"All ingenuity of nature seems to have been exerted to the fullest capacity to build a grand awe-inspiring temple the likes of which the world has never seen before," so says William G. Steel, the father of Crater Lake National Park, who was successful in getting the park established in 1902. Even before then, Crater Lake was the basis of much local Native American legend, as the stories of its creation have been passed down through the centuries.

The lake was formed after the collapse of an ancient volcano, posthumously named Mount Mazama. This volcano violently erupted approximately 7,700 years ago. That eruption was 42 times as powerful as the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens. The basin or caldera was formed after the top 5,000 feet of the volcano collapsed. Subsequent lava flows sealed the bottom, allowing the caldera to fill with approximately 4.6 trillion gallons of water from rainfall and snow melt, to create the seventh deepest lake in the world at 1,932 feet.

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General Information

Few places on earth command overwhelming awe from observers, but Crater Lake, in south central Oregon, certainly does. Even in a region of volcanic wonders, Crater Lake can only be described in superlatives. Stories of the deep blue lake can never prepare visitors for their first breathtaking look from the brink of this 6 mile wide caldera. Even seasoned travelers gasp at the twenty-mile circle of cliffs, tinted in subtle shades and fringed with hemlock, fir, and pine: all this in a lake of indescribable blue.

Today, the nation's fifth oldest national park serves to stand as a memorial to time. In 1902, Congress decided that Crater Lake and its surrounding 180,000 acres were to be "dedicated and set apart forever as a public park or pleasure ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people of the United States." During the summer months, visitors may navigate the Rim Drive around the lake, enjoy boat tours on the lake surface, stay in the historic Crater Lake Lodge, camp at Mazama Village, or hike some of the park's various trails including Mt. Scott at 8,929 ft. Diverse interpretative programs enhance visitors' knowledge and appreciation of this national park, 90% of which is managed as wilderness. The winter brings some of the heaviest snowfall in the country, averaging 533 inches per year. Although park facilities mostly close for the snowy season, visitors may view the lake during fair weather, enjoy cross-country skiing, and participate in weekend snowshoe hikes.

Mazama Village

Shortly after passing through the Annie Spring Entrance Station you will encounter Mazama Village. Mazama Village is one of two areas in the park where services are provided. The only major campground in the park is located here (198-site Mazama Village Campground). Lodging is also available at the 40-unit Mazama Village Motor Inn. The Mazama Village Store has convenience store items, a coin-operated laundry and showers, firewood, and unleaded gasoline.

Visitor Services (summer only)
Mazama Village Campground
Mazama Village Motor Inn
Mazama Village Store
Munson Valley

The primary visitor service in this section of the park is the William G. Steel Information Center (open year-round). Information, backcountry permits, exhibits, maps and publication sales, an audio-visual program, and first aid can be obtained at the center. The other developments in Munson Valley are for park support personnel.

If you approach Munson Valley from the north (accessible only from late June to October), the easterly portion of the Rim Drive is a left-hand turn just past the Steel Information Center. Continuing straight ahead (south) takes you to Mazama and the Annie Spring Entrance Station. If you approach Munson Valley from the south, you encounter the junction with the Rim Drive. Proceeding northwest, you begin the clock-wise portion of the Rim Drive, and access to the Rim Village. Turning east takes you around Crater Lake in a counter-clockwise direction and is the quickest route to The Pinnacles section of the park.

A short distance (east) of this road junction on the Rim Drive is the delightful Castle Crest Wildflower Trail. While this is a short .4-mile loop trail, the tread is uneven and is not suitable for wheelchairs. When flowers are in bloom, the profusion of colors is spectacular. The trail passes from forest, to wet meadows, crosses a tributary of Munson Creek, and finally passes a small dry slope exposing the visitor to a wide assortment of Northwest wildflowers.

Visitor Services
Steel Visitor Center
Rim Village

The hub of development at Crater Lake National Park is concentrated in Rim Village. The historic Crater Lake Lodge (extensively remodeled in 1995 after a 6-year closure), Sinnott Memorial Overlook, Rim Village Visitor Center, and Gift Shop/Cafeteria are all located at Rim Village.

The views of Crater Lake from the Rim are certainly the highlight of Rim Village. A path follows along the Rim from Discovery Point to Crater Lake Lodge (2.6 miles round-trip). An extension of this trail proceeds from Crater Lake Lodge to the top of Garfield Peak (3.4 miles round-trip). Walking a portion of any of these trails affords the visitor views of Wizard Island, The Watchman, Hillman Peak, Mt. Thielsen (located outside of the park to the north), Cleetwood Cove (located at the base of the North Rim, nearly 6 miles distance), Mt. Scott, and Garfield Peak. A short walk to Sinnott Memorial, with a small museum and ranger-talks during the summer, gives a spectacular view 900 feet down to the lake's surface.

Winter lasts for eight months at Crater Lake National Park. At an elevation of 7,100 feet, snow lingers long into the "summer". While access to the Rim Village is open year-round, most of the facilities are buried under the 533 inches of snow Crater Lake receives each year (on average). The Rim Village Gift Store/Cafeteria are the only services open in winter. Ranger-led snowshoe walks are offered on weekends and holidays.

Visitor Services in the summer
Rim Village Visitor Center
Sinnott Memorial Overlook
Rim Village Picnic Area
Crater Lake Lodge
Rim Village Gift Shop/Cafeteria (open year-round)
Rim Drive

The 33-mile Rim Drive encircles Crater Lake, with each mile giving a very different perspective of the lake, rim, and surrounding terrain. Open only during the summer from late June to mid-October, there are numerous overlooks, many with interpretive signs. The only access to the lake itself is via a very steep trail to Cleetwood Cove, where boat tours of the lake are offered. Numerous picnic areas can be found along the Rim Drive, as well as hiking access to Garfield Peak (from Rim Village), Lightning Springs (west side), Cleetwood Cove (north side), Mount Scott (east side), Sun Notch Viewpoint and Crater Peak (south side). Both Kerr Notch and Sun Notch Viewpoints are particularly spectacular viewpoints, with views down to Phantom Rock and across the lake to Wizard Island. To protect the fragile meadows, please stay on the established trails!

Spring Opening of the Rim Drive

If you visit the park during spring, you will find Rim Drive still closed. It closes each year in mid-October due to the heavy winter snows. "Spring Opening", or the clearing of snow from Rim Drive around the lake before summer, usually begins in mid-April. During the first phase of this operation, road crews clear 15 miles of roadway along the west side of Crater Lake reaching the park's north entrance by mid-June. The second phase completes the opening of Rim Drive all around Crater Lake by early July. If left to melt out naturally, many sections of Rim Drive might remain closed until the end of July or early August!

The work involves several hazards for the staff. In most places the road is covered by more than 20 feet of snow. Drifts as high as 60 feet must be cleared from the road behind Watchman Peak. Rim Drive is located aside sheer cliffs that drop off hundreds of feet. Snow completely obscures the roadway, and the edges of the cliffs are not always evident. Obstacles such as large trees and boulders fall on the road during winter and are hidden with the snowdrifts. Sensors are used to pinpoint a wire buried in the center of the road in areas where the route is not apparent under the snow. Large bulldozers called Cats, push snow away from the route until the road has only about 5 feet of snow above it. When the Cats are through, large snowblowers remove the remaining snow down to the road surface. Clearing 1/4 mile of Rim Drive per day is considered a fast rate. Only a few hundred feet of roadway are cleared on many days. Major winter storms with high winds and heavy snows continue to strike the park through May, often delaying road-clearing progress for several days.

It is the parks desire to make the roads accessible to visitors for the longest season possible, but it is limited to the park's severe winters and the hazards of clearing snow from Rim Drive. They can't rush the "Spring Opening" operation and jeopardize the safety of their staff. Although you may be inconvenienced by the length it takes to reopen Rim Drive every spring, the park hopes you can understand the impact of winter on the park, and appreciate the efforts and bravery of the hardworking road crew.

