Rim Drive Opens for the 2021 Season

Crater Lake’s 33-mile Rim Drive and Penicals Road are now open for the season. (Image Murray Foubister, Flickr)

The following is a press release from Crater Lake National Park.

CRATER LAKE, Ore. - The entire 33-mile Rim Drive around Crater Lake along with the 7-mile Pinnacles Road will open for the season on Friday, June 25.

Below average snowfall during the winter and unseasonably early snow melt this spring have led to an accelerated opening. Visitors can enjoy spectacular views of Crater Lake from many vista points along this scenic drive and escape the heat of lower elevations. Wildflowers are continuing to emerge as the snow continues to melt.

Most facilities and services in the park are also open with a few exceptions. The indoor visitor contact stations at Park Headquarters and Rim Village will remain closed this season. Instead, an outdoor contact station is staffed daily by rangers on the back porch of the Rim Visitor Contact Station in Rim Village. The Crater Lake Natural History Association Park Store is open daily from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM in the Rim Village Community House. Lost Creek Campground will remain closed for the season.

The Cleetwood Trail, the only safe and legal access to the lake, remains closed at this time while critical work is done on the trail and lakeshore area to make it safe for visitors. The Watchman Peak Trail remains snow covered and will require more melting, and perhaps some shoveling, before it opens for the season. The last portion of the Garfield Peak Trail is still closed due to snow and ice hazards. For your safety, please obey all trail closures. Most other hiking trails in the park are now open, but many still have patches of snow and debris. For more information on trail conditions, please call 541-594-3100.