Best Time to Visit?

I%26#39;ve been waiting 3 years to visit Crater Lake and have decided this is the year.

Should we go in July, August, or early September?

Best Time to Visit?

Curious to know your itinerary. Are you coming all the way out just to see Crater Lake? A great thing to see, but perhaps you have time for TA help with other things.

Best Time to Visit?

That%26#39;s great that you are going to come visit Crater Lake! It is really beautiful. Well worth visiting. I used to work there during the summer, and still try to visit it about 1-2 times a year.

Really, July, August, or September should be fine to go. In early July, there is a chance some of the hiking trails may not fully melted out from snow. Rim Drive, the road around the Rim, should be open by early July.

If possible, I would avoid big weekends, as it can get pretty busy and crowded and boat tours of the lake could sell out. Oh, and finding a parking space at teh Rim can be more challenging. 4th of July and Labor Day are the ones to avoid if you can. Also, during the week is usually lighter on visitors.

In late September-end of September, there may not be quite as many ranger-led activities, as rangers begin leaving to head back to college or other jobs.

Other than these factors, any time during these months should be fine.

From Crater Lake%26#39;s website regarding weather:

';Summer Conditions

The weather in May and June can vary from warm and sunny to snowy and foggy with poor lake visibility. Temperatures may be as high as 65掳F (18掳C) or as low as freezing.

July, August, and September are your ';best bets'; for dry, warmer weather. A typical daytime high temperature during these three months is around 67掳F (19掳C), but can range from 40掳F to 80掳F or more (4掳C to 27掳C). Temperatures cool off rapidly in the evening, with a typical nighttime low around 40掳F (4掳C), while some nights dip below freezing.

October usually presents cool but sunny days and brings the start of winter snowfall by mid-month.

Summer thunderstorms occur from June through mid-September, bringing dramatic displays of lightning and high winds. Boat tours, guided walks, and evening programs may be canceled if lightning is present in the park.';

Actually, I have seen it hail and snow on the 4th of July at Crater Lake.

According to Frommers%26#39; website,

frommers.com/destinations/鈥?/a>

When to Go

Avoiding the Crowds

It%26#39;s hard to avoid crowds here. Given the area%26#39;s harsh winters, most visitors come during the relatively short ';summer'; season between late June and the end of September. However, since many day visitors drive from cities some distance from the park, the Rim Road is not crowded early in the morning. Circle the lake before 10am and you can easily pick your view point. The best advice is to stay longer than the single day that 90% of the visitors allot to the park. Once you%26#39;ve seen and appreciated the lake (take the lake cruise early before the crowds form), go off and hike some of the less-trampled paths. Several of the longer trails will lead you to fabulous and relatively uninhabited view points. Especially recommended are the Dutton Creek, Garfield Peak, and Mount Scott trails.

Seasons

At Crater Lake there are basically two seasons. The main tourist season lasts from mid-June, when most of the park%26#39;s facilities open, through September. The busiest months are July and August. Summer temperatures in southern Oregon can get pretty scorching in the lower elevations, sometimes hovering near the 100掳F mark. The upper elevations (including most of the park) remain slightly cooler, but even the lake%26#39;s rim can get pretty hot and dusty in summer.

In the winter, snowfall up to 44 feet deep buries the park, making it virtually impassable to everyone save skiers and snowshoers. Roads along the lake rim are left unplowed and are open to the non-car travelers exclusively. The winter season generally includes fall and spring, stretching from late October to mid-June or even early July.

Also, a couple other websites to check out:

A good overview of tne Park is at: http://www.nps.gov/archive/crla/day.htm

or at the Park%26#39;s homepage:

http://www.nps.gov/crla

Hope this helps.

How long are you planning to visit? Some people just drive up, look at the lake, and leave, while others spend a few days.

Thank you for all your thoughtful responses.

I had seen that most people only go to the lake for a day, but I usually like poking around every nook and cranny, and am really intrigued by the more secluded vista spots mentioned by diekmanj in the frommers excerpt.

I%26#39;m probably banking on arriving at Crater Lake late morning, staying the night, exploring more of Crater Lake the next day, then maybe off to Ashland for the Shakespeare festival. My boyfriend thought it would be nice if we made a week of it and did a little ring around to the coast and perhaps to Willamette (?) Valley.

Our planning is in its infancy, though, so this is more a wishlist than a to-do list until we figure out logistics.

Question: How crowded is crowded? Is it wall-to-wall? What park in peak would it be comparable to?

I was last there in August 2005, when we had two consecutive days of beautiful, sunny weather. Still, you really only need to plan for the crowds at restaurants, and maybe for the boat ride in the lake. Otherwise, you won%26#39;t feel at all crowded. It%26#39;s a big lake! ;-)

And hopefully you%26#39;ll have the flexibility of visiting over several days. If Mt. Mazama is enshrouded in clouds, there%26#39;s a good chance you won%26#39;t see much, so pick a clear sunny day if you can.

Hmmm...this is my dilemma. I want to stay at Crater Lake Lodge, which has maybe one lone available day left. Do I go ahead and book not knowing if the weather will make the trip worthwhile, or do I wait until I know it%26#39;ll be OK and hope for the best in terms of accommodations?

If there is availability at the lodge, book it! We have not stayed there, but would love to. Getting reservations is tough, so if you can, definitely go for it!

We usually are there. in Aug. we camp at Union Creek with friends and pick day to go up to lake.

One year we agreed to get rooms at lodge, early Aug. ays were perfect we watched sunset and sunrise from patio of lodge.

I think days like that are better chance in Aug or early Sept. June is risky.

Crowds at Crater Lake not bad. even in Aug. we have been to Yellowstone and Yosemite where crowds are bad.

we do not plan to spend another night at lodge. too expensive for size of room and view from room poor. tiny windows. glad we did it once just to say we did.

we have probaly been to Crater lake 20 times in early Aug. usually midday. Maybe one time we could not see whole lake

Hmmm...that seems to be the consensus: do the Lodge once, but never again as it is really not worth it. That%26#39;s too bad, because I really do love the idea.

We think our Oregon itinerary will be Crater Lake plus a few days down the coast in July. I don%26#39;t deal with heat well *at all* so unfortunately, Ashland etc may have to wait for another trip.

Perhaps you could check out posters%26#39; other lodging ideas. Don%26#39;t be deterred by weather issues and lodging, go for it.

The heat issue and Ashland - this is not DC, with your humidity. It can be warm to hot, but mornings and evenings are cooler, the heat does not typically linger. So, I argue, do Ashland, it%26#39;s terrific. See also Jacksonville, Google it, there%26#39;s much to do in that area. And others can advise on the coastal route if you wish. That, too, is not to be missed.