Crater Lake National Park – May 31, 2023
On Memorial Day 2023, I drove six hours south from Seattle to have a three-day holiday in Central Oregon (see separate post). Visiting Bend, OR and its surroundings had long been on my bucket list and this area lived up to its amazing reputation. On day three of this trek, I drove two hours south to experience the magic of Crater Lake National Park!
I traveled south on highway 97 from Bend for several miles and then headed northwest on highway 62 for a few miles before entering through the park’s south entrance, which is open in May. As you will note from the photos, there was quite a bit of snow around the lake, and West Rim Drive near the lodge was closed, so exploring was limited.
However, this didn’t qualm my excitement of checking out the historic Crater Lake Lodge nor taking in the views on this breathtaking blue-sky day! I learned the lodge, with its 71 guestrooms, is about 100 feet above the lake, and it first opened in 1913 – gosh, over 100 years ago! I was certainly in my element, snapping photos of the lodge features and relaxing on a rocking chair on the lodge’s north side while taking in the unbelievable mirror-like lake views!
I couldn’t help but marvel at the fantastic fireplaces, comfy furniture, wooden features, and carpet patterns (yes, carpet!) – all so unique! No trip to any national park lodge would be complete without a stop in the incredible park store, housed in a building a short distance from the historic lodge. Once again, I purchased a holiday ornament to commemorate my visit to a national park – yay! I look forward to returning to Crater Lake one day to stay at the lodge, fully explore the trails and lake, and enjoy all that this National Park has to offer!
If you’ve ever been or hope to visit Crater Lake National Park one day, I’d love to hear from you!
