The Deepest Lake in America: Crater Lake

Hello, everybody!

It’s another day, and that means that I have the opportunity to bring you another travel article!

As of right now, we are in San Diego, getting excited to do a whole bunch of great activities. But before I get to write about that in the coming weeks, I thought it would be nice to throw it back to our trip to the National Park with the deepest lake in America…

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Crater Lake National Park

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Part of Crater Lake, looking frosty and clear as crystal

This incredibly deep body of water is 1,946 feet deep at its lowest point, equivalent to 593 meters. And let me tell you, it is quite the sight. This was our first visit to the National Park, and every bit of what we saw blew us away.

Fortunately, our visit happened to coincide with a light snowing, which painted the hills and trees into a winter wonderland. Surprisingly, the temperature wasn't exactly freezing cold. It was a perfect combination of winter and fall; not too cold, but able to snowing.

The RV park that we were staying at was located just outside of the park borders. The park itself was a magical place. Right behind our trailer, there was a trail that headed off into the woods. It met a tranquil stream that gently cascaded over polished rocks, creating a scene only equal in fantasy. There were many trees that towered above the rest, so large in diameter that I couldn't put my arms around them. It's a great feeling, being dwarfed by nature.

Some other smaller trees were fully into the fall season, dropping leaves brown and crisp, their lifetime having come to an end. I look at those fallen leaves as a testament to the impermanence of life. By some, this view is seen as rather morbid, but I choose to see the beauty in it. Impermanence is simply another aspect of life, avoided by some, but embraced by others.

A giant leaf, having fell to the ground

One of the campground employees gave us some tips on exploring the area. Looking back, without her input, we wouldn't have had as great an experience. She told us that not all of the beauty resides within the borders of the park. Outside the main gate, there are many different waterfalls that have relatively short trails leading to them. We decided to give them a shot, and set out one day to explore the various lesser-known features in the greater Crater Lake area.

Our first stop was a hike to Watson Falls. All along the walk up, the awe-inspiring views kept on coming. A cascade to our left, massive trees to our front, chipmunk to our right; everywhere we looked, our eyes fell captive to the alluring essence of it all.

A sweet little chipmunk

Near the end of the hike, a peek through the trees revealed the waterfall we were in search of. We walked a quarter mile more, and the fall grabbed the attention of our ears, the thunderous claps of water hitting rock sending echoes all across the realm.

A stage-like setting for 272 feet tall waterfall

My eyes fell upon the very strange yet familiar formation that cradled the waterfall, and all I could see was an amphitheater. To me, it felt as if an entire stage had been built for the magnificent display of power and grace that Watson Falls exhibited. It was perfect.

We all were standing approximately 100 feet away from the base of the fall, keeping to the trail. But I couldn't help myself; I needed to get closer. I clambered over rocks, mossy and slippery, carefully making my way to the base of the fall. As I got closer and closer, the mist put off by the fall got heavier and heavier, spraying my clothes until they got exceedingly wet. It didn't bother me (or my brother). All I cared about was getting to experience the power of a natural water fall.

The booming of the water reverberated all across my body. I felt the fall. It was marvelous.

We walked right up to the base of the splashing fall

We also visited a few other waterfalls, but with none of them did I get as intimate as with Watson.

Along a hike we were taking to another fall, there was a river flowing directly to our left, which fed a series of falls, all leading up to the largest fall at the end.

A small cascade, eventually leading to a small fall

The small fall, viewed from the top

The largest fall along the small river

There is certainly no shortage of waterfalls in the area surrounding Crater Lake NP. All within a fifteen minute drive, it's possible to see five waterfalls, all of which are unique and special. The final fall that we saw didn't even require a hike. One minute away from the parking lot, the small waterfall is constantly flowing, feeding the wildlife and adding to the beauty on display.

A small yet equally breathtaking fall, right off the road

After getting our fair share of cascades, we headed out into the National Park itself.

While climbing higher and higher, the snow slowly started revealing itself, and then eventually blanketed the fields and meadows on both sides of the road. The excitement inside of our car was nothing short of tumultuous. We couldn't believe what we were seeing! Blankets of snow in September?! It was truly astounding.

With our excitement already at a very high level, when we first laid our eyes upon the lake, it increased tenfold. Saying it was a winter wonderland doesn't even do it justice. The water was as still as could be; not a single ripple ran over the water. We speculated that there was a layer of ice covering the surface of the lake. It was simply too still to be real.

Crater Lake with Wizard Island hiding on the left

It's hard to truly imagine the depth of the lake. When I hear the number of feet it fills (1,946 ft), I can visualize a rough estimate of what it may look like, but then I realize that the Empire State Building is only 1,454 feet tall, and my brain is rendered utterly useless. It's also rather fun to imagine how the lake was formed. While visiting the park, I learned that approximately 7,700 years ago, a 12,000 feet tall volcano collapsed during an monumental eruption. This formed a caldera, which is what the lake is (partially) filling.

Another view of the lake, with Wizard Island hiding on the right

We didn't get to go to the shore of the lake, but having the chance to witness it from above, basking in the wintry wonder, was certainly a very appreciated time.

Even though I don't have more than one piece of data to make this claim, I would say that visiting the lake in the early days of fall would prove to be a glorious trip. Not too cold, not too hot, but just right around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, plus the added benefit of a possible snow dusting.

Crater Lake National Park and the surrounding area is sincerely magnificent. If you are going to be in Oregon, this should definitely be on the list for places to visit.

The craggy Mount Thielsen, framed by trees

Thank you for reading about my trip to Crater Lake! If you would like to stay updated on my family's travels around North America in our RV, follow me! I love to write about the places we visit, so there will certainly be more to come :-)

See you next time!

~ Josiah T. B.