Located in South Oregon is Crater Lake. It was formed by the volcano’s collapse, Mount Mazama and is known for its deep blue colour. It is the deepest lake in the United States. We had the opportunity to visit the lake after our 3-night stay at South Beach State Park in Newport. We took about a 3-hour detour south on our way to Bend to see Crater Lake, a must-see. We arrived at the entrance to the park and paid the fee, which varied from $15 to $30 USD, depending on the time of year you go. If you live in the area or plan to visit more than once in the calendar year, the $55 annual pass might be a better option.
The scenic rim drive was 53 km or 33 miles long and went all around the top perimeter of the lake. Jeff had his GoPro externally mounted on the truck’s roof and got some beautiful videos of the drive. There were a lot of places to pull over and view the lake from different locations. There are so many perfect places to take pictures and some spots to pull over and picnic as you overlook the lake. The girls didn’t enjoy the drive as much as we did, but that’s expected of kids. They are good with one stop and one view of the lake where we like to see it from all the different viewpoints. There is one area where you can park and descend a steep trail to a swimming area. Jeff and I wanted to jump in the lake but couldn’t convince the kids to do this with us as they were exhausted. Overall, they were good and got out of the truck for pictures when we requested them. We drove around the rim for about an hour and enjoyed the breathtaking views. We grabbed a new patch for our vehicle and a snack at the little shop before exiting the park and heading North to Bend, where we would spend the next 2 nights.
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