The Pinnacles

The Pinnacles can be reached in the summer from the Rim Drive on a paved, 6-mile road. These eerie spires of eroded ash rise from the edges of Sand and Wheeler Creeks in pinnacle-fashion. Once upon a time, the road continued east of the turn-out, to the former East Entrance of the park. A path now replaces the old road and follows the rim of Sand Creek (and more views of pinnacles) to where the entrance arch still stands.

Along the drive to The Pinnacles is the 16-site, tents only, Lost Creek Campground. An alternate route back to the Rim Drive, is to take the Grayback Road (one-way, westbound only).

Please note that hours of operation vary seasonally. See Park newspaper (Reflections), available at entrances, for current times.

Visitation

There are approximately 500,000 visitors per year, with the high season being July and August.

Location

Crater Lake National Park is located in southern Oregon on the crest of the Cascade Range, 100 miles from the Pacific coast.

Address

Crater Lake National Park
P.O. Box 7
Crater Lake, OR 97604

Telephone

Visitor Information (541) 594-2211, Ext. 402
TDD (541) 594-2261

Operating Hours

Summer -- (June through September)

Rim Village Visitor Center: late June through Labor Day, 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., daily; early June and September, 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Post Office at the Steel Visitor Center: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Steel Visitor Center: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., daily.

Cafeteria and Gift shop at Rim Village: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Mazama Village Store: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Winter -- (October through May)

Steel Visitor Center: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., everyday except Christmas

Post Office at Steel Visitor Center: noon - 2 p.m.

Cafeteria and Gift Shop at Rim Village: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Climate & Recommended Clothing

Summer

The months of July through mid-September are generally mild with little precipitation. Due to the elevation of the park (6,500 ft. at Park Headquarters and 7,100 ft. at Rim Village), weather conditions may change quickly and a warm jacket and wool sweater are always recommended items to carry.

Winter

From October through June, weather conditions dictate preparing for extreme winter conditions. Blizzards, high winds, extreme cold, and low visibility dominate the weather patterns. Visitors should come with cold weather gear.

Directions

From the North:

From Roseburg - Route 138 east to the park's north entrance.

From Bend - Route 97 south to route 138, west to the park's north entrance.

*The park's north entrance is typically closed for the winter season from mid-October to mid-June.

From the South:

From Medford - Route 62 north and east to the park's west entrance.

From Klamath Falls - Route 97 north to route 62 north and west to the park's south entrance.

Distances from Crater Lake National Park:

Bend, OR		119 miles
Klamath Falls, OR		57 miles
Lassen National Park		235 miles
Lava Beds National Monument		106 miles
Los Angeles		785 miles
Medford, OR		77 miles
Portland, OR		250 miles
San Francisco		450 miles
Seattle		422 miles
Yosemite National Park		592 miles

Transportation

Medford has a full-service airport, access to major bus lines and rental cars. Klamath Falls has a small airport and is accessible by Amtrak and Greyhound bus services.

Fees & Rates

Entrance

Cars and motor homes - $10

Commercial buses - $25 - $200 depending on the capacity of the vehicle

Bicycle/on foot - $5

Camping

Prices for 1998: Tent sites at Lost Creek $10; campsites at Mazama Campground $13, and Campers and RVs at Mazama Campground $14

Golden Eagle Passport

The Golden Eagle Passport is an entrance pass to any national park, monument, historical site, recreation area, and national wildlife refuge that charges an entrance fee. It is a great convenience for those who plan on visiting several different areas that charge special fees. It is valid for one year from the purchase date. A Golden Eagle Passport may be purchased for $50 at any National Park Service entrance fee area or by mail. To order by mail, send check or money order (no cash, please) to:

National Park Service

1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Room 138
Washington, DC 20242
Attention: Golden Eagle Passport

Where entry is by private vehicle, the Golden Eagle Passport will admit the pass-holder as well as any passengers. Where entry by private vehicle is not possible, the pass will admit the pass holder, spouse, children and parents.

The Golden Eagle Passport will not reduce use fees, such as those for camping, swimming, parking, boat launching, or cave tours. It covers entrance fees only.

Golden Age Passport

The Golden Age Passport is a lifetime entrance pass for those United States residents 62 years or older. These may be purchased at any National Park Service entrance fee area for a one-time processing fee of $10. The Golden Age Passport cannot be purchased via mail or telephone. Proof of age, and citizenship or permanent residence, must be shown at the time of purchase.

The Golden Age Passport will admit the pass-holder and any passengers in a private vehicle. When entrance is not via private vehicle, the pass will admit the pass-holder as well as children, spouse, and parents.

The Golden Age Pass grants a 50 percent discount to the holder on any federal use fees charged for things such as camping, swimming, parking, boat launching, or tours. It does not, however, reduce the price of special recreation permit fees or fees for concessions.

Golden Access Passport

The Golden Access Passport is a free entrance pass to any national park, monument, historic site, recreation area, and national wildlife refuge for those who are blind or permanently disabled. The Golden Access passport may be obtained at any National Park Service entrance fee area. Proof of a medically determined disability and eligibility for receiving benefits under federal law is necessary at purchase.

The Golden Access Passport will admit the pass-holder and any passengers in a private vehicle. Where entrance is not by vehicle, the pass will admit the pass-holder, spouse, children and parents.

The Golden Access Passport also provides a 50 percent discount on any federal use fees charged for services and facilities. It does not cover special recreation permit fees or fees charged for concessions.

All passes described above are non-transferable.

Facilities & Opportunities

Acreage - 183,244 acres

Sinnott Memorial Overlook and Crater Lake Lodge

Both of these facilities have interpretive displays and exhibits which are open to the public in the summer.

Emergencies

To report medical, police, or fire emergencies in Crater Lake National Park, DIAL 911, 24 hours a day. First aid stations are located inside either of the park visitor centers.

Lost & Found

If you lose an item while visiting the park, contact a park ranger at either visitor center or call the park dispatch office at (541) 594-2211, extension 347. Items found may be returned to either visitor center.

Visitor Center & Exhibits

Steel Information Center

This visitor center is located at park headquarters on the south side of the park and is open year-round. A park ranger or volunteer is on duty to assist with park information, trip planning, weather forecasts, and backcountry camping permits. Informational materials, including the seasonal newspaper Crater Lake Reflections, can be mailed to prospective visitors upon request. An 18-minute video, The Crater Lake Story, is shown every half-hour in the summer and upon request in the winter. Books, maps, posters, and educational materials are available for purchase from the Crater Lake Natural History Association, a non-profit group that supports interpretation, scientific research, and development of park publications. Public restrooms and a post office are located in this building as well.

Rim Village Visitor Center

This visitor center is located on the south rim of the caldera, approximately 200 yards west of the Crater Lake Lodge. It is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., May 31 through September 30. General park information, backcountry camping permits, and educational sales items are available at this location.

Interpretive exhibits concerning the history of the park are located inside Crater Lake Lodge.

Trails

Backcountry

There are over 50 miles of one-way and loop trails in the park, including 33 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. There are also hikes up Mount Scott, Garfield Peak, and Crater Peak. One can hike to the lake surface on the Cleetwood Trail.

All backcountry trails should be regarded as strenuous. Appropriate planning, including practice of Leave No Trace techniques should be considered for all backcountry expeditions.

Front-country

The Godfrey Glen trail, Castle Crest Wildflower Garden, and Annie Creek Canyon trail all offer hikes of less than two miles.

Cross-country Skiing

Several marked ski trails are available in the winter at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. Ski patrol volunteers patrol them on the weekends. It is best to call ahead for trail and weather conditions. These trails are not groomed, providing skiers with a wilderness-type backcountry experience.

The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail

First came the Appalachian Trail, stretching from Georgia to Maine. Next came the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), spanning the mountains from Mexico to Canada. Currently, there are fifteen National Scenic Trails, allowing adventuresome explorers to hike over the most beautiful areas of the United States. The idea for a trail on the West Coast first came about in the 1920s, but it was not until 1972 that all 2,638 miles of the trail were completed and hiked entirely for the first time.

