Soils
The soils of Crater Lake National Park are generally very young, only as old as the eruption of Mount Mazama that either deposited new soil material or rearranged the old. The soil parent material is correlated with the eruption of Mount Mazama and its glacier-carved slopes that were formed during the ice ages. Ash flows associated with the eruption of Mount Mazama filled Munson and Annie Creek Valleys and continued into the Wood River Valley, the former bed of Upper Klamath Lake. The Munson Valley, Mazama Village, and Panhandle areas are located on this ash flow. A few areas in Munson Valley are composed of remnant glacial moraines and colluvial volcanic rocks and ash. The rim area is composed of andesitic bedrock and glacial and volcanic debris. (Jones & Stokes Associates 1993.)
Vegetation
Except for the pumice desert in the northern part of the park, Crater Lake National Park is almost entirely forested and contains approximately 600 plant species. All plants have recolonized since the eruption of Mount Mazama. The lower elevations are dominated by ponderosa and sugar pine, white fir, and some Douglas-fir. Higher elevations are dominated by Shasta red fir, lodgepole pine, and mountain hemlock. The rim area supports stands of mountain hemlock and Shasta red fir. Whitebark pines are located at higher elevations on the northern rim and on Mount Scott. Most of the trees are evergreens; however, there are some deciduous trees such as bigleaf maple and quaking aspen (Sierra Club 1985). Numerous species of wildflowers also inhabit the forest floor and open meadows.
Wildlife
About 60 species of mammals inhabit Crater Lake National Park. The park’s largest animals are black bear and elk. Black-tailed mule deer, marmots, pikas, golden-mantled ground squirrels, and Townsend’s chipmunk can frequently be seen within the park. During the winter season, deer and elk migrate to lower elevations to escape the deep snows, while other mammals hibernate. Animals such as the pine marten and snowshoe hare live above the snow, and voles and shrews live and travel in tunnels under the snow. Birds such as Clark’s nutcracker, Stellar’s and gray jays, blue and ruffled grouse, and mountain chickadee inhabit the park year-round. The summer season brings numerous bird species, including ravens, hawks, golden eagles, and bald eagles. (Sierra Club 1985.)
Bull trout, which inhabit Sun Creek south of the lake, are the only fish that occur naturally in the park. Crater Lake was stocked with trout from 1888 to 1941. A self-perpetuating population of rainbow trout and kokanee salmon, which feed on insects and plankton, currently inhabit the lake. (Sierra Club 1985.)
Threatened and Endangered Species
Three species protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 are found in Crater Lake National Park and the surrounding area. Bald eagles occasionally use the aquatic habitat at the lake, and a pair of peregrine falcons nest within the rim approximately 6 miles from Rim Village. The northern spotted owl is also found within the park. Numerous federal candidate species and state-listed species also inhabit the area.
Cultural Resources
There are currently 23 properties in Crater Lake National Park listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Crater Lake Lodge was the first property placed on the register, in 1981. Seven years later, in 1988, 22 other Crater Lake National Park structures were added. Three of the structures, the Sinnott Memorial and two stone comfort stations, are located in Rim Village. One structure, the Watchman lookout and museum, is located west of Rim Village. The remaining 18 constitute a district located at the park headquarters. The old superintendent’s residence, located in the park headquarters district, is a National Historic Landmark.
Three cultural landscapes, Rim Village, the park headquarters, and parts of Rim Drive, may be eligible for the National Register. Like the historic structures, these landscapes were designed to fit with the park setting. Components of these landscapes include circulation devices (roads, parking areas, walkways, and trails), planting concepts and materials, structures, small-scale features, and construction technologies such as stonework, planting, and paving.
Crater Lake National Park also has several historic road and trail segments that may be eligible for the National Register. These include a military wagon road (1865-1904), the old Crater Lake Highway (1909-1931), and the first Rim Drive (1913-1931). Trails to destinations such as the Watchman, Garfield Peak, and Discovery Point have historic design features such as rock benches and masonry walls.
A number of archeological sites in the park may also be eligible for listing on the National Register. Although several sites have been recorded, the full extent of these resources is unknown.
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