Crater Lake National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

The government drew up designs to accommodate these new arrivals. The idea was to design a model ‘village’ that looked like a place people might actually live. Architects worked hard to blend the buildings in with the surrounding environment.

Mount Mazama didn’t just erupt once. Each minor eruption before the big one released lightweight volcanic rock full of gas bubbles. That’s pumice! This super porous rock is so light because it’s full of holes. Volcanoes like Mount Mazama create this unusual material when they put rocks under super high heat and super high pressure, then expel them at high speeds through the air during an eruption.

This 2-mile hike is steep and strenuous, but if you want to visit Crater Lake’s shore or take a ferry to Wizard Island, this is the spot to do it.

Note: The tour is over 44 miles long, with more than 40+ audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete.

Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

You won’t find a boarding schools for wizardry and witchcraft on the island, though. Instead, it gets its name from the small peak on the island, which looks a bit like the pointy tip of a wizard’s hat!

A historic watchtower offering fantastic, unobstructed views of Crater Lake. This 2-mile trail is moderately difficult, with some rough terrain and elevation gain of 400 feet. It takes about an hour in total.

Merriam Point, another great spot to see stunning views of the lake and its surroundings.

This 2-mile hike is steep and strenuous, but if you want to visit Crater Lake’s shore or take a ferry to Wizard Island, this is the spot to do it. Just remember that it’s not just about descending 700 feet… You have to climb back up!

This is the highest point to catch a view of Crater Lake. Cloudcap Overlook gives us a clear view as we look to the west. The view from here helps show us just how deep the water is. Once we park, make sure the lake doesn’t steal all your attention. Just behind us, away from the lake, rises Mount Scott, the highest point in the park.

Despite its name, the Phantom Ship isn’t really a ship, but a collection of ancient volcanic rock formations. This formation sits as its own little island, just offshore from the mainland. When the fog rolls in, settling on the lake, it’ll look like a ghostly ship sailing across its surface.

Just ahead is Sun Notch Trail, an easy half-mile loop that takes about 15-20 minutes total to hike. This hidden gem offers more great views of the Phantom Ship and the deep blue water of Chaski Bay right below us.

Now keep in mind that Crater Lake is 600 feet below us. So where does the water come from to feed this waterfall? It’s actually a spring fed by seasonal snowmelt and rainfall! That means the falls are most powerful in spring and early summer, and slow later on.

The first flowers peeking through the snow are Mountain violets and Gorman buttercups. They can't wait to emerge after being covered by nearly 50 feet of snow in an average winter.