"If you have never gazed down on Crater Lake, reform! Visit it for your own good." These were the words of J. Hazard in his 1946 book describing the Pacific Crest Trail. At that time, Crater Lake was the finishing point on the Oregon Skyline trail. Today this 400-mile stretch from Mount Hood to Crater Lake is the oldest section on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Crater Lake is just one of seven national parks through which the PCT passes. Each of these parks has its own set of rules governing backcountry users. If possible, obtain a permit for backcountry camping from the Steel Information Center at Park Headquarters. If this is not possible, PCT through-hikers are granted an exemption from the requirement that all backcountry users must be in possession of a permit.

For more information on the Pacific Crest Trail visit the PCT Association.

Getting Even Closer to the Lake

PCT hikers have always been able to explore vast areas of volcanic landscape in Crater Lake National Park; however, they could get a view of the lake only by leaving the trail and entering the developed Rim Village area. As of June 1995, a new trail opened known as the PCT alternate, which brings hikers right up to the rim of Crater Lake. Coming from the north, the trail leaves the old trail at the Grouse Hill junction with the north entrance road. The trail parallels the road up to North Junction where it follows the rim of the caldera, offering spectacular views of the lake for 6 miles all the way to Discovery Point. From there, the trail descends back down the Dutton Creek trail to rejoin the old trail.

Roads

The 33-mile Rim Drive around Crater Lake is a two-lane road that has more than 20 scenic overlooks. A 7-mile spur road departs from east Rim Drive providing access to the Pinnacles Overlook and Lost Creek Campground.

From mid-October until mid-June, the north entrance and Rim Drive are closed to the public due to deep snow and ice buildups along the road. Rim Drive around the east side of the lake can be closed earlier than mid-October and may not open until July. Deer and other wildlife crossing the road, and icy conditions at any time of the year, provide hazards to drivers. In winter, the closest available gas stations are in Prospect and Chiloquin, both approximately 40 miles from Rim Village and Park Headquarters.

Programs & Activities

Interpretive Walks

Ranger-guided hikes are available daily late June through Labor Day and include backcountry natural history hikes and front-country historical walks. Additional hikes may be offered when staffing is available.

Night Program

Join park rangers for in-depth presentations of various topics relating to the natural and cultural history of Crater Lake. Specific topics are posted at the visitor centers and campgrounds. Held nightly at the Mazama Campground Amphitheater, programs are presented at 9 p.m. late June through July 31, and at 8:30 p.m. August 1 through Labor Day.

Geology Talks

Step back in time to Mt. Mazama's fiery past and explore with a ranger the theories relating to the formation of Crater Lake. How did Crater Lake come to rest inside the volcano? What can we expect from our volcano in the future? This 15-minute geology talk is presented every hour from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Sinnott Memorial overlook behind the Rim Village Visitor Center starting late June through Labor Day.

A Junior Ranger Program is available for 6-12 year olds at the Mazama Campground Amphitheater from late June to the end of August at 5 p.m.

Winter Programs

Rangers lead interpretive walks and discuss various topics on winter ecology. Walks are presented in the Rim Village area every Saturday and Sunday starting Thanksgiving weekend at 1 p.m. Participants must wear snowshoes because of the deep snow conditions along the route. Snowshoes are provided and there is a 20-person limit on each walk, and a minimum age of 9.

Park programs may change due to weather considerations.

Lodging & Camping

Lost Creek Campground has 16 tent sites and is open from mid-July to mid-September. Mazama Campground has 200 sites and is open early June through mid-October. Reservations are not taken. However, sites are usually available. Running water, flush toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings are provided.

Crater Lake Lodge has 71 rooms and is normally open mid-May through mid-October.

Advance reservations are strongly recommended. Ask for a corner room on the second floor and up for spectacular views. Dinner reservations are recommended.

Mazama Village Motor Inn has 40 units and is located in the Mazama Village complex. It is open June through September, and reservations are recommended.

There are no camping or lodging facilities available in the park from mid-October through late May.

Food & Supplies

The Mazama Village complex operates a camper store from June through September, with laundry, showers, and gasoline available as well.

Non-profit Organizations & Concessions

The Crater Lake Natural History Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing educational and scientific activities within Crater Lake National Park. Association funds are invested back into the park, providing services such as publishing park-related information, printing the park's newspaper, and purchasing equipment and materials for scientific research and educational support. Annual membership is $10, which includes a 15% discount on all purchases for the year, publications of the winter and summer Crater Lake "Reflections" for the year, and the latest publication of "Nature Notes". For general ordering information please contact the Crater Lake National History Association at Box 157, Crater Lake, Oregon 97604, or call 541-594-2211 extension 498 or 499.

Crater Lake Lodge, Mazama Village Motor Inn, Mazama Campground, the cafeteria and gift shop at the Rim Village, and the boat tours on Crater Lake are operated by the park's concessionaire, Crater Lake Lodge, Inc. For reservations and questions call 541-830-8700, fax 541-830-8514, or write to: Crater Lake Lodge Inc., PO Box 2704, White City, Oregon 97503.

Handicap Accessibility

Campsites are available at the Mazama Campground. The visitor centers and Crater Lake Lodge are accessible. When the 33-mile Rim Drive is open during the summer, there are more than 20 Crater Lake overlooks which are accessible.

Special Needs

A script is available for use with "The Crater Lake Story" at the Steel Information Center. "In pictures, Crater Lake, the Continuing Story" is a publication for sale at park visitor centers that has translations in German, French, and Japanese.

Recommended Activities & Park Use

Fishing for kokanee salmon and rainbow trout on Wizard Island and at Cleetwood Cove, ranger-guided programs, numerous hiking trails, and the Rim Drive scenic roadway.

Reservations & Permits

Permits are required for all backcountry camping in the park and are issued free of charge at visitor centers.

Reservations are not taken for camper/tent sites. However, they are strongly urged for rooms at the Crater Lake Lodge and the Motor Inn.

Reservations may be made for organized group interpretive tours in the summer and on the weekends in the winter season by calling visitor information at (541) 594-2211 ext. 402. Educational groups can make reservations for weekdays during the school season.

Basic Visit Recommendations

Mid-July through early September is the most advantageous period to drive around the caldera on Rim Drive. At least two hours is advised to drive completely around the rim.

Winter conditions in the park, which may occur from October through June, can include sudden snowstorms, cold temperatures, icy roads, and whiteout conditions due to blizzard situations. It is best to plan trips ahead of time by calling park information for current weather conditions during these months.

Crater Lake National Park is host to a diverse array of activities. While enjoying the natural scenic wonders, park visitors may hike in old growth forests, participate in a variety of interpretive activities, camp out or stay in an historic hotel, or even cross-country ski during the eight-month-long winters which are experienced in the high Cascades.

Visitor Impact

Pets are prohibited from all trails and must remain on leashes while outside of vehicles.

Hunting and collecting of natural or historical objects in the park are illegal and strictly prohibited.

Hikers are strongly discouraged from shortcutting trails. The resulting erosion seriously deteriorates the fragile landscape.

Feeding of wild animals and birds is also prohibited as this fosters unnatural dependence by the animals on human handouts. Visitors are also exposed to parasites and animal bites.

Leave No Trace concepts are strongly encouraged in all areas of the park and are publicly supported by the National Park Service. The 6 guiding principles are:

• Plan ahead and prepare.
• Pack it in, pack it out.
• Leave what you find.
• Camp and travel on durable surfaces.
• Minimize use and impact of fires.
• Properly dispose of what can't be packed out.

Nearby Visitor Attractions

Outdoor recreation opportunities in the area may be found at Oregon Caves National Monument, Winema National Forest, Rogue River National Forest, and Umpqua National Forest, and Cascades Volcano Observatory.

Best Time to Visit

First-time visitors, families, and those with special needs will find the months from July through September the best time to visit the park.

For a brief time each year, Crater Lake National Park emerges from winter hibernation to bask in summertime glory. Early season visitors are often surprised by the amount of snow, which remains long into months that are considered mid-summer in most parts of the country. Even most park roads are closed into the late spring, which gives a picture of the far more dominant winter scene sensed even in June and early July.

