What a beautiful national park! It is definitely worth the drive from pretty much anywhere. No…read morematter what you are expecting, you will experience so much more. We went today when only a small portion of the rim was open and it was absolutely beautiful. It was a bit 45°F out with strong winds but it was still an amazing experience. We stopped at the Steel Information Center after going through the entrance to the area, then drove up to Rim Village and went to the Rim Visitor Center. There is plenty of parking there and you can follow the path to the rim and get some stunning views of the lake. It was a beautiful day and the water was so clear and blue. I definitely want to come back in July or August when it's a bit warmer and the whole rim is open. If you have a permanent disability you can get a free lifetime national park pass, which is how we got in today. This is a beautiful national park and we need to do everything we can to protect it.

Pro tip: Stay in Bend, OR and pack lots of food and drinks, and drive into the park for a day trip…read more There may still be snow, yes - even in July! We visited the park and stayed at the cabins Jun 19 -20 and they got five inches of snow the night we left. There is not much to do in the park after dark and not really anything to do in the cabins so bring books and cards, because there is no cell service. You can almost drive all the way fully around the whole lake but there are closures happening so you won't be able to go all the way around. Food is very limited and not good, so bring your own! There is NO CELL SERVICE on most of the volcano. However, there is Wifi at the Mazama Store. I was able to sit in my car (once connected inside) and use the wifi for the apps that it would allow over WIFI. It is not a secure network either. You will need to drive to most all of the sites and activities at the park. If the park activities are open for the season, you will probably have about two fulls days worth of activities to do. However, in off season, a day visit is plenty to take in the sites.

Crater lake is a far drive from Bend where we were staying. It is well worth it especially if you…read moredrive down early and get there before the parking lot fills up. When we were leaving at 2 pm it was packed so 10 am is perfect for getting parking. There is only two bathrooms at the parking lot, and supposedly one at the bottom of the hike but I didn't see it. We hiked down with kids, my 4 and 8 year old were able to do it. The 4 year old needed some carrying at the end but I was able to carry her up. I am not sure where people see "easy" for this hike. I would consider it medium because it's gradual and not straight up. Yes it's a gravel sand mixture but not slippery, especially on a dry day. The dusty trail got us all covered by a layer by the end. There is some points where you are in full sun and others with full shade. We jumped in the water and it was 61 degrees according to the Apple Watch. It helped the bottom up was in sun and helped keep me warm and drier. When we got to the shade it was a bit cold. The water is rocky so there isn't an easy place to get in but the kids were able to do it. They have boat rides on to the lake at the bottom but we didn't partake in it. The walk up was not difficult because of the switch backs. Had it been stairs straight down I would say that would be difficult. The path allows for people to rest and is wide enough for 3 people wide. They also have benches on the trail which is lovely. The view from the trail is much better than the lookouts from the road.

2.2 mi, 604 elevation gain, 1 hr to complete…read more Trail is well maintained though it appears there is high risk for rock slides. It is very highly traveled and probably one of the busiest trails in the park. There were several people swimming at the bottom. Heading back up there are many benches along the way to take a breather and have a sip of water. It was pretty smokey today so it was difficult to see Wizard island and the other side of the lake from the trail. Though, looking down you can see the bright blue water and boats anchored waiting to take passengers to wizard island and on tours of the lake.

Their website talks about lot about damage from the fires but don't let that stop you from…read morevisiting. The forest is recovering beautifully, and you will get to see the wonderful work of the rangers and community to restore the area. We stayed for four nights in the campground and wished for longer. Expect walks by the creek and river, lots of wildlife, friendly camp hosts and a fun logging museum.

Awesome!! Definitely worth the stop, highly recommend. Beautiful river, bridge, history. Dogs…read morewelcome on leash! We enjoyed the park, had lunch under the shade of the cool trees by the river... Bring a picnic.

Went there on a weekday afternoon to walk my dog. Spacious and clean. Covered picnic tables…read more There were Christmas displays still up. I applaud the effort and will come back when in the neighborhood.

Such a beautifully designed park. This was a great road trip stop with my 2yr old grandson.read more

Actually, it was Son #1 & college friend/co-worker and their children the reason why we're at the…read morepark. And being their grandmother, I become a kid again, when I'm with them. I picked the largest pine cones, hidden in hubby's hoodie (I didn't have a bag), to experiment on. The Magnolia tree greeted us, as we entered the park, was in full bloom. I think it's scented, too! My favorite about this park, was the playground. I spent more time swinging with the youngest grandson, and watching him and his 8 years old playmate (friends since toddlers), and walking around to the nearest creek & bridge. If it wasn't feeling like about to rain, we could have stayed much longer! Oh, they also have to drive back to Portland, today, so off they go, and we stayed longer.

Central Park in Ashland OR…read more During our stop in the City of Ashland on our way back to California we walked across the street to Lithia Park. We were wrapping up a Thanksgiving weekend at the time of our visit so leaves have fallen and they may have experienced some rain. It wasn't too chilly, the sun was out and so were the locals (and visitors like us). Lithia Park is a historic park and has combinations of woodland, ponds, gardens, and gorgeous Italian-style fountains. It's no wonder the park has been named the Crown Jewel of Ashland. The park is huge! Lithia Park is located in a lush forested area and also has hiking trails but we didn't go that far. Wow, and I didn't know this but, the park is also a source of Lithia Mineral Water. The park was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Review #3266

Just looking at wizard island is a five-star experience. Imagine the geology. This enormous volcano…read moreerupted. Then thousands of years later wizard island, a smaller volcano was born from the original. Wizard island is reachable by tour boat at certain times of the year. But most importantly, it is always visible and well worth a whole collection of photos. And be sure to read up on the geologic history of wizard Island and some of its cultural significance.

