Crater Peak Trail – Crater Lake National Park
| Time: 3.5 hoursDifficulty: Strenuous
Length: 2.68 mi (4.31 km) Elevation: 6677* – 7211 ft (2035* – 2198 m) |
Trailhead coordinates:Latitude: N +42° 52.57 or 42.87623
Longitude: W -122° 06.30 or -122.10504 Altitude: 6677* ft (2035* m)*from East Rim Drive, not Vidae Falls picnic area Timber Crater summit |
Highlight: forest, views, solitude; Forest, panoramic views of the southern part of the park (but no view of the lake), occasional wildlife
REI Trails Project partners with Crater Lake Institute to produce their trails app. Click the map below, get the app – then come back, we offer more.
Trail Description
|
Shasta red fir (Abies magnifica var. shastansis) cones, photo by Robert Mutch |
The first two miles are moderately strenuous as it moves down the Vidae Ridge with a dominant forest cover of Mountain hemlock and Shasta red fir.
In approximately 1.7 miles, a spur trails takes you to the last .6 of a mile in a steep winding way up to the summit of Crater Peak, a small shield volcano. You will pass through several intermittent stands of whitebark pine on the way to the summit. At the summit, there are no Crater Lake lake views, but beautiful views of the Klamath Basin to the southeast.
Trailhead Location: East Rim Drive, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Park Headquarters at the Vidae Falls Picnic Area.
Nature Note: Upper Klamath Lake is the largest in Oregon, but its average depth is only 14 feet.
Seasonal Information: Expect the trail to be covered in snow from October to early July, however, conditions vary somewhat from year to year. See Crater Lake Current Conditions for more information.
Crater Peak Trail Elevation Profile
Related Maps
Digital USGS topographic maps (PDF files) – the following maps are relevant to the Crater Peak trail. See more Crater Lake Institute online USGS digital maps.
| Series | Name | Year | Scale | Contour Interval | File Size |
| USGS 7.5′ | Crater Lake East | 1985 | 1:24,000 | 40 ft | usgs-crater-lake-east-7.5 |
| USGS 7.5′ | Maklaks Crater | 1985 | 1:24,000 | 40 ft | usgs-maklaks-crater-7.5 |
| USGS 30′ x 60′ | Crater Lake | 1989 | 1:100,000 | 50 m | usgs-crater-lake-30-minute |
| USGS 30′ x 60′ | Diamond Lake | 1978 | 1:100,000 | 50 m | usgs-diamond-lake-30-minute |
| USGS 1° x 2° | Klamath Falls | 1970 | 1:250,000 | 200 ft | usgs-klamath-falls-1-2 |
| USGS 1° x 2° | Medford | 1976 | 1:250,000 | 200 ft | usgs-medford-1-2 |
| USGS 1° x 2° | Roseburg | 1970 | 1:250,000 | 200 ft | usgs-roseburg-1-2 |
|
Please remember to practice “leave no trace outdoor ethics” when you are out on Crater Lake National Park’s trails…and have fun! |