During this brief summertime window, one magnificent day typically follows another. For visitors, these few months provide the best opportunity for a comfortable visit. Many interpretive programs are offered which encourage a deeper understanding of the lake and the park. Hiking and camping are popular activities. Fishing for trout and salmon in the lake is also a favorite pastime. And for park staff, this short season provides the only access to numerous projects long buried under the snow.

However, from October to June, the park turns into a snow-covered wilderness, receiving an average of 533 inches of snow annually. A wide variety of trails and unplowed roads provide winter enthusiasts with access to breathtaking views, open slopes, and dense forests, making Crater Lake ideal for both daytrippers and backcountry campers who are prepared to face the challenges of winter. By early spring it is typical to have 10 to 15 feet of snow on the ground. While snowfall is common in the Cascade Mountains, Crater Lake is one of the snowiest areas in the entire Northwest. Even in the long, harsh winter months, Crater Lake National Park can still provide the hearty visitor with a phenomenal outdoor experience.

Lake Facts

• Maximum Lake Depth 1,932 feet
• Shallowest Lake Depth 15 to 25 feet at Phantom Ship dike
• Average Lake Depth 1,500 feet
• Maximum Lake Width 6.02 miles
• Minimum Lake Width 4.54 miles
• Lake Surface Area 21 square miles or 13,760 acres
• Lake Surface Elevation 6,176 feet
• Wizard Island Elevation 6,940 feet
• Wizard Island Height above water 764 feet
• Phantom Ship Height above water 167 feet
• Hillman Peak, highest point on rim 8,151 feet
• Mount Scott, highest point in park 8,929 feet
• Union Peak 7,709 feet
• Rim Village Elevation 7,100 feet
• Average Height of rim 1,000 feet above lake surface
• Precipitation, yearly average 66 inches
• Snowfall, yearly average 44 feet
• Snow Depth, maximum at Park Headquarters 21 feet

Preserving this environment for the continued use and enjoyment of the public is also a major goal of the National Park Service. Resource managers are involved in studies on lake ecology, forest ecosystems, geologic processes, even the role of fire in maintaining healthy relationships between the forests and the land. Their work yields valuable data on the natural systems that have created and maintained that which is fondly called Crater Lake National Park.

Crater Lake National Park has been recommended as a wilderness preserve, a place where we may forget ourselves for a time and enjoy a surge of healthy outdoor exploration. Here, we may rediscover ourselves and learn that material things do not necessarily constitute our richest possessions. This blue gem of the Cascades certainly moves us deeply when we imagine the awesome power that created this wonderful place.

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History

People and Place

Crater Lake has long attracted the wonder and admiration of people all over the world. Its depth of 1,932 feet makes it the deepest lake in the United States. The lake was formed after the collapse of an ancient volcano now called Mount Mazama. This collapse formed a "caldera" which is a Spanish word for "kettle" or "boiler" and is used by geologists to describe a large basin-shaped volcanic depression. This eruption is estimated to have occurred 7,700 years ago. The interaction of people and this place is traceable for at least this many years. European contact is fairly recent, starting in 1853.

First Sight

In the spring of 1853, eleven miners from Yreka, California stopped in for supplies at Isaac Skeeter's mercantile store in Jacksonville, Oregon (approximately 90 miles south of Crater Lake). They began bragging that they knew how to find the legendary "Lost Cabin" gold mine. Skeeter quickly gathered up ten other Oregonians and set out using the information overheard in his store. John Wesley Hillman financed the trip, a 21-year-old who had recently returned home from a successful trip to the California goldfields. On June 12, three members from this party came upon a large body of water sitting in a huge depression. Hillman exclaimed that it was the bluest water he had ever seen. Skeeter suggested the name "Deep Blue Lake." Lack of provisions soon drove the miners down the mountain and back to Jacksonville where they reported the discovery of the lake. However, without the prospects of gold and fear of the unknown region to the north, there was no interest in confirming this discovery. It was soon forgotten.

Naming a Natural Wonder

In 1862, another party of Oregon prospectors explored this area of the Cascade Range, including Crater Lake. The leader, Chauncy Nye, subsequently wrote a short article for the Jacksonville Oregon Sentinel. His article stated, "The waters were of a deeply blue color causing us to name it Blue Lake". This piece is the first published description of the lake.

Hostilities between settlers and Native Americans developed in the area. In response, the U.S. Army established Fort Klamath seven miles southeast of the present park boundary in 1863. This led to the construction of a wagon road from Prospect in the Rogue River Valley to the newly established Fort Klamath. On August 1, 1865, the lake was "rediscovered" by two hunters attached to the road crews. Several soldiers and civilians journeyed to see the now-legendary lake. One of the participants, Sergeant Orsen Stearns, was so awestruck by what he saw that he climbed down into the caldera and became the first non-Native American to reach the shore of Crater Lake. Captain F.B. Sprague soon joined him and suggested the name "Lake Majesty."

In July 1869, newspaper editor Jim Sutton and several others decided to visit "Lake Majesty" and explore it by boat. By August, a canvas boat had been constructed and lowered onto the lake. Five people reached Wizard Island and spent several hours exploring the cinder cone. Sutton wrote an article describing the trip for his Jacksonville newspaper. Instead of "Lake Majesty", Sutton substituted the name "Crater Lake" after the crater on top of Wizard Island.

Dream Into Reality

In 1872, a young man from Kansas named William Gladstone Steel unwrapped his lunch, carefully contained in a newspaper. As he ate, he read an article about an unusual lake in Oregon. The story sparked Steel's imagination and he vowed to someday see the lake for himself. Two years later, Steel's family moved to Portland, Oregon. However, 13 years passed before Steel finally gazed upon the beauty of Crater Lake. He was so moved that he decided that it should forever be a public park. His 17-year quest to see Crater Lake established as a national park had begun.

In 1886, Steel assisted with the mapping of the lake, which had been undertaken by Clarence Dutton for the U. S. Geological Survey. During the original survey, soundings of the lake were conducted using pipe and piano wire. The maximum depth determined by the survey was 1,996 feet only 64 feet off from the sonar measurement of 1,932 feet officially recorded in 1959. The proposal written by Steel to create this national park met with much argument from sheepherders and mining interests. A fledgling U.S. conservation movement began in the late 1800s, greatly aiding Steel's efforts by prompting awareness of preserving natural areas. By 1893, the lake had received some promotion when it became part of the Cascade Range Forest Reserve. For Steel, this was not good enough. In his efforts to bring recognition to the park, he participated in lake surveys that provided scientific support. He named many of the lake's landmarks, including Wizard Island, Llao Rock and Skell Head. Steel's dream was realized on May 22, 1902, when President Theodore Roosevelt signed the bill giving Crater Lake national park status. And, because of Steel's involvement, Crater Lake Lodge was opened in 1915 and the Rim Drive was completed in 1918.

Crater Lake National Park is fast approaching its 100th birthday. The celebration of one of our nation's oldest parks is a testament to the courage and determination of William G. Steel and the countless others who have been involved in the preservation of this national treasure. In looking to the future appreciation and preservation of this park, knowledge of its history and origins are imperative in keeping with the tradition of Crater Lake's unique past.

Original Visitors

The Native American connection with this area is traced back to pre-eruption. Archaeologists have found sandals and other artifacts buried under layers of ash, dust, and pumice from the eruption of Mt. Mazama approximately 7,700 years ago. To date, there is little evidence indicating that Mt. Mazama was a permanent home to people; however, it was used as a temporary camping site. Accounts of the eruption can be found in stories told by the Klamath Indians, who are the descendants of the Makalak people. The Makalaks lived in an area southeast of the present park. Because information was passed down orally, there are many different versions. The Umpqua people have a similar story, using different spirits. The Makalak legend told in the park film, The Crater Lake Story, is as follows.

