Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake National Park is Oregon’s only national park. But it is a remarkable park because its lake – Crater Lake – is the deepest lake in the United States and the deepest volcanic lake in the world. The lake formed when Mount Mazama (one of the many ancient volcanic peaks that dot the landscape like a string of pearls stretching from British Columbia to northern California) exploded in a violent eruption about 7,700 years ago. One of the most powerful eruptions to occur in this part of the world (nearly 400 times more powerful than Mount St. Helens’ 1980 eruption) it left behind a deep caldera that over time, filled with rain and snowmelt. The lake has no inlets or outlets, so its waters are some of the clearest, most pristine in the world; and it maintains an average depth of about 2,000 feet.
But people visit Crater Lake because it is a rare place of ineffable, distracting beauty. Your views from any vantage point along the 33-mile Rim Drive are of sparkling sapphire-blue waters cradled by towering caldera walls. And rising from the lake’s surface are the fascinating cinder cones of Wizard Island and Phantom Ship.
So head for Oregon with our 60-minute park-approved audio tour. It’s not a mile-by-mile guide, so you can listen to it anywhere! Produced for the Crater Lake Natural History Association our tour features Park Rangers and local Native Americans who will unveil the mysteries about Crater Lake’s volcanic origins, its blue water, life at the bottom, its forests, birds, animals and its colorful cultural history.
Professionally narrated and filled with great music and nature sounds this audio tour is as entertaining as it is educational. As a bonus, the CD also includes a photo gallery of historical and present-day images for viewing on your computer back home.
National Park Service Info and Trip Planning
For a visual tour of Crater Lake National Park click the thumbnail images below:
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Have you seen our Crater Lake poster? Please click below.
