailside interpretation other than revision of signs and leaflets for uniform thematic cohesiveness The existing trails most heavily used by visitors were short trails to viewpoints on the rim. Three trails were used for regularly scheduled guided walks–Discovery Point, Garfield Peak, and Annie Creek Canyon. There were three self-guiding trails–Castle Crest, Godfrey Glen, and Grotto Cove. In addition the Watchman Trail was heavily used and to a lesser extent so was the Mount Scott Trail. The Cleetwood Trail was used primarily by those visitors taking the guided launch trip. The Pacific Crest Trail, established by Congress in 1968, extended the north-south length of the park as part of its traverse from Canada to Mexico.
The prospectus recommended other interpretive activities, many of which were quickly implemented. These included guided tours along abandoned fire roads, off-trail “explorer” or “discovery hikes,” early morning, evening, and moonlight star walks, winter snowshoe hikes, and continued campfire programs in the large amphitheater at Mazama Campground as well as new programs in the projected amphitheater at South Campground and anticipated campfire circle at Lost Creek Campground.
The prospectus recommended additional staffing for the interpretive program. At the time the Chief of Interpretation and Resource Management supervised the program with the aid of one permanent interpretive technician and seasonal personnel. While not expressly mandated in the prospectus, the ensuing years would witness a shift from hiring older scholarly seasonal personnel to employing younger, less-skilled college students for interpretive work. There was also need for a permanent supervisory interpreter and a park ranger (interpretive specialist). [49]
Increasing interest by the academic community in national park issues in the Pacific Northwest led to a National Park Service Cooperative Park Studies Unit being established at Oregon State University in 1975. The unit was located in the College of Forestry with additional office space and laboratory facilities provided under a cooperative agreement by the Forestry Sciences Laboratory of the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. The purpose of the unit was three-fold: (1) to conduct original research on topics of importance to the management of natural and cultural resources; (2) to encourage and facilitate scientific research in national parks in the Pacific Northwest Region; and (3) to disseminate research results within the management system of the National Park Service. During the next decade a variety of Crater Lake research projects would emanate from this unit. [50]
During the 1970s various projects were undertaken to improve the professionalism of the Crater Lake interpretive program. An example of such efforts was development of aCollection Management Plan by the Division of Museum Services of Harpers Ferry Center in 1977. The report recommended changes in the storage of museum collections to enhance the protection and utilization of specimens for the interpretive program. The park collections consisted of:
Geological Series–10 minerals and 400 rocks.
Botanical Series–2,500-3,000 specimens of vascular plants; 750-1,000 specimens of bryophytes and lichens; 800-1,000 specimens of algae and fungi; and 40 species of slime molds.
Zoological Series–225 study skins of birds and 12 nests; 190 study or cased skins of mammals; 65-70 skulls and related items; 280 cold-blooded vertebrates in alcohol; 20 Cornell drawers of mounted insects.
History Series–40 photographs; 10-12 paintings and water colors; a few documents and artifacts. [51]
