Introduction
In 2016 I made my first trip to Crater Lake in late June. Unfortunately, it was early in the summer, so a large portion of the rim road was closed. Also, trails still had snow, and we weren't prepared for snow travel. Regardless, we hiked from the north boundary parking lot down to Cleetwood Cove and back.
This time, it was late September of 2021, so the trip was a little different. The rim road was open all the way around, and there was much less snow. Surprisingly, a snowstorm dropped a few inches at higher elevations, so we still had snow to deal with. But, it didn't stop us from hiking to Watchman Peak or driving around the lake.
Watchman Peak
Maps 3D, the app I use to track hikes, struggles with short switchbacks on trails. Therefore, it didn't give me an accurate distance or elevation on this hike.
Fortunately, the park has good information on what to expect. The hike up to the peak is 1.6 miles round trip and around 450 ft elevation gain. The hike is at elevation, starting at above 7,500 ft, so elevation effects are a factor even on this short hike.
The trail starts wide and narrows with increasing switchbacks on the way up. The good news is there are nice rocks to stop and rest at and views to enjoy on the break.
Mt. Bailey and Diamond Peak are in the background.
The trail has white pine trees that are a feature of the park. Some are hundreds or upwards of a thousand years old.
It's a short hike, but the elevation and snow made it seem a bit longer. The fire lookout at the peak is a welcome sign. Stairs wrap around the south side, taking you around to the east end of the overlook to a stone deck.
We sat in the sun on the north side of the viewpoint, having lunch and avoiding the wind. As a final note, at the peak, the fire lookout is not accessible to the public.
The snow was already melting on the way down, which made the descent quick and safe.
The Pinnacles
We made frequent stops on our trip around the crater. The second-longest stop and the other stop which we hiked was down at The Pinnacles.
The road to The Pinnacles heads south from the rim towards the bottom of the park. There's a small loop to park at that was not crowded when we arrived in the early afternoon.
A short and flat trail from the loop skirts a river valley and is only half a mile long.
The Pinnacles are astounding! The spires were created from steam escaping a river after hot ash covered it during an eruption. It hardened the shoots that the steam escaped from, allowing them to erode slower than the softer ash around them.
It looks like more spires are in the process of being created as the side of the valley erodes. There are other spires on the opposite side of the valley, but they aren't as visible from the trailside.
The spires may seem out of the way, but they're only an 8-9 minute drive from the Phantom Ship Overlook.
After completing our drive around the lake, we headed back to Sunriver. Between my two visits, at different times of the summer, I feel well acquainted with Crater Lake National Park!