Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake is located in Southern Oregon. It is the deepest lake in the U.S. and was formed by the large caldera left by the destroyed volcano Mount Mazama.

Crater Lake has an intense blue color. It is fed by the large amounts of precipitation in the form of rain and snow the area receives.

With an elevation of over 6,000 feet and the surrounding caldera between 7,000 and 8,000 feet in elevation, patchy snow remains around Crater Lake in this shot taken in late June 2009.

Wizard Island is a cinder cone within Crater Lake. In the summer, boat tours are offered in the lake to the island.

The Crater Lake Rim Drive is open typically from late June through September. The rest of the year, the road is closed due to snow although the Visitor Center is open year round, except after heavy snowfalls. Be sure to allow plenty of time for the loop trip!

Hikers must use extreme caution at Crater Lake. While the views are enticing, steep cliffs descend from the caldera rim down to the lake.

The views from the Rim on a clear day are outstanding in all directions.

This shot is looking east at Wizard Island and the lake.

Due the surrounding caldera, Crater Lake has no river or stream outlets. Precipitation is lost only from evaporation and subsurface seepage.

As one of the world's most beautiful lakes, visitors come from all over the world to visit Crater Lake. The fee for a passenger car to enter the National Park is ten dollars.

This shot was taken from the northwest corner of the lake.

Crater Lake has a striking blue hue color. The water is cold and clear. Swimming is permitted in the lake.