Crater Lake National Park: First Day In Oregon

by Jill / Monday, 21 October 2013 / Published in Places Along The Way

Using my America The Beautiful National Parks Pass at Crater Lake National Park

We drove into Oregon in the wee hours of the morning with the goal of spending the day at Crater Lake National Park. I had seen photos and heard of this National Park and was also celebrating being able to use my America The Beautiful pass now that the government sequestration is over. The only down side is that the East Road was already closed for the season. But the Western side offers plenty to see.

Crater Lake National Park is a Geological Amazement!

Truly a sight to see, the island in the middle is the tip of the volcano!

No words can really do this place justice, so I’ll let this be a mostly visual post. To sum up why it exists: a volcano erupted with such force, presumably over just a few hours, that it took out a ring of the mountain, and the top dropped straight down, creating the floor of what is now Crater Lake. No other water sources feed it, so just rain and snow melt create it’s volume. Thus the clarity.

Enjoy… and get to Crater Lake National Park when you can!