rim drive

When biking the rim drive, consider biking clockwise, so you'll be on the crater side of the road; much better scenery. We stayed at lost creek campground, which is significantly quieter. You'll need to bike up hte hill first before you get to the rim drive, but the downhill coast at the end of the day is awesome.

While it is possible to drive to Rim Village, stop by the Visitor Center to learn a bit about the park and take is some beautiful views of Crater Lake and Wizard Island, one should take the time to drive the 33 mile (53k) Rim Drive around the lake to truly experience all that Crater Lake has to offer. Due to the average annual snowfall of 44 feet (13.4m), Rim Drive opens slowly in the summer and does not completely open till around the beginning of July and sometimes considerably later. Generally, it is recommended to take the drive in a clockwise direction and while this seems to make sense as this puts the highest concentration of viewpoints are near the beginning of the drive and, in theory, it is easier to get in and out of the pullouts that will be mostly on the right hand side. On our first day, we followed the recommended clockwise tour and found that we were generally stuck in crowds, made worse by the inevitable road construction along the rim during the very short season. Even when the delays we short, once the traffic was allowed to pass, the surge of vehicles created, overwhelmed the pullouts and viewpoints. The next day, we decided to try driving the Rim Drive in the counterclockwise direction and found that we had the road and viewpoints virtually to ourselves most of the way, making getting in and out of the pullouts to our left mostly a non-issue. An added benefit was that it put the sun to our back rather than in our face, making the views and color better, especially in the morning before haze and clouds build in the afternoon. For a day visit to the park, I would recommend stopping by the camper store at Mazama Village to pick-up picnic supplies then stopping by the Steele Visitor Center at Park Headquarters to get information and orient oneself to the park. From here, the East Rim Drive, taking one in the counterclockwise direction, departs from the main park road. A half mile (0.8k) on East Rim Drive brings one to the excellent and easy Castle Crest Wildflower Trail. From here, enjoy the tranquil drive, stopping at the overlooks of interest and enjoy your picnic lunch. Most will complete the loop around the lake on Rim Drive to arrive at Rim Village mid to late afternoon, just as the crowds start to dissipate, to complete your day.

"One awesome view after another," says my husband. "The views are like a picture that isn't real." We visited Crater Lake in October 2014 on a beautiful sunny day. I think it was probably late in the season because the lodge had closed as had Annie Creek, no boat tour and no Wizard Island; but it was still worth the trip. So many things may be out of your control when you visit a site like this; for instance, the weather, the timing of the year (for seasonal stuff), and available accommodations. Take the advice of this review and others: drive counter clockwise, take every turn out, take pictures (you won't believe how they turn out), stop and view (frequently) the awesome color of the water (you will never see this again), ...most importantly--PLAN AHEAD to optimize your experience. Then, enjoy!!!

The best suggestion is out of your control ... mother nature. The rim drive is all about views and "clarity". Clouds, rain, HAZE, and even drifting smoke can have a major damper on your experience. We did not have the best of luck even in the early morning as haze and smoke were prevalent all day.CLOCKWISE is the best alternative as you will be making a right hand turn out of each pullout. The PULL OUTS listed in the guides are the best choices for the best "different" angles of the lake views. Smaller turnouts may not be as "spectacular". RECOMMENDATION: the views from the rim and at or on the lake are quite different. Either take a boat tour on the lake or hike down to the shore on the Cleetwood Cove trail. (1.1 mile down and more difficult on the way back up)

I highly recommend taking your own car and doing the rim drive yourself instead of taking a tour. This way if you're in a hurry you can have it done in less then an hour. If you have all day you can take a long as you'd like and make the stops that interest you the most. Its really not that big of a loop however it offers you different viewpoints of the Lake and the park itself.

If possible, drive counter clockwise. This puts you on the lake side and makes it easier to get in and out of the many spectacular overlooks!

We visited in high season but there was room at every pullout to stop and we never felt the park was crowded, except at the Cleetwood Cove parking area. In July the entire drive was open in both directions for the entire loop. We noted however that the views were crystal clear in the morning, but got hazy by the late afternoon. Go early for the best views.Some of our favorite stops:Vidae Falls. This is a short stop since you're not allowed to approach the falls but worth a short leg stretch and photo op.Pinnacles Road. This is a detour of a few miles that many folks don't bother with. It's a great opportunity to see a part of the park that's peaceful, different and has few visitors. The Pinnacles were created by gas vents and ash and are beautiful. If you can spare 15 minutes park at the end of the road and take the hiking trail leading to the south.Cloudcap Overlook. Stunning view of most of the lake from one of the highest points in the park. And as an added bonus you can say that you drove on the highest auto road in Oregon.Cleetwood Cove. The only place you can hike down to the lake and the point from which you can catch a boat ride around the lake or to wizard island. This is a large parking area, but in the summer it sometimes fills up. It's a long hike down and back up and in the thinner mountain air it might be beyond your ability but it's worth the trip if you can make it. You can also swim in the lake at the bottom if you take a suit and the water is so cold you'll feel comfortable most of the way back to the top.Rim Village Visitor Center. These are some of the best views of the lake. The viewpoint has a few short trails which were painstakingly built by the CCC and are fantastic photo spots.

Take the trolley tour or do the drive and stop at all the turnouts. You have never seen such blue water.

Stop frequently to enjoy the changing landscape. The road has many turnouts so you can stop and explore. This is a spectacular drive - spend the day.

We were on motorcycle on a stellar day. Not so busy in late Sept and we could easily park at all the stops around the rim. Just spectacular

Rim Drive is Beautiful YES! Highly recommend you drive the 33 mile rim road going clockwise.WHY CLOCKWISE: - Better views of the Lake, plus safer. Most pull outs will be on your right side of the road, lake side. SO you will not have to pull across or in front of on coming traffic. Even during the week there can be a lot of traffic. There are lots of pull outs but parking was a problem at a few places due to the amount of visitors. And a bit of a traffic jam a few places, due to on coming traffic, driving counter clockwise and pulling across the road at scenic look outs and than having to pull back out across on coming traffic when leaving. Some of the pull outs are narrow, not the best places to have to back up and turn around. The road is narrow and some DRIVERS, are not watching the road as much as they should be.So take advantage of the pull outs! Also it can be windy. The day we went it was VERY VERY windy. We didn’t dare open both car doors at the same time. We packed a lunch but It was so windy we found a place to park that had a nice view of the Lake and ate our picnic lunch in the car. Weather was not the best the day we were there, HOWEVER it was still beautiful and a wonderful day. We got up very early and drove in from Sutherlin 101 miles about 2 hrs. to the North entrance.

Take your time as you make the drive around Crater Lake stop at various points to enjoy the glorious views and take photos of the beautiful landscape.

Well worth the miles to go around the crater. Lots of photo opportunities. Many interesting information plaques to tell about the area.

I would suggest taking the trolley ride instead of driving as it is much more enjoyable plus you are given a lot of interesting information on the trip.

As long as there isn't snow piled up, the Rim Drives are open to traffice; otherwise only one rim is accessible though there is food, restrooms and a gift shop open during the winter months. Worth the drive even if you only have a couple of hours.