Last updated on February 24th, 2026
In this one day in Crater Lake National Park itinerary we’re sharing exactly how to see the best of the park in just one fun day, plus important tips you’ll need to know for your visit!
We got to spend one day in Crater Lake National Park and it was the perfect taste of everything the park has to offer. In just one day you can experience epic sunrises and sunsets, boat tours, the chance to swim in the deepest lake in the US (how often can you say that?!), fun hiking trails, a waterfall, mountain views, and unique rock formations. There’s a variety of hiking options, scenery, and activities for everyone!
We know that many people include a visit to Crater Lake National Park as a short stop on a much longer Oregon road trip. So whether you’re visiting the Oregon Coast, Eastern Oregon, or just driving through the state on a longer adventure, one day in Crater Lake National Park makes for a great addition to your itinerary.
About Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake’s story goes back about 7,700 years, when Mount Mazama, a massive 12,000-foot volcano, erupted and collapsed in on itself, creating the caldera that eventually filled with water to form the lake we see today.
The area was well known to the Makalak people both before and after the eruption. But Crater Lake didn’t reach a wider audience until 1853, when gold prospectors stumbled upon it. By 1865, several other groups had visited the lake, and it was briefly called Lake Majesty. It was renamed Crater Lake following a visit from a newspaper editor in 1869.
Just a year later, William Gladstone Steel learned about the lake after reading a newspaper. He became determined to see it for himself. Fifteen years later, he finally reached Crater Lake and immediately believed it deserved protection as a public park. After years of persistence, his vision became reality in 1902 when Crater Lake was established as the fifth national park in the United States and the only national park in Oregon.
Beyond being the deepest lake in the US, Crater Lake is also famous for its intense blue color. Since the lake has no rivers or streams flowing into it and is fed only by rain and snow, it contains very little sediment or mineral buildup. That lack of impurities is what gives Crater Lake its striking color and makes it one of the cleanest lakes in the world!
One Day in Crater Lake National Park Map
Before embarking on your adventure, please review the Leave No Trace principles to ensure you leave every place better than you found it, so that others can enjoy these beautiful places for many years to come!
These seven principles include planning ahead and preparing, hiking and camping on durable surfaces, disposing of waste properly (pack out what you pack in!), understanding campfire rules and always fully extinguishing your fires, respecting wildlife, and being considerate of other visitors.
One Day in Crater Lake National Park Itinerary
There’s so many great ways to spend one day in Crater Lake National Park. Below is the itinerary we’d suggest if it’s your first trip. Looking for more ideas? We put together a list of the 15 best things to do in Crater Lake if you have more time in the park!
See the sunrise at Watchman Peak
In order to see as much as possible during your one day in Crater Lake National Park, get started super early by watching the sunrise at Watchmen Peak. It’s one of our absolute favorite things to do in the park. With an east-facing view, this is the perfect spot to watch the sunrise. Based on our experience, the sunrises in the park are stunning!
And at only 1.7 miles round trip, the hike to Watchman Peak isn’t too daunting to tackle in the dark. At the top, you can see the Watchman Observation Station, which is a fire lookout that was built in the 1930s. Plus has amazing views of Crater Lake and Wizard Island, which is a 763-foot cinder cone.
If hiking up for sunrise, besides a headlamp, make sure to bring a jacket or blanket! Crater Lake can be very chilly in the mornings, even in the summer.
Not up for the hike? You can see a similar view from the parking lot below. But we do recommend doing the hike if you can!
Walk along the Discovery Point trail
Shortly after sunrise, but still long before the crowds hit, head to Discovery Point Trail. This is a 2.4 mile pathway that goes along the rim of the lake, starting at the Visitor Center. While it does go close to the road at times and has some road noise, it offers some great views of the lake that you cannot get from the car. You don’t have to walk the entire trail to get the beautiful views, so feel free to go as far as you’d like!
