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.

Gorgeous views when it is clear and great hiking when it's not windy or snowing. Even with the snow…read morethey had marked off the trail and had boundary ropes up to keep you away from cornices that could collapse into the lake on you and ruin your day. Definitely plan to be there several hours to get in the hike and views you will likely stare at for hours. Bring water and snacks or hit the visitor center which has a cafe and gift shop.

Visited in mid November after a dusting of snow that left about 1-2 inches in the ground. The north…read moreroads were all closed and very few trails were available for exploring. The Discovery Point trail was open and I hiked it for about 2 miles in from Rim village. The views of Wizard Island got closer as I went along. Perfectly sunny day. Spectacular! Highly recommended! There were some wary folks along the way, but if you stay on the trail you'll be safe.

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

This is one of the most serene campgrounds I've visited. The camp host Kevin is absolutely amazing…read moreand stopped by to chat and made sure we had an amazing time. Everything is well maintained and the river had been recently stocked so we caught two nights of dinner while we enjoyed the forest. We will definitely be back.

We ended up here after Mazama Campground at Crater Lake canceled our reservation with very short…read morenotice. We were a bit stressed until we pulled in to Farewell Bend Campground... Cam, Rich, & their dog Crosby were excellent camp hosts from the moment we arrived. They answered all of our questions & made great recommendations for the area. Our site, #54, had more than enough space for 3 tents & a shade canopy. There were trees perfect for hanging our hammocks. #54 isn't on the river, but it's just a short walk away. There are no showers, but there is an RV park 10-15 minutes down the road with showers for $5-6. Union Creek is only 1 mile away; there is a general store, ice cream shop, & cafe there. Just over a 30 minute drive to Crater Lake.

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. ​

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