Introduction

Hidden within North America’s Cascade Range, travelers will find the astonishing Crater Lake. The pristine crystal waters sit on what once was a 12,000 foot volcano making it the deepest lake in America. The former volcano, Mount Mazama erupted nearly 7,700 years ago destroying its cap creating a caldera. With destruction comes the opportunity for creation. From that opportunity, Mother Nature began her work creating one of the most magnificent lakes known to man. But how does such an event occur? Well, the Makalak people who called this region home well before the eruption, have quite the tale explaining Crater Lake’s origins.

According to the Makalak legend, Chief of the Below World, Llao would often stand at the top of Mount Mazama taking in the beauty below. One day, something in particular caught his eye. That beauty was none other than the Makalak Chief’s daughter and Llao fell in love instantly. He swiftly swooped in to court her offering the chief’s daughter a life beyond her wildest dreams; all she had to do was accept and return with him to his underworld. But the chief’s daughter was quite content with her life on Earth’s surface and rejected the spirit’s proposal. A spiteful Llao, returned to his mountain peak and vowed to destroy her people. He began catapulting fire and lava on the Makalak people, enforcing his wrath upon them. Fortunately for the tribe, the Chief of the Above World, Skell stood upon nearby Mount Shasta and began to sympathize with the Makalak. Skell and Llao were intertwined in an intense battle that shook the Earth at our feet. Inspired by the people, Skell was finally able to drive Llao back into his lair vanquishing the aggressor. As the sun rose the next morning, the Makalak people saw that Mount Mazama was no more and instead a great hole was created. It was at that moment strong rains began to fall from the sky, eventually filling the hollow peak creating what we know now as Crater Lake.

It is quite the folk story that is both entertaining and frightening. Imagine yourself as an early Native living on these lands whilst an earth shattering event takes place. How would you make sense of it all? Today, many of those questions have answers with the help of modern day technology but that doesn’t mean that all the answers are uncovered. In fact, one question that still eludes scientists is where exactly does all of this water go? It is estimated about two million gallons seep out of the caldera every hour yet scientists have not found any rivers, springs, or other sources of water that match that from the lake. Crater Lake is filled with legend, mystery, and adventure making it a prime target for our next Sparked Travel guide! Follow along to learn how best to navigate the largest lake in America.

Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake became one of the early U.S. National Parks in 1902 and for all things Crater Lake, I would suggest visiting the National Parks website. The website offers information on lodging/camping, directions, things to do, and more. Getting to Crater Lake National Park depends where travelers are coming from but it is around a three hour drive from Eugene, Oregon and a two and a half hour drive from Bend, Oregon. There are overnight accommodations within the National Park including a lodge, cabins, and campsites. The Crater Lake Lodge and The Cabins at Mazama Village have to be booked through the Crater Lake hospitality website. The two campgrounds in Crater Lake are called the Mazama Campground and the Lost Creek Campground. The Mazama Campground offers some first come, first serve sites up until June 30th but after that you must book a reservation here. The Lost Creek Campground is significantly smaller and is off the beaten path. There are only 16 spots here and are first come, first serve, so a lot of luck goes into securing a spot. Now, the National park website also has a breakdown of accommodations outside of the park which can be reviewed here. 

Once you get your stay figured out, it’s time to dive into the playground of both Llao and Skell. There are a number of hikes in Crater Lake National Park that offer miraculous views of the legendary blue reservoir. Garfield Peak trail is one of the highest rated hikes found in the National Park per AllTrails. This trail is a moderate 3.4 mile out and back trail and once travelers make their way into the thick of it, there’s no question why this hike is so highly rated. It offers some of the best views of the former battle ground of the Makalak spirits and afterwards will have travelers feeling accomplished with their journey to the lake. 

There’s nothing quite like seeing a pristine body of water after a long hike and plunging in right? Well, jumping into the waters of Crater Lake can be somewhat of a challenge as there aren’t any white sandy beaches. It was formed when a giant volcanic peak collapsed into itself. Luckily, there is a trail that leads us right to the waters edge allowing us to dive into Llao’s former abode. Cleetwood Cove Trail is a short out and back hike with a handful of switchbacks that lead you down to the lake. Once you reach the end and dip your toe into the water, you might begin to question whether or not it is a good idea. The average water temperature is a crisp 38 degrees Fahrenheit but the surface can reach up around 60 degrees in the summer. If you are looking for more hikes to explore Crater Lake be sure to check out the 10 best hikes in Crater Lake. Crater Lake has no shortage of wonderful views and opportunities to create some everlasting memories all under the watchful eye of Skell.