Mt. Mazama, Crater Lake National Park and the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway

Crater Lake National Park

The Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway begins on Highway 138, about 90 miles south of Bend. Turn West from Highway 97 on Highway 138 and travel for about 15 miles to the North Entrance of Crater Lake National Park.

The road ascends through eerie pumice covered fields created about 7700 years ago by the massive explosion of Mt. Mazama. It is that eruption which left the six-mile-wide caldera which now is home to the deepest and most incredible blue lake in all of the United States.

The 33-mile rim drive hosts some of the most captivating viewpoints in Oregon. The drive is closed in winter due to huge amounts of snowfall, but the South Entrance to the Park and the Rim Village Visitors Center remain open all year long. In summer and fall enjoy the views of the lake and historic accommodations at Crater Lake Lodge.

Travel south to exit the park and follow Highway 62 to Fort Klamath. The museum featuring information on the Modoc War of 1872-73 is open in summer. Views of 9495 foot high Mt. McLaughlin will be off to the west as you drive along the Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge and Upper Klamath Lake. This area hosts over 430 species of resident and migratory birds.

The Byway continues through Klamath Falls where you may wish to stop at Historic Baldwin Hotel Museum and the Favell Museum of Indian artifacts. Passing along the Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge, the Byway ends at the Landrum Historic Wayside commemorating the Applegate Emigrant trail section of the Oregon Trail.

For more on the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, click here.

This brief tour was compiled in cooperation with the Southern Oregon Visitors Association.

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