A Legendary Look at Formation

The spirit of the mountain was called Chief of the Below World (Llao). The spirit of the sky was called Chief of the Above World (Skell). Sometimes Llao came up from his home inside the earth and stood on top of Mount Mazama, one of the highest mountains in the region. During one of these visits, he saw the Makalak chief's beautiful daughter and fell in love with her. He promised her eternal life if she would return with him to his lodge below the mountain. When she refused, he became angry and declared that he would destroy her people with fire. In his rage, he rushed up through the opening of his mountain and stood on top of it and began to hurl fire down upon them. The mighty Skell took pity on the people and stood atop Mount Shasta to defend them. From their mountaintops, the two chiefs began to wage a furious battle. They hurled red-hot rocks as large as hills. They made the earth tremble and caused great landslides of fire. The people fled in terror to the waters of Klamath Lake. Two holy men offered to sacrifice themselves by jumping into the pit of fire on top of Llao's mountain. Skell was moved by their bravery and drove Llao back into Mount Mazama. When the sun rose next, the great Mount Mazama was gone. It had fallen in on Llao. All that remained was a large hole. Rain fell in torrents, filling the hole with clear waters. This is now called Crater Lake.

Honoring the Past & Preserving for the Future

Early settlers and explorers did not hear about Crater Lake from the native inhabitants because this place is sacred to most Native Americans of Oregon and northern California. Makalaks (now Klamath Indians) held fast to the belief that this place was so holy that looking upon it would lead to death. There are no stories relating to the resulting hole in the earth and crystal blue lake after the eruption, indicating that these people became silent on the issue of Mt. Mazama, the mountain was no longer. Even today, some Native Americans choose not to view Crater Lake. Its beauty and mystery form a religious context.

The Klamath Indians of the Southern Oregon Cascades

(Compiled from the works of Winthrop Associates Cultural Research)

Introduction

Crater Lake National Park stands at or near the territorial boundaries of four Indian peoples. To the east and southeast lay the lands of the Klamath, to the southwest the lands of the Takelma, to the west the lands of the Upper Umpqua, and to the northwest the lands of the Molala.

The post-contact experience of the Klamath was very different from that of the Oregon tribes of southwest Oregon, including the Takelma, Molala, and Upper Umpqua. In southwest Oregon the de facto policy was one of near-extermination, with survivors forced to reservations far from their homelands. In contrast, as Leslie Spier observed of the Klamath, "the drastic destruction of the western and central Oregon tribes had passed them by". As a consequence, much is known of the aboriginal culture of the Klamath. Far less of the other three peoples considered here. Rather than attempting to summarize all aspects of a very large literature, these ethnographic descriptions will focus on those aspects of Klamath, Takelma, Upper Umpqua, or Molala life most relevant for an understanding of the cultural context of Crater Lake.

The Takelma and the Molala bordered the Klamath to the west. To the southwest, the Klamath bordered the Shasta. To the south, the Modoc (a group with close social and cultural links to the Klamath); and to the east, the Northern Paiute. The distinctive features of the Klamath Basin environment and the interactions - whether peaceful or warlike -between these tribes in a sense defined Klamath territory. Nonetheless, "territory" must be understood in the context of tribal, rather than state-level, political organization. Rather than conceiving of Klamath (or Takelma, or Molala) territory as a definite, uniquely held domain, it is more accurate to distinguish between a core homeland and a peripheral resource area which might be utilized by several contiguous groups. The following comments regarding territory in aboriginal California could apply in large measure to the Klamath as well: Each of the Indian groups in northern California, especially those in high elevation areas, claimed a nuclear territory which constituted their national homeland and in which their permanent villages were located. These tribal homelands seemed to be universally recognized by the various Indian nations, and mainly consisted of river valleys, basins, and lakeshores. The intervening uplands were exploited only seasonally in the warmer months, and almost invariably, two or more groups exploited these same territories.

Klamath territory centered on Upper Klamath Lake, Klamath Marsh, and the Williamson River. Here most of the permanent villages were found, with some additional settlements located in the uplands to the east. Along the Sprague River Seasonal camps, in contrast, were "established over a much wider territory, as far, it would seem, as the natural limits of (the Klamath Basin) drainage area". To the north the Klamath ranged to the headwaters of the Deschutes River, to the east some seventy miles to the escarpment above Summer and Silver Lakes, and to the west to the peaks of the Cascades. Spier noted that "the wide plain south of Klamath Falls seems to have been unoccupied," though during the spring fishing the Klamath and Modoc tribes met on Lost River, the Klamath occupying the northern, and the Modoc occupying the southern bank of that river.

Klamath territory stood at the periphery of several major aboriginal culture areas: the Plateau, Great Basin, Northwest Coast, and California. Accordingly, aboriginal Klamath culture reflected a number of diverse influences in such matters as economy, social organization, and values. Klamath culture was shaped by its specialized adaptation to a marsh, lake, and river environment, seen in the predominant place of fish and pond-lily seeds (wokas) in the Klamath diet. Beyond this adaptive focus, however, Klamath culture reflected a number of influences: one may note the California flavor of the separatistic hamlets with their loose social and political organization; the weakly developed (and possibly late) wealth complex, suggestive of the Northwest and the Oregon coast; and the formalized shamanistic religion which points to affinities with tribes in the Plateau, California, and elsewhere.

The term "Klamath" was apparently derived from Chinook. The Klamath term of self-reference is maqlaqs. However, the term was frequently used as part of the place name of a particular Klamath group, rather than designating the ethnic collectivity as a whole. For example, the largest Klamath grouping, located on Klamath Marsh and the Upper Williamson River, "was known as 'ewksikni maqlaqs, or simply by the former term (ews, lake)".

Estimates of the aboriginal Klamath population are conflicting and difficult to evaluate. Spier suggested 1,200 persons at the time of contact, of whom an estimated 600 made up the 'ewksikni or Klamath Marsh division. Stem has suggested 1,000 for the aboriginal Klamath population. Klamath elders have suggested that the pre-contact population (including Klamath, Modoc, and Yahuskin Paiute groups, who were jointly to compose the Klamath Reservation) would have numbered about 2,000. Given current debates regarding population levels in pre-contact North America, such figures should be taken cautiously. Nonetheless, available estimates for the region suggest that population densities for the Shasta to the southwest or for the tribes of the Oregon Coast were perhaps ten times that of the Klamath and Modoc, while that of the Northern Paiute to the east were perhaps one-fourth of the Klamath figure.

Seventeen Years to Success

"John Muir, William Gladstone Steel, and the Creation of Yosemite and Crater Lake National Parks" By Stephen R. Mark, Historian, Crater Lake National Park

A Chronology of William Steel' s Life.

Over the past century, activists have done much to stimulate legislative action for national parks and equivalent reserves. Their efforts have been a key factor in the National Park System's continued expansion, particularly with respect to natural areas located in the western conterminous United States. Great Basin National Park is the most recent example of this, having been established in Nevada during 1987.

In 1988, Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument and City of Rocks National Reserve were established in Idaho. Like the Great Basin proposal, these units were created through the efforts of one activist. This is hardly a new phenomena, because many of the oldest park units were the result of one-man efforts. Examples include Sequoia (1890), Crater Lake (1902) and Rocky Mountain (1915).

Campaigns for Sequoia and Rocky Mountain were comparatively short (seven years each), in contrast to the 17 years it took to obtain effective designation for Yosemite and Crater Lake. In comparing Muir's campaign to place Yosemite Valley under National Park administration, with Steel's effort to establish Crater Lake National Park, there are some broad similarities. Each man won deceptively easy battles soon after becoming an activist but found their larger goals more elusive. Besides framing their proposals similarly, they shared some methods still employed by modern park proponents. And like some of their modern counterparts, Muir and Steel were also able to adapt to changing political circumstances to finally achieve their aims.

John Muir (1838-1914) has become an international figure whose stature is related to the impact of his writings upon the conservation movement. After coming to California in 1868, he worked at various seasonal jobs in the Sierra Nevada before making a name for himself in the early 1870s as a writer. Although Muir mentioned national parks and preservation of forests in his early writings, he did not become an activist until 1889.