Hike up Garfield Peak or Mount Scott
Spend the rest of the morning with a longer hike to see other views of the lake. One option is Garfield Peak, a 3.4 mile trail and our second favorite hike in Crater Lake National Park after Watchman Peak! This is a bit steeper than Watchman Peak and pretty exposed, so bring lots of water and sun protection! But it takes you higher up above the lake, with Crater Lake right below you and a big open area to soak up the scenery at the top.
The other option is Mount Scott Trail, another amazing option for a higher elevation hike in the park. This is the tallest peak in the park at 8,929 ft. It has a fire tower at the top, with vast views of Crater Lake, plus sweeping views of the area. Compared to Garfield Peak, the view from the top is further away from the lake, so keep that in mind!
Swim in the lake (currently closed)
Hands down our favorite experience at Crater Lake National Park was getting IN the lake! This is a very cold experience, as Crater Lake has an average temperature of 38ºF at 300 feet, with the surface temperatures warming up to 55ºF-60ºF in the summer. But it is so worth it!
The only legal area to access the shoreline of Crater Lake is at Cleetwood Cove. This requires a steep 1 mile (one way) hike, with about 600 feet of elevation loss. It may be an easy hike down, but remember, you have to go back up!
Once at the cove, there are a couple swimming areas, plus a big rock that you can jump off of! Adam was brave and jumped off the rock into the cold waters. While I (Kathryn) chose to torture myself by slowly entering the water. It may feel ice cold at first, but on a hot summer day, it quickly becomes very refreshing!
Important Note. Starting in 2026, swimming and boat tours will not be permitted on the lake due to a rehabilitation project. This is including the Cleetwood Cove Trail. This project is expected to take years, with the goal reopening date being summer 2029. You can see all current conditions for the park here.
Hike to non-lake views
While most visitors come to Crater Lake for the lake, there are a couple other types of scenery to see in the park as well. So spend some of your afternoon hiking the Pinnacles Valley Trail and the Plaikni Falls Trail.
The Pinnacles Valley Trail is an easy 0.8 mile walk from a parking area that takes you to spires. The spirea are made up of volcanic particles from the Mount Mazama eruption, which formed over time through erosion. It’s a quick stop, but well worth it for how unique it is!
Then explore the 2 mile Plaikni Falls Trail. Although Crater Lake is not filled by rivers or streams, you can find some nearby! Just a little bit inland from the lake is Plaikni Falls, which is a beautiful waterfall tucked in a forest. This trail opened in 2012, so it’s a relatively new option for something to do during one day in Crater Lake compared to the age of the park.
Visit overlooks along Rim Drive
Spend the rest of the daylight you have during your one day in Crater Lake by exploring Rim Drive. Rim Drive is a 33 mile road that goes around Crater Lake’s rim. It has 30 overlooks to check out, making it a great way to see different perspectives of the lake. If you plan to hike multiple trails in the park, you will drive this road to get between trailheads. So make sure to build in some extra time to stop at the viewpoints.
Along the drive, make sure to stop at Phantom Ship, which is one of the lake’s two islands. It has a unique, rocky appearance, resembling a ship in the water. Plus swing by the Watchman Peak Trailhead, which as we mentioned above, has great views from the parking area.
Note: Rim Drive is closed during the winter season and doesn’t start to reopen until late May or early June. The full road usually is open by July. You can see past opening dates here!
Sunset at the Cloudcap Overlook
Complete your one day in Crater Lake National Park with a stunning sunset over the lake. The Cloudcap Overlook is our favorite, as it faces west and requires no hike to get there. So head here right before sunset to relax and enjoy the views after a long, but fun day in Crater Lake National Park.
Top Tips for One Day in Crater Lake National Park
When to Visit Crater Lake National Park
Although Crater Lake National Park is open year round, the best time to visit the park is in the summer, specifically July-mid September. This is when the trails are snow free and the park roads are fully open. Some parts of the park road may be closed other times of the year, which will limit the hikes and viewpoints in Crater Lake National Park you can do.
We visited the park in early September and it was perfect! The weather was nice and sunny, which made jumping into the lake more bearable, and the crowds weren’t too bad.