We love this park! Our 2nd time going when coming to town to visit my Nana. Last time when we came…read morethe water park was on due to weather and my daughter loved it. This time around we came back and no water due to winter but just as fun. Very nice nice for the kids to play along the river

Clean and void of homeless these days. There's a simple children's area for playtime year round and…read morewater play during the summer months. Check on times. People were bird watching, chatting, reading, walking, and just enjoying the beautiful day. The park is on the Rogue River in Grants Pass, Oregon.

We enjoyed an early fall trip here with our travel trailer. The campsites have good spacing from…read moreeach other and the camp hosts were all very friendly. Sadly the resevoir was shockingly low and what would have normally been nearby water views were limited. Our campsite had water and power and everything worked well for the entire stay. There are two dump stations near the entrance. When the park is full I suspect the dump station could get crowded. There are playgrounds for the kids in between the major campground areas. Restrooms and showers were decent. It's a well maintained campground especially for a public one.

Great place to camp. We were there this past weekend, probably will avoid holidays going forward…read more Wish they'd upgrade tho, old setups, no 50 amp and no sewer. There is a dump tho. Busy place on the holiday weekend. LOTS of kids riding all over the place on noisy motorized playtoys / scooters / power wheels. Campsites are well spaced. If you have a trailer / 5th wheel / motorhome, watch out for dead dry branches that'll tear up your rig. ​

Discovery Garden is a cute little place where you can sit and enjoy the plants and trees. If you…read morehave little children it is a great place for them to play. It is small and fenced in. My grandchildren loved playing in the garden.

Enjoyed the quaint little garden while staying at a nearby hotel. Flowers were in bloom and it was…read morea nice peaceful place to sit and read a couple of chapters from my current book.

2 mi, 423 elevation gain, 56 minutes to complete…read more Small snowfield to cross if you start at watchman overlook. If you come from discovery point it would be longer but you would avoid any of the snow crossings. Totally worth the hike- one of the most amazing views in the park especially at sunrise or sunset! Lots of different wildflowers along the way and panoramic views. There is a cute fire lookout that appears to no longer be in use at the top.

I'd like to talk about not just hiking to Watchman Peak, but also the roadside pullover here at…read moreWatchman Overlook. So yes...there are 2 purposes for stopping at this Watchman Area. The Overlook from the rim and hiking the trail to Watchman Peak. This section of Crater Lake is deserving of 5 stars because...when driving around the 33 mile rim encompassing all of Crater Lake (although the views can get quite repetitive and monotonous)...the BEST APPEARANCES OF CRATER LAKE COMES FROM HERE AT WATCHMAN PEAK!!! That's what makes Watchman Overlook so worthwhile. Because the roadside emergence of not just Crater Lake, but the main centerpiece attraction to it all known as Wizard Island is the closest and most prevalent you'll find throughout the park. Watchman Overlook was the best observation viewpoint I can remember from my time spent at Crater Lake. Wizard Island sort of smacked me in the face through my camera lens...I was able to photograph Crater Lake in it's majestic entirety from the viewpoint. Whereas, many of the significantly less roadside Crater Lake stops can just be ordinary especially when you're pulled over far away from Wizard Island. Then the scenery was really a letdown. For instance, when you're on the other side of the lake near Phantom Ship, when I exited my car to look upon Crater Lake, it was like glancing into the abyss of some large sized lake of water, without any focal points (like Wizard Island) and without any meaningful blue coloring to it. I was expecting turquoise blue around the lake and never found it. Even at the main hub of activity in Rim Village featuring Sinnott Overlook, the Crater Lake Lodge, Garfield Peak Trail, and even along Discovery Point Trail....I never received that fulfilling/humbling "wow moment" that completely blew me away in comparison to the sights and scenery I uncovered here at Watchman Overlook and Peak. Regardless...back to what makes Watchman Peak Overlook one of the most worthy of roadside stops at Crater Lake... - I HIGHLY RECOMMEND VISITING HERE IN THE AFTERNOON TIME! Yes this is SO IMPORTANT because from here at Watchman Overlook the sun starts to set from your backside. So...you get the sun reflecting onto Crater Lake and it affords you the most clear and concise perspectives for taking pictures! If you arrive in the morning, the sun will hit you in the opposite (in your face) direction and then you may be stuck with those annoying shadows! - After observing Crater Lake from the rim overlook area....off to the right hand side you'll find the hike to Watchman Lookout Trail. This path will take you to the apex of the rim's edge for uninterrupted views of Crater lake. This Watchman Lookout Trail isn't hard. There'll be a sign/trailhead stating that the Lookout Tower is 0.8 mile to the top. That's 1.6 miles round trip and it's an elevation gain of about 450 feet - I'd say a moderate level of difficulty, but it's overall less than 1 mile. - This Watchman Lookout Trail to the Lookout Tower is certainly recommended because there's not many hikes to even traverse at Crater Lake. I found Crater Lake to be more of just a roadside get out of your car kind of park. So...might as well take advantage of a little hiking opportunity while here...especially since the views around this Watchman Peak area are some of the most scenic in the park! - Along the 0.8 mile...there's not much to view, just switchbacks making your way to the top. From this Watchman Peak Lookout Tower, the appearance of Crater Lake was just as good as the roadside view (there wasn't much difference in my opinion) but still, I'd recommend grabbing a couple of photos from high atop here. - During this summer pandemic of 2020, the Lookout Tower was closed. So, in the end...you just have a small viewpoint to pier down on and admire Crater Lake with of course Wizard Island being so photogenic as well. I truly believe you won't find superior angles/perspectives of Crater Lake and Wizard Island anywhere else in the park other than being here at the rim's Watchman Overlook and at the pinnacle of Watchman Peak Trail Lookout Tower. Capture as many pictures as possible during your time here because the views won't get any better.