The turning point came when Muir and an editor named Robert Underwood Johnson embarked upon a camping trip to Yosemite in 1889. On the second night of the trip, they sat in front of a campfire planning a campaign that would alter Muir's life and the face of Yosemite. As Johnson later recalled:

It was at our campfire at the Tuolumne fall at the head of the canon that Muir let himself go in whimsical denunciation of the commissioners (appointed by the State of California to manage the state park in Yosemite Valley) who were doing so much to make ducks and drakes of the less rugged beauty of the Yosemite by ill-judged cutting and trimming of trees, arbitrary slashing of vistas, tolerating of pig-sties, and making room for hay-fields by cutting down laurels and under brush--the units by which the eye is enabled, in going from lower to higher and stir, higher trees, ultimately to get adequate grandeur of cliffs nearly three thousand feet high. It is an old scandal, and I only refer to it now because it was at this campfire that a practical beginning was made of a campaign which, after fifteen years, by the recent act of recession of the Valley to the United States, we may confidently hope has ended an era of ignorant mismanagement.

Two superbly-timed magazine articles written by Muir for Johnson's Century Magazine greatly aided passage of a bill creating a two million acre forest reservation in the Yosemite region on October 1, 1890. Yosemite Valley, however, remained under state control while the "forest reservation" became known as Yosemite National Park. Not until June 11, 1906, did Muir and Johnson realize the goal of getting the valley and surrounding national park under the unified administration of the federal government.

To frame his proposal, Muir had to summarize how he would address the problem of park management in Yosemite Valley. He did this by centering on three main points, the first being that the valley was explicitly a national, not state, concern. Muir believed the federal government had the ability to provide more permanent improvements and policies than did the state through its appointed commissioners. Federal control would lead to increased appropriations for roads, trails, and utilities that would facilitate greater tourist travel. The federal authorities would also be in an economically disinterested position. This would increase the chances that appropriate development would be coordinated by a landscape architect.

The second part of Muir's proposal was that resident authorities must have sufficient power to protect the entire park area. Galen Clark had been appointed guardian to the valley, but he had no assistants, little money for administration, and was under the orders of commissioners who were often motivated by political considerations. Muir preferred the use of the U.S. Army to guard Yosemite Valley and the backcountry from trespass by sheep, damage caused by careless campers, and the effects of forest fires. The latter was to prove especially troublesome under two jurisdictions because their representatives could not agree over who should pay for fire protection.

Muir's third point was that recession of the valley - ceding from state ownership back to the federal government - was tied to protecting surrounding forests whose primary importance was conservation of water supplies. He used the water supply argument to lobby against the Caminetti bill of 1895 that would have reduced Yosemite National Park by half and severely damaged the recession campaign. Muir's opposition to the bill also stemmed from the belief that the newly created federal forest reserves (which were later to become national forests) should not be compromised by in-holdings. During this period thousands of acres of formerly public domain forestland slipped into private hands, often by fraudulent means. Once the timber was cut, there were aesthetic problems and difficulties in maintaining enough water for irrigation and municipal supplies. Without federal control, he saw the infamous "stump forest" in Yosemite Valley being duplicated on a larger scale throughout the Sierra.

The components of Muir's campaign matched those of Steel's, though the beginning of the Crater Lake effort predated attempts at Yosemite recession. William Gladstone Steel (1854-1934), like Muir, enjoyed something of an early victory by seeing ten townships around Crater Lake reserved from settlement in 1886. This was done as a necessary first step in the creation of a national park, but soon encountered the reluctance of many congressmen who viewed such reservations as a drain on the Treasury.

Born in Ohio, Steel finished high school in Portland, Oregon. He became a postal carrier after short stints as a newspaperman, railroad promoter, and publisher. His first visit to Crater Lake came on a short vacation from the Portland post office in 1885. Steel and a friend went to southern Oregon to meet up with geologist Joseph LeConte who was studying the volcanic features of the Pacific Coast. After seeing the lake for the first time, Steel wrote:

Not a foot of the land about the lake had been touched or claimed. An overmastering conviction came to me that this wonderful spot must be saved, wild and beautiful, just as it was, for all future generations, and that it was up to me to do something. I then and there had the impression that in some way, I didn't know how, the lake ought to become a National Park. I was so burdened with the idea that I was distressed. (For) Many hours in Captain Dutton's tent (Dutton was head of a small military party assigned to accompany LeConte), we talked of plans to save the lake from private exploitation. We discussed its wonders, mystery and inspiring beauty, its forests and strange lava structure. The captain agreed with the idea that something ought to be done--and done at once if the lake was to be saved, and that it should be made a National Park.

Upon returning to Portland, Steel began circulating a petition that eventually found its way to the state legislature. It was favorably received and a resolution recommending a public park around Crater Lake was forwarded to the Secretary of the Interior Lucius Q.C. Lamar. As a result, ten townships were withdrawn from entry by executive order of President Grover Cleveland on February 1, 1886.

Like Muir, Steel contended that his proposal was of national concern. He did not support LeConte's view that efforts to establish a state park at Crater Lake might be more fruitful. Steel was convinced that Oregon could not afford proper maintenance and protection of Crater Lake, so he opposed the state park bills introduced to Congress in 1889, 1891, and 1893.

Provision was made in Steel's proposal for enforcement of the regulations by resident authorities. Uppermost in his mind was the damage caused by sheep. Their trampling had so destroyed the area's vegetation in the years before the park was established that the result could still be seen in the 1930s. Fires, whether started by lightning or sheepmen, were another nemesis that Steel wanted controlled.

The park proposal was also tied to the larger goal of protecting forests in Oregon's Cascade Range. As with the Sierra, the primary justification for their retention in public ownership was water supply. Steel fought for the establishment of a 300-mile-long forest reserve stretching from the Columbia River to the California border. This was proclaimed by President Cleveland in 1893 and included the Crater Lake reservation. The Cascade Forest Reserve was the largest in the nation and was subsequently attacked by sheepmen and timber speculators. Steel and a state Supreme Court justice named John Waldo (both of whom envisioned a reserve managed much like a national park) worked to defend it throughout the 1890s.

Tactics Used By Muir & Steel

Once the components of the Yosemite and Crater Lake proposals had been formulated, Muir and Steel used some remarkably similar methods to achieve their aims. Although the two men were only acquaintances, they did have common interests and were in intermittent contact from 1888 to 1912. This would explain some of the similarities, particularly with respect to the development and use of constituencies to back their proposals.

Both Muir and Steel obtained early local support, something that sustained them throughout their campaigns. The major cities of their respective states furnished each man's base of support: Muir in San Francisco and Steel in Portland. Having already emerged as a literary figure, Muir had many powerful friends in California who could provide him with introductions to useful contacts. Likewise, Steel was well situated within Oregon's Republican Party and had two brothers who were Portland financiers. Each man received the support of their states' major newspapers early in their campaigns. This move proved useful when sheep and timber interests tried to dismantle Yosemite National Park and the Cascade Forest Reserve. They also gave public lectures as a way to enhance their proposals' credibility. The fact that each man was a renowned climber and participant in the scientific study of mountain areas helped attendance.

Both men started their campaigns by writing articles in literary magazines. Muir had a national audience while Steel's notoriety remained largely regional. Nevertheless, Steel was the first to write a book that he could use to promote his proposal. The Mountains of Oregon was published in 1890 as a loosely organized anthology of articles on mountaineering and proposed parks. Steel highlighted the longest piece, one about Crater Lake, when he mailed copies of the book to congressmen and other federal officials. The book's title is interesting in light of an acknowledgment that Muir wrote to Steel after receiving a copy:

I thank you for a copy of your little book The Mountains of Oregon + congratulate you on the success with which you have brought together in handsome shape so much interesting + novel mountain material.

With pleasant memories of my meeting with you the year I was on Mt. Rainier.

Muir's, The Mountains of California was published in 1894. Far more cohesive than Steel's book (which was a hasty arrangement of material originally intended to be published in separate pamphlets), it enhanced Muir's reputation among scientists and brought him critical acclaim from the public. With the Caminetti bill looming over Yosemite in 1895 and the forest reserves threatened by hostile interests, Muir began to intensify his literary efforts. Ten of his essays were published in the Atlantic Monthly starting in 1897 and later appeared as a book entitled Our National Parks in 1901. Six of the 10 pieces were devoted to Yosemite, while three others focused upon the fate of the forest reserves.