If you choose to visit in the winter, you’ll be treated to a winter wonderland, which is a unique experience that not many get to have! The park can receive up to 41 feet of snow and certain entrances are closed, as well as all of Rim Drive. This means that the best way to get around will be by cross country skiing or snowshoes instead of hiking boots.
We’d love to return in the winter someday to see the blue lake pop against the bright, white snow. But if your top priority is hiking, you’ll get the most out of the park by going in the summer!
Getting to Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake National Park is located in Southern Oregon and is close to a handful of smaller towns, but is a bit of a trek from any major cities.
The closest airport to the park is the Rogue Valley-Medford Airport (MFR), about 1 hour and 40 minutes southwest of the park. You can also fly into Eugene Airport (EUG), which is 3.5 hours away orPortland International Airport (PDX), which is just over 5 hours north of the park and offers tons of airline and flight options across the US!
Getting Around Crater Lake National Park
Unlike some national parks, Crater Lake does not have a park shuttle, however, there is a trolley tour that you can go on if you’d like to leave the driving to someone else and learn more about the park. For those who prefer to get around on their own to see the best things to do at Crater Lake, you will either need your own car or a rental car (any kind will work fine!) to visit the park.
America the Beautiful Pass
If you will be visiting more than one US national park in one year, your best value is to buy the America the Beautiful pass in advance. This pass gets you free entry to all national parks for one year. So use it as much as you can and explore multiple national parks in the next 12 months!
Where to Stay in Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake National Park offers many lodging options in the park, which will give you more time to hike instead of driving in and out of the park.
Inside the park you can find the Crater Lake Lodge, which is open from mid-May to mid-October and has 71 rooms, some of which have a lake view, plus a restaurant. Crater Lake also has a total of 10 cabins at Mazama Village, each with 4 private rooms.
The Mazama Campground is the largest campground in the park, with 214 sites, some of which have partial or full hookups for RVs! We highly suggest making reservations as early as you can! The Lost Creek Campground is another campground option in the park, but it is only for tent campers and is first-come, first-served, with 16 sites total.
Want to stay outside of the park? We suggest staying in Bend, which is 2 hours northeast of the park, and visit as a long day trip. Bend is one of our favorite cities in the Pacific Northwest and offers so many fun things to do! There are lots of great places to stay in Bend, from hotels to campgrounds.
Reservations and Permits
Crater Lake National Park does not require reservations for entering the park. So you are free to come and go when you please as long as you buy a park pass at the gate or the America the Beautiful Pass in advance.
What to Bring to Crater Lake National Park
First and foremost, we always recommend that you pack the 10 essentials. A few other key items that are important to have during your one day in Crater Lake National Park are hiking shoes, layers (it can get cold!), a headlamp, sunscreen, plenty of water, electrolytes, and AllTrails maps! We highly recommend the AllTrails Plus membership so you can download the map (use our code aplusk30 for 30% off!). There’s not usually great service on the trails!
Looking for more things to do in Oregon? Check out these guides & videos:
- How to have an EPIC Southern Oregon Coast Road Trip! (The BEST things to do + 3 day itinerary!)
- Things to do at Crater Lake National Park
- The BEST waterfall hike in Oregon! Hiking the Trail of Ten Falls at Silver Falls State Park
- 20+ AMAZING things to do in Bend, Oregon
- How to visit Tumalo Falls in Bend, Oregon (ANY time of the year!)
- A weekend in Portland itinerary
- The best things to do in Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast!
- Watch our Oregon vlogs
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About the Author
This article was written by Tori, one of our Adventures of A+K team members. Learn a bit about her below!
Hi, I’m Tori! I live in Nashville, TN with my husband and two daughters. We travel as much as possible throughout the year, around a 9-5 schedule and with babies in tow! My travel blog, Tori Pines Travels, aims to help people plan action-packed and culture-rich vacations around their busy jobs, fitting in as much exploring as possible. When I’m not working for Adam and Kathryn or entertaining my little ones, I’m writing, cooking, crafting or exploring Music City!