Auto Touring

There is lots to see in the park from the comfort of your own car.

Plan Around Auto Touring

A good stop is not just something to read about. Once it belongs on the day, move into a saved trip and build the route around it.

Add to trip View park guide

Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.

Auto Touring Details

The 33-mile Rim Drive winds around Crater Lake and provides access to most of the park's hiking trails as well as three scenic overlooks, six picnic area, two visitors centers, hotels and restaurants, gift shops, and other points of interest. A vehicle can enter the park for $15, a pass that is good for seven days. The only other thing you need is your camera. In total, there are over thirty pullouts to view the lake from every angle. The best views of the lake are from the western side of the park. Rangers recommend starting the rim drive from west to east, as most of the parking lots along the way are easier to pull into when they are on your right. Pinnacle Drive, an offshoot of Rim Drive, leads out-and-back to a fourth scenic overlook and a campground. Both roads are paved but narrow and windy in places, and prone to variable weather conditions. During the summer, the Mazama Village Camper Store sells gas. During the winter, the Camp Store is closed and the closest gas station is 35 miles away. There are two ways to access Rim Drive: North Entrance Road, off of OR-138 on the north side of the park; and OR-62, on the south side of the park via Munson Creek Road. If entering the park from the south, stop at one of the visitor centers for park maps and brochures on weather, birding, geology, history, and much more. OR-62 stays open year round, as does Munson Creek Road, enabling vehicles to enter the park from the south and drive as far as Rim Village, at the start of West Rim Drive. Rim Drive and North Entrance Road are closed to vehicles for the winter, limiting traffic to pedestrians, snowshoers, and skiers.

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