Both men found that groups organized to enjoy the outdoors could form a useful constituency. Steel predated Muir in this regard by organizing the Oregon Alpine Club on September 14, 1887. It was largely a social fraternity whose purpose was "to attract attention to the scenery of our (Pacific Northwest) mountain ranges." By late 1892, the expense of a mountaineering museum had bankrupted the club and personally cost Steel $1,000. Membership had dwindled to less than a 100 and most observers thought the club was dead.

Steel eventually realized that an active mountaineering club might have a longer life. On July 19, 1894, amid great local publicity, 193 climbers ascended Mount Hood and became the first Mazamas. According to Steel, one of the group's aims was to make the Oregon Cascades famous and to sponsor regular outings. After being elected its first president, Steel organized an outing to Crater Lake in August 1896. The group gave it wide publicity and supplied the event with an interesting touch by christening the mountain that contains the lake "Mazama."

The Sierra Club was organized May 25, 1892, and evolved from a proposal that R. U. Johnson made to Muir in 1889 regarding an "association for preserving California's monuments and natural wonders." The public meetings in San Francisco were heavily attended at first and the club began publishing a regular bulletin. As president, Muir's attendance at meetings was erratic so the organizing fell to other board members. Almost nonexistent by 1898, the club was revived when its new secretary William Colby sold the idea of sponsoring regular outings. The first was held from a base camp in Tuolumne Meadows in 1901 and was an immediate success. Aimed at attracting new members, the outings included organized hikes as well as natural history lectures by Muir and other club leaders.

The differences between the Yosemite and Crater Lake proposals also shaped the way each group responded as a constituency. Muir aimed to provide better management for an area where there was substantial human impact, so the Sierra Club aimed at becoming a Yosemite Valley resident. As early as 1894, the Sierra Club's board of directors wanted to establish a patrol system in the valley to help enforce state park regulations. This would be "the first step in the direction of preserving the Valley from the wanton destruction of visitors."

What evolved was an information bureau housed in a refurbished wood frame cottage in Yosemite Valley from 1898 to 1902. In 1903, the bureau was moved to the newly completed LeConte Memorial at the base of Glacier Point. The structure's completion coincided with the chaos arising from a disastrous fire that burned from the Wawona Road to Glacier Point. This happened largely because the state commissioners and U.S. Army authorities could not agree who should fight the fire. The case for recession was further strengthened that summer when the state commissioners notified the transport companies not to allow more visitors to enter the valley until overcrowded conditions were relieved.

The Mazamas' response to its founder's proposal was different because Steel wanted national park status for a feature little known to science. As a result, the group fostered scientific investigation at Crater Lake on one occasion and used the findings to promote the proposal. Although their involvement was largely peripheral, the Mazamas' facilitation was important in allowing scientists to build upon what an earlier expedition had done at Crater Lake.

During the summer of 1886, the U.S. Geological Survey sounded the lake and mapped the area's topography. Much of its success was due to Steel, who, in his role as special assistant to the expedition, was responsible for transporting the boats and equipment. His role in the undertaking gave him credibility and allowed the Oregon Alpine Club to co-sponsor the O'Neal Expedition of the Olympic Mountains in 1890. Another success followed so Steel felt confident in organizing an even larger undertaking, the Mazamas outing of 1896. By arranging the trip so that the Mazamas were climbing nearby Mount McLoughlin while scientists from various government bureaus made their investigations, he hoped to give the proposal both scientific merit and wide publicity. After their climb and an excursion to Wizard Island, the Mazamas assembled on a site overlooking Crater Lake so the findings could be presented. The outing also allowed the scientists to meet with members of the National Forestry Commission, a body whose purpose was to make recommendations about the disposition of the forest reserves. For this to happen, Steel cut his participation in the Mazamas trip short so he could bring the commission to the lake; less than a week later.

Neither Muir nor Steel was strangers to state and national politics by the time they finished their park campaigns. Both found ways to secure influence with businessmen, legislators, and government officials through various lobbying techniques. In addition, each man chose an unexpected intermediary when his proposal reached a crucial stage.

After years of petitions, testimonials, and localized legislative support, the proposals began to move toward realization when Theodore Roosevelt assumed the Presidency in 1901. It was Roosevelt's influence that allowed the Crater Lake bill to come up for debate in the House of Representatives in April of 1902. Muir's most publicized lobbying for recession came when he and Roosevelt camped alone in Yosemite for three days in May 1903. This led to the president's intervention when Senate cooperation was needed to add the valley to Yosemite National Park in 1906.

Although Roosevelt was a key figure in the adoption of both proposals, Muir and Steel had to use unusual intermediaries before the President could sign either bill. In Muir's case this proved to be E.H. Harriman, president of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Harriman made use of the railroad's influence on the California State legislature after Muir and William Colby did some hard lobbying for recession. When the measure came up for a vote in February of 1905, nine crucial votes turned the tide and it passed. About a year later Harriman came to the rescue again when a joint resolution accepting the valley stalled in the House.

Although Harriman's actions can be explained largely by his friendship with Muir, the Southern Pacific also wanted control of transportation to Yosemite. In spite of the railroad's ulterior motive, Muir accepted Harriman's assistance. He reasoned that federal control of the entire park area would lessen the destruction caused by the numerous concessionaires (27 at the time of recession) and other entrenched interests. Furthermore, the Sierra Club's board declared that Yosemite's poorly maintained toll roads and the valley's substandard accommodations were hurting California's economy.

Steel's intermediary was Gifford Pinchot. At first this seems strange, especially given the view that Pinchot's name never appeared in connection with the promotion of national parks. But he did seem to have been more enthusiastic about Crater Lake than Muir, whose writing about his visit in 1896 indicated that the most impressive feature of southern Oregon was its variety of tree species. Pinchot camped with Muir at the lake and later wrote, we drove to Crater Lake, through the wonderful forests of the Cascade Range, while John Muir and Professor (William H.) Brewer made the journey short with talk worth crossing the continent to hear. Crater Lake seemed to me like a wonder of the world.

A somewhat similar situation developed in February 1902 when Steel was eliciting testimonials for the bill that would establish Crater Lake National Park. Muir begged off in his response:

I don't know the Crater Lake region well enough to answer the question "Why should a national park be established to include Crater Lake." You know this region much better than I do. I should try to show forth its beauty + usefulness explaining its features in detail + pointing out those which are novel + which require Government care in their preservation etc.

By contrast, Pinchot's reply was ecstatic: You ask me why a national park should be established around Crater Lake. There are many reasons. In the first place, Crater Lake is one of the great natural wonders of this continent. Secondly, it is a famous resort for the people of Oregon and of other States, which can best be protected and managed in the form of a national park. Thirdly, since its chief value is for recreation and scenery and not for the production of timber, its use is distinctly that of a national park and not a forest reserve. Finally, in the present situation of affairs it could be more carefully guarded and protected as a park than as a reserve.

The bill was passed unanimously by the committee but was opposed by the Speaker of the House who refused to let it be debated. He relented only after Pinchot had spoken to Roosevelt about the bill. After it passed the Senate, Pinchot wrote Steel again: You give me more thanks than my small share in getting the Crater Lake bill passed deserves, but I am sincerely glad it has got along so far. There is no doubt, in my judgment, that the President will sign it. .

Steel's triumph came a week later on May 22, 1902 when Crater Lake became a national park. His ability to get along with Pinchot allowed the proposal to get over the final hurdle. This is in contrast to Muir who had severed all ties with the forester in 1897 over the issue of sheep in the forest reserves.

The best explanation for why Pinchot was willing to do Steel's bidding might be common interest. Passage of the Crater Lake bill occurred three years before Pinchot created the U.S. Forest Service and stimulated transfer of the reserves from control by the Interior Department's General Land Office to the Department of Agriculture. Steel started the first forestry organization in Oregon and had surveyed the Stehekin section of the Washington Reserve when Pinchot was "special forest agent" for Interior in 1897. They shared a vehement dislike for the GLO's administration of the reserves, and Steel had at one point begun to waver from his previous position on sheep. It was only when Pinchot attempted to bring the national parks under Forest Service administration in 1904 that this coalition began to wither.

