Watchman Peak Trail – Crater Lake National Park
| Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Moderate Length: .7 mi (1.13 km) Elevation: 7579 – 7881* ft (2310 – 2402* m) |
Trailhead coordinates:
Latitude: N +42° 56.68 or 42.94476 Longitude: W -122° 10.23 or -122.17052 Altitude: 7579 ft (2310 m) |
| Highlight: spectacular panoramic views, overlook of Wizard Island, historic fire lookout; great alpine flower trail | |
*Watchman Peak summit (Watchman Lookout)
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
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Watchman Peak fire lookout, Photo by Robert Mutch |
This is one of the best locations for an unobstructed overview of Wizard Island.
The trail begins on an old road (a previous Rim Drive) and travels southwest through an open pumice field for .25 of a mile before leaving the road and turning southeast into the sparsely forested south flank of Watchman Peak. This tree cover is composed of mountain hemlock and some whitebark pines. After a short distance the trail begins to switchback until it reaches the peak of the Watchman.
Some alpine flowers to look for: Davidson’s Penstemon, western pasqueflower, sticky cinquefoil, Newberry’s fleeceflower, sulphur flower, heartleaf arnica, alpine bittercress, spreading phlox, and alpine pussytoes.
Trailhead location: Located adjacent the east side of the Rim Drive, 3.8 miles (6.1 km) northwest of Rim Village. Park at the Corrals viewpoint surrounded by wooded fences.
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.
Historic Note: Built in 1932, the peak’s historic fire lookout is still staffed by rangers during the fire season.
Various Watchtower photos from our collection.
Watchman Peak Trail Elevation Profile
Related Maps
Digital USGS topographic maps (PDF files) – the following maps are relevant to the Watchman Peak trail. See more Crater Lake Institute online USGS digital maps.
| Series | Name | Year | Scale | Contour Interval | File |
| USGS 7.5′ | Crater Lake West | 1985 | 1:24,000 | 40 ft | usgs-crater-lake-west-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 |
 Sunset from the Watchman Peak fire lookout, facing west, Crater Lake National Park, photo by Robert Mutch |
 Pasqueflower, near Watchman Peak trailhead, Crater Lake National Park, photo by Robert Mutch |
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Please remember to practice “leave no trace outdoor ethics” when you are out on Crater Lake National Park’s trails…and have fun! |
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