Crater Lake in April (How Deep is Your Lake?)

Crater Lake is one of my favorite National Parks – I’ve been there four times, but always in the summer.  This year, I found myself at Crater Lake in April (April 1, Easter Sunday to be exact) so decided to make a detour over to Crater Lake.  Crater Lake in the Spring is the basically the same as Crater Lake in the Winter – most roads closed, limited access to the park, no camping.  But it’s also a time to visit with few other people.  I had the sunrise view to myself at 7:00 am, and when I visited mid-day on the weekend the parking lot was full but only about 80 cars, as opposed to 100’s of cars that circle searching for parking in the summer.

The lake is super unique – it’s fed only by snow melt and rain and is some of the cleanest water in the word.  Housed in a crater, it’s the deepest lake in America, at nearly 600 meters of depth.

 Entry Fee

The fee to visit in the winter season is reduced to $10.   Insider tip:  if visiting many parks in a year, consider purchasing the $80 annual pass, it’s good for the rest of the month + 12 months, so my pass purchased on the 1^st of the month is actually good for 13 months!)

 The Road

In the Spring, there is only one road in an out of Crater Lake National Park via the south.  It’s quite an adventure to ascend the volcano by car.  Be prepared to be surrounded by snow that’s higher than your car and expect fresh fallen snow if visiting in the morning, and flakes falling throughout the day.  The park service works hard to keep this road open.

The Visitor Center 

Visitor Passes can be purchased here.  There is a very informative 22 minute video about the park, including a fascinating look at what’s under the surface by scuba divers.

The Lake

From the visitor center, there’s another 4 mile drive up to the rim.  In the winter, the lodge is closed but the cafeteria and gift shop stay open.  Here you can climb the natural snow ramp at the edge of the parking lot to view the lake.  If you wish to go much further, you should use snowshoes (available for rent at the gift shop).  There is less than 50% chance to see the lake under sunshine in the spring, but if you get lucky you might witness a sunrise or sunset – some of the best sunsets are in the spring.

 Things to Do for the More Adventurous

If you want to get further afoot, it’s possible to reach the farther destinations of the park by snowshoes, skis, or snowmobile.  One must be totally prepared for further travel.

Things You Should Take to Crater Lake in Spring

• Even though you can see the lake from the top floor of the restaurant, the best, easily accessible views are from the rim, just on the edge of the parking lot. To access these views, you need to walk up an icy incline. I used Hiking Poles that were super helpful for walking around in the snow.
• If you wish to go further than just the area surrounding the lodge, you should definitely have Snowshoes
• It’s common for there to be snow, even in April. It’s wise to carry Chains for Your Tires
  at these high elevations in the spring.

Nearby Sites You Can Visit

There aren’t a lot of nearby sites that are open in the Spring.  If you’re lucky, the snow will be gone and you can visit the free Rouge River Gorge and Natural Bridge in Union Creek for a short walk.  If entering from the east, enjoy the mountain views across the fields.  Watch out for wildlife, especially migrating birds like Sandhill Cranes.

Crater Lake in the Spring – Where to Eat

The Park cafeteria is a great place to get a bowl of chili after viewing the lake in the bitter cold.

If entering or exiting via the western exit, stop into Beckie’s Cafe in Union Creek for bar food and homemade pie.

 Crater Lake in April – Where to stay:

The Crater Lake camping grounds in the park are closed until at least May 1 each year due to a high level of snow.  There are 3 Sno-parks within 15 miles of the park entrance.  You can buy a Sno-Park Pass for $5 in Fort Klamath or Union Creek and park overnight if van or RV camping.  You could probably tent camp there but rain is common (it rained for 11 hours straight on my overnight there) and it will likely freeze overnight.  One of my sliding van door was frozen shut in the morning!  Of the three, the one to the east of the entrance – Annie Creek –  is the best – the lot is hidden from view of the highway by trees and snowmobile warming huts and the toilets were clean and immediately off of the parking lot as opposed to across the packed snow at the other Sno-parks.  If you’re going to camp, make sure you have a sleeping bag for cold weather.

If you’d prefer to stay in a hotel, the city of Medford, along Interstate 5, and less than 1.5 hours from the park.  Medford has a wide selection.  There’s also a wide selection of restaurants, malls, movies, and other amenities.  Book your Medford hotel here.

Check out another national park crater lake…Kelimutu National Park in Indonesia.

Find out more facts about Crater Lake.

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