Pinnacles Valley Trail

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Pinnacles Valley Trail – Crater Lake National Park

Time: 30 minutes

Difficulty: easy

Length: .6 mi (1 km)

Elevation: 5446* – 5577 ft (1660* – 1700 m)

 Trailhead coordinates:

Latitude: N +42° 50.99 or 42.84997

Longitude: W -122° 00.28 or -122.00472

Altitude: 5446* ft (1660 m)
Highlight: volcanic spires

  *end of Pinnacles spur road

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

1272-kiser-sand-ck-canyon

The Pinnacles, Sand Creek Canyon, The Geology of Crater Lake National Park, Oregon by Howell Williams, 1942, photograph by George Grant, National Park Service
Related

Auto-touring Pinnacles Road – Crater Lake National Park

This trail makes for an easy walk along the rim of Pinnacle Valley. There are great views of volcanic spires. Use caution near cliffs. Trail ends at park boundary. Accessible to wheelchairs with assistance. open to bicycles.

These needle-like formations of rock, called fossil fumaroles, projecting from the Sand Creek Canyon floor, were formed under sheets of volcanic pumice that preceded Mazama’s collapse. As the surface of the hot pumice cooled over the years, steam and gases were released by the hot rocks underneath through vents and tubes that were welded into cement hardness by their passage. These ancient vents now stand alone due to the erosion of the surrounding softer materials.

Trailhead Location: The trailhead lies at the end of the Pinnacles Spur Road, 7 miles (11.3 km) Southeast of the Phantom Ship Overlook off of the main Rim Drive, on the southeast corner of the park.

Nature Note: The Pinnacles are chimneys formed when hot ash cooled after the big eruption.

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.

Pinnacles at in Crater Lake NP, 2009 Dave Harrison
Pinnacles at in Crater Lake NP, 2009 Dave Harrison
Pinnacles Trail Edging Replacement - Vegetation Overgrowth Jennifer Gifford 2015
Pinnacles Trail Edging Replacement – Vegetation Overgrowth Jennifer Gifford 2015
Pinnacles Trail Edging When New, Jennifer Gifford Trails Supervisor 2015
Pinnacles Trail Edging When New, Jennifer Gifford Trails Supervisor 2015

Pinnacles

 Pinnacles Valley Trail Elevation Profile


pinnacles-trail-elevation-profile

 

Related Maps

Digital USGS topographic maps (PDF files) – the following maps are relevant to the Pinnacles Valley trail. See more Crater Lake Institute online USGS digital maps.

Series Name Year Scale Contour Interval File
USGS 7.5′ Maklaks Crater 1985 1:24,000 40 ft usgs-maklaks-crater-7.5
USGS 7.5′ Sun Pass 1985 1:24,000 40 ft usgs-sun-pass-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