Cross-Country Skiing
The existing cross-country ski trail system will be maintained and cross-country skiing will continue under the unrestricted day use or overnight backcountry permit system. This element of the winter use plan is consistent with Management Objective 4, which seeks to preserve the opportunity for a quiet, solitary experience for winter users in the park’s backcountry by encouraging nonmotorized, low-impact modes of travel and overnight camping. Cross-country skiing is considered an appropriate winter use throughout the park because it is a low-impact form of travel that provides participants access to all wilderness backcountry areas while preserving the quiet and solitude unique to Crater Lake National Park.
Snowshoeing
Snowshoeing will remain an unrestricted use within the park. Guided interpretive snowshoe walks will continue at Rim Village based on visitor demand. If year-round visitor facilities were to be developed in Mazama Village, the NPS would consider offering guided interpretive snowshoe walks in that area. This element is consistent with Management Objectives 3 and 4, which seek to maintain the quiet and solitude of the park’s backcountry and provide high-quality interpretive and educational programs relevant to the winter environment of Crater Lake National Park.
Overnight Camping – Frontcountry
No frontcountry overnight camping will be permitted in the park during the winter season. All overnight campers will be referred to year-round privately owned facilities at lower elevations near the south or west entrance. Frontcountry camping currently occurs in Rim Village and, while it is not prohibited by existing park policy, it is not a sanctioned use. Park staff have determined that unpredictable weather and hazardous road conditions during the winter season often make the rim area unsafe for overnight camping. Development of overnight camping facilities will be reevaluated based on future development activities in the Mazama Village area.
Overnight Camping – Backcountry
Backcountry camping will continue under the existing permit system as described in the Existing Winter Visitor Use section of this document.
Year-Round Lodging
The issue of whether year-round winter lodging will be provided in Crater Lake National Park is dependent on many variables. As discussed, the concept of developing a 40-unit year-round lodge in the Mazama Village area had been previously authorized by the NPS. However, one purpose of the winter use plan is to determine whether winter activities will be encouraged in the Mazama Village area, thereby justifying further consideration of this area for year-round use. Under the preferred alternative, winter use activities will not be encouraged in Mazama Village; only existing levels of use, with the exception of frontcountry camping, will be maintained. Although winter use activities in Mazama Village are not considered under the preferred alternative, the issue of year-round lodging will be reexamined in 3 to 5 years.
Existing NPS policy encourages the private development of new support facilities outside park boundaries to accommodate the demand for visitor services. However, if year-round lodging is developed in Mazama Village, activities such as snowshoe walks and frontcountry camping in Mazama Village would be reevaluated. Consistent with Management Objective 7, development of the new activity center in Rim Village will provide adequate visitor support services and facilities to accommodate the modest levels of use expected in the foreseeable future.
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