Crater Lake - the Roads - Helpful info needed

I apologise for being such a wimp, but I am quite a nervous traveller on mountain roads. The worst part is not knowing what we are in for. I am particularly horrified by unguarded drops while in a car. So I would really appreciate serious answers to my questions to help me plan what I would actually be able to tolerate. We have driven in southern California, including Big Sur and the roads to Yosemite and King%26#39;s Canyon, so that is the experience we have to compare. Also some mountain driving in Europe, including one particular episode in Corsica which I never want to repeat again.

We plan to visit Crater Lake in July. I have read a lot of the posts and understand that the road around the rim is definitely scary. I have also read that the best way to go round is drive west, approaching from the South. Am I understanding this correctly?

Our plan is to approach Crater Lake from Crescent City on the 199 and then getting on to the 62 to Prospect. Stay the night in Prospect.

We will go round Crater Lake on the west side.

We would then like to follow the 138 to Roseburg

My questions are what are these roads really like?

1. The 199

2. The 62 to crater Lake

3. The rim road on the western side of Crater Lake. Why is this way better?

4. The 138.

My husband will be doing the driving. Please don%26#39;t mock me. We are from Ireland and our maintains rarely get above 3.000 ft! We want to see your beautiful state, but I am unfortunately handicapped by this fear.

Crater Lake - the Roads - Helpful info needed

I am right there with you, lol! We were at Crater Lake last summer and my family still loves to tease me about that drive. My husband was driving, and honestly, it would have been better if I had been. He is a good driver, but if I am driving, those cliffs don%26#39;t make me worry as much. Just that feeling of being a bit further from the edge, and of course driving (which is a distraction) keep me from getting so anxious. If you get really nervous, try driving yourself as that might help.

Crater Lake - the Roads - Helpful info needed

Hey Irishrover,

I feel your white-knuckledness. ;-) To answer your questions.......

Hwy 199 is fine. There are a couple spots along the Smith River where you might get a little nervous, but there are guardrails where you think they should be.

No problems on 62 either. Piece of cake until you get inside Crater Lake National Park, and head up to Rim Village. But most of that stretch is on the uphill side of the road, so there%26#39;s at least a land separating you from the drop-offs.

Yes, head west (counter-clockwise) on the rim road. Again, this will keep you mostly on the uphill side of the road, where you%26#39;ll definitely want to be. For some reason, there aren%26#39;t always guardrails where you think they should be on the downhill-side lane. I%26#39;ll be riding a bicycle around the lake later this year, and am already getting nervous!

Someone else will have to help with 138. I%26#39;m anxiously awaiting a response too, as I';ll be cycling that road too.

Oops! Pardon the typo. That should be, ';...at least a lane separating....';

And yet another goof... NOT counter-clockwise, but CLOCK-WISE around rim road. I need another cup of coffee.

my wife has several places where she gets real uncomfortable, west rim road is not one, then we have been over that enough she may be over it. She probably was first couple of times, plus we normally drive north on it.

Of all the routes you plan thje west rim road probably will be the worst. If you drive north on it you will be on inside, sp should ease it

Don%26#39;t drive east rim. It is longer and has some worse places than west rim. with trip you laid out west rim is planty good an the head on out north entrance to 138.

You don%26#39;t say how you are getting to 199. I hope it is not on Cal-1 on Mendocino Coast. My wife was glad she was on inside but still nervous. Nice drive but not worth it for someone with a problem. Crater Lake is worth it. Plus not as bad as Cal-1

One place where my wife was quite nervous was on Inishowen Peninsula between Drumfree and Carndonagh in Donegal. we met 2 or 3 cars on narrow road she was on outside we had to stop to let them by. because she was too nervous to let me keep going.

Mistletoe I was writingwhile you were posting so just saw your response. How far on 138 are you biking? 138 is probably the mildest of the Oregon Cascades crossings. in terms of drop-offs. and I think the prettiest

Phirl, we%26#39;re on 138 for about 50 miles starting at Diamond Lake, almost all of it downhill I think. Is that the outside lane? I might have a few more questions about central OR roads, but don%26#39;t want to hijack this thread.

Mistletoe, You are right better to make another thread, will wait for that. about 1/2 the distance 138 is north side of river.

Thank you so much for your replies so far. They have been very helpful and it%26#39;s great to get the feedback from fellow-sufferers.

I can rest assured about th journey up to the Lake, take a deep breath and do the west side. Then what about the 138? It sound lovely but will it give me the screaming habdabs (as we say here)?

Phirl, yes we were planning on doing the Mendocino coast road, but might now re-think it. Talking of cycling, my husband cycled this part of the coast in 2001 (he was in Fort Bragg on September 11). He told me it was bad but would be OK in a car. I will speak to him again.

Mtngrl%26#39;s advice about driving myself makes sense, but sadly I also don%26#39;t like driving on the right.

Phirl, I know what you mean about those Donegal coast roads. Just a piece of sheep wire to guard the edge!

I have being doing a lot of research on this and even scrutinising sattelite maps of the area. But there is nothing like local knowledge.

Agree with phril- I don%26#39;t think Hwy-138 is particularly mountainous/cliff edges for a cascade pass. It mostly just follows the river-so there are a few small cliffs(there are guardrails on most cliff parts of the road), but not any more than you will drive on the rest of your trip. If I recall correctly you should be on the mountain side of the road for most of the Hwy 138 drive.

Glad your fears arent stopping you! I understand your fear-I really hate flying in planes(or as I like to call them pressurized tin cans hurling through the sky), but I deal with it because I know I%26#39;m going to great places!!