Snowcoach tours originating in the Diamond Lake area also use the north entrance route. During the 1992-93 winter season, there were three snowcoach tours, which brought a total of 60 people from Diamond Lake to Crater Lake. Three tours were also scheduled for the 1993-94 winter season. (Wojahn pers. comm.)
All of Crater Lake National Park with the exception of existing roads and developed areas has been proposed as wilderness and will be managed under wilderness guidelines. Recreational snowmobile use is prohibited in wilderness areas. A summary of NPS policy regarding snowmobile use in Crater Lake National Park is provided later in this section.
Crater Lake Area Snowmobile Trails
There are approximately 960 miles of snowmobile trails within the Umpqua, Rogue River, and Winema National Forests. This is a conservative estimate, because the total considers only documented one-way miles and loop trails, not round-trip mileage on all trails. The total also includes the 20-mile one-way trail from Diamond Lake Resort to North Junction in Crater Lake National Park. The following discussion addresses snowmobile trails in the three national forests surrounding the park. Tables detailing the length of each trail are provided in Appendix A of this document.
Umpqua National Forest
Diamond Lake Ranger District. There are approximately 362 one-way miles of trail originating from the Diamond Lake area. In addition, there are approximately 291 miles of loop trails, some of which contain portions of one-way trails. Diamond Lake area snowmobile trails are listed in Table A-1 of Appendix A. The longest loop trail is the 99-mile Crescent Lake Loop. Most trails in this area are located within the Umpqua National Forest Diamond Lake Ranger District. There are currently no recreation use data available from the U.S. Forest Service for snowmobile facilities within the Diamond Lake Ranger District; however, the four snow parks in the area operate at capacity every weekend during winter season. (Graves pers. comm.)
Rogue River National Forest. The Rogue River National Forest is located south and west of Crater Lake National Park. There are approximately 102 miles of snowmobile trails within the Rogue River National Forest. Rogue River area snowmobile trails are listed in Table A-2 of Appendix A. Portions of some trails are listed in Table A-1 of Appendix A.
Two snow parks are located within the Rogue River National Forest near the west boundary of Crater Lake National Park. The Thousand Springs Snow Park is located along Highway 62 approximately 6 miles east of the intersection of Highways 62 and 230. The Farwell Bend Snow Park is located on Highway 62 just south of the intersection. Visitor counts show that during the 1991-92 season approximately 95% (2,187) of all Thousand Springs Snow Park users were snowmobile recreation users. During the 1992-93 season, approximately 92% (2,935) of all users were snowmobiles recreation users.
Snowmobile use is not allowed at the Farwell Bend Snow Park. The majority of visitors to the Farwell Bend Snow Park participate in snow play activities as the primary form of recreation. The snow park’s use data is shown in Table A-3 of Appendix A.
Winema National Forest
Klamath Ranger District. The Winema National Forest borders Crater Lake National Park to the south and west. The Klamath Ranger District borders the park to the south. There are approximately 164 miles of snowmobile trails within the Klamath Ranger District. Table A-4 in Appendix A lists all snowmobile trails in the Klamath Ranger District. During an average winter season, there are approximately 11,000 snowmobile recreation visits; however, 1993-94 seasonal data indicate above-average recreational use (U.S. Forest Service 1994). Table A-5 in Appendix A shows average seasonal visits for snow parks within the Klamath Ranger District. The average number of seasonal visits ranges from a high of 5,200 at the Great Meadow Snow Park to a low of 850 at the Four Mile Lake Road Snow Park.
