The Back Country of Crater Lake
By Dr. C. G. Ruhle, Park Naturalist
Crater Lake National Park is generally considered with but one point of view, namely, that of seeing the lake. This is generally accomplished by taking the Rim Drive which encircles it. Some with a little more time at their disposal hike down the rim trail from the Rim Campground, take a boat trip on the lake, and perhaps venture a climb of Wizard Island or Garfield Peak. Few try anything else. This is rather unfortunate, for the country surrounding the lake abounds in interesting features: there are inviting park-like forests, pumice flats, flower-bedecked meadows, grassy flats around cold springs, solitary cones and craters, and interesting animal inhabitants with which to become acquainted.
This back country has the advantage of being close at hand; none of the trips which are outlined require more than a day’s time. There is no need of fretting with pack and pack animals; no bother about planning and setting up a camp. As there are no saddle horses in the park at present, the trips are for the hiker; except for the gradual slopes away from the lake in all directions the terrain in general is not rough, and there is small probability of getting lost.
The park is traversed from north to south by the Pacific Crest Trail System, being on the section between Diamond Lake and Mount McLoughlin. It is also crisscrossed by a system of primitive roads called motorways, which make excellent trails, but are closed to general automobile traffic, since they can be maintained for administrative purposes only. The hiker is not likely to met with a single vehicle on these motorways, even though he spend a whole week in hiking around. Three are no snakes, no poisonous plants, no savage wild animals about which to worry. In the trips outlined there are not dangerous climbs. The trip down Llao’s Hallway is strenuous and should not be undertaken by one who is physically handicapped.
Only one other warning is considered timely here. Never venture up or down the crater wall or the steep walls of the various canyons. The composing material is very loosely consolidated offering few foot or hand-holds, and there is constant danger from slide rock.