Ramifications of the Park Campaigns

Although Muir and Steel at last saw their proposals favorably received by Congress, neither park retained all of what Steel obtained in 1886 nor Muir won in 1890. Crater Lake National Park was established without the adjoining Diamond Lake area that had been in the original reservation. The opposition generated by Pinchot's Forest Service has been successful in stopping Diamond Lake's incorporation into the park and all but two minor extensions. Yosemite National Park was reduced by boundary changes in 1905, which allowed some notable giant sugar pines to pass into private ownership. The trees were restored to the park in 1939 over the objection of the Forest Service, but they seemed small compensation for the part Pinchot played in damming Hetch Hetchy.

Perhaps the long campaigns waged by Muir and Steel also have a lesson. Park management continues to deal with problems that both men thought were going to be solved by enactment of their proposals. It may have saddened Muir to find the National Park Service having difficulty implementing its plan to reduce congestion in Yosemite Valley. A similar irony exists at Crater Lake where extensive research is being conducted to determine if a geothermal energy company's drilling outside the park could affect the lake.

We owe an enormous debt to these two men and other activists who have seen their proposals added to the National Park System. They were willing, as few people have been, to carry a considerable burden for little material gain. In most cases (Muir is a notable exception) the reward of activists has been obscurity. Nonetheless, as Steel expressed it in 1930, there is an intangible satisfaction:

Plundering through this wilderness of sin and corruption, tasting of its wickedness, forgetting my duty to God and man, striving to catch bubbles of pleasure and the praise of men, guilty of many transgressions, I now look back on this my 76th birthday, and my heart bounds with joy and gladness, for I realize that I have been the cause of opening up this wonderful lake for the pleasure of mankind, millions of whom will come and enjoy and unborn generations will profit by its glories. Money knows no charm like this and I am the favored one. Why should I not be happy?

Acknowledgments: The author wishes to thank Mark Wagner, Maureen Briggs, Melanie Smith, and Kent Taylor for their assistance in the preparation of this paper. It was originally presented to the 43rd annual meeting of the California History Institute in Stockton, California.

William Gladstone Steel - Mazamas Founder
A Chronology compiled by Stephen R. Mark, Historian, Crater Lake National Park

1854 Born on September 7 in Stafford, Ohio. His father William was a Scottish immigrant who came to Virginia in 1817 at age 8. His mother was a Virginia native, the former Elizabeth Lowry.

1868 Steel family left Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for southeastern Kansas on March 25. They settled on a farm near Oswego in Labette County.

1870 Read about Crater Lake for the first time, supposedly in a newspaper that contained his lunch.

1872 Family left Kansas for Portland, Oregon, where they joined two of Will's brothers who had become successful financiers.

1873 Will completed high school in Portland and began a three-year apprenticeship as a pattern maker for Smith Brothers Iron Works. Started collecting newspaper clippings to place in scrapbooks.

1875 Is said to have acquired an interest in mountaineering.

1879 Father William Steel died January 5. Later that year Will became president of Portland's Philomathean League, a society for oratory and debate. In October he established the Albany (Ore.) Herald in an attempt to carry Linn County for the Republican Party. The paper was sold the following summer.

1881 With his brother David, Will initiated publication of a promotional journal called The Resources of Oregon and Washington in November. Their main business associate was Chandler B. Watson, who had visited Crater Lake in 1873.

1885 Steel arrived at Crater Lake for the first time on August 15. Two days later he christened Wizard Island. On his return to Portland, Steel consulted with Judge John B. Waldo in Salem about a proposal to establish Crater Lake as a national park. Will's professional status at this time was as superintendent of postal carriers in Portland, owing to his brother George being postmaster.

1886 At Steel's urging, two national park bills were introduced in Congress during January. On February 1 President Cleveland reserved ten townships around the lake from settlement. Will directed the transport of equipment for a U.S. Geological Survey expedition to Crater Lake in July.

1887 On July 4 was the first person to successfully illuminate Mount Hood at night. Organized the Oregon Alpine Club in September.

1888 Met John Muir for the first time in August. During that month Steel planted the first fish in Crater Lake and made his only known journey to the Oregon Caves.

1889 Attempted to find investors for a railroad to run from Drain to the mouth of the Umpqua River. Assisted in the reorganization of the Oregon Alpine Club.

1890 Published his only book, The Mountains of Oregon, through his brother David. That summer Steel had the OAC co- sponsor the O'Neil expedition of the Olympic Mountains. At its conclusion, members express their gratitude to him at a dinner in Hoquiam, Washington.

1891 Formed a real estate partnership called Wilbur & Steel in Portland. For the next two decades Steel assisted with the development of North Portland, especially the area near what is presently University Park and Portsmouth.

1892 OAC declared bankruptcy after Steel had used $1000 of his own money for its operations.

1893 A four million-acre Cascade Forest Reserve was established by executive order. The predecessor to several national forests and Crater Lake National Park, Steel and Waldo played the largest role in lobbying for its creation.

1894 Organized the Mazamas on the summit of Mount Hood on July 19. Some 193 people made the ascent, many from Steel's cabin near Government Camp.

1895 Traveled to Washington DC to foil the first congressional attempt at rescinding the Cascade Forest Reserve.

1896 Led a Mazama trip to Crater Lake in August. Steel also facilitated the investigations of several government scientists in conjunction with the gathering. Later in the month he brought the National Forestry Commission to the lake. Founded the Oregon Forestry Association as a result of his interest in Pacific Northwest forests.

1897 Failed to secure a patronage appointment as superintendent of the Cascade Forest Reserve. During the summer and fall worked as a forest reserve surveyor for the U.S. Geological Survey in the vicinity of Stehekin, Washington.

1900 Married Lydia Hatch in Portland on February 16.

1901 Steel's fish planting of 13 years before was declared a success when trout were discovered in Crater Lake.

1902 After 17 years of painstaking effort, Steel was triumphant when Crater Lake National Park was established on May 22.

1903 Brought 27 people to Crater Lake from Medford on August 5. This was his first attempt to provide visitor services at the lake.

1906 Initiated publication of a pamphlet series called Steel Points. Resigned from Mazamas on August 30.

1907 Established the Crater Lake Company with E.D. Whitney in Portland on June 6. As the park's first concessionaire, he provided transportation for tourists, a tent camp at Annie Springs and boat tours on the lake.

1909 Opened Camp Crater at the rim on July 20. After choosing the site where the Mazamas gathered in 1896, Steel supplied the funds to begin construction of the Crater Lake Lodge.

1912 Secured federal funds for the construction of a road around Crater Lake. Sold his financial interest in the Crater Lake concession to his Portland real estate partner, A L. Parkhurst.

1913 Appointed as Crater Lake National Park's second superintendent on June 7.

1914 Endorsed government ownership of the park's concessions as a way of helping the faltering Parkhurst complete his development at the rim.

1915 Was on hand when the partly-completed Crater Lake Lodge opened on July 3. After a visit by William Jennings Bryan, Steel recommended that an elevator be constructed from near the lodge to the lakeshore.

1916 Resigned as superintendent on November 20 in order to accept the position of park magistrate. The job as magistrate was created after the State of Oregon ceded jurisdiction over Crater Lake to the Federal Government a year earlier.

1920 Took up residence in Eugene.

1921 Rejoined the Mazamas.

1924 Published a pamphlet titled "The Crater Lake Scandal" on January 1. It was written to protest the treatment of Parkhurst, who had been forced to give up the Crater Lake concession in 1920.

1925 His speech before a Eugene service club on Lincoln's birthday was self-published, as was a volume of Steel Points Junior called "Crater Lake Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow".

1927 Published his last pamphlet, a volume of Steel Points Junior.

1929 Relocated to Medford. Its newspaper reported Steel's intent to assist with the growth of Oregon's state park system once the parks had been incorporated into the State Highway Division.

1932 Initiated a campaign to build a road inside the caldera from Rim Village on May 22. Made his last visit to Crater Lake that summer, after which he suffered a long illness. Lydia Steel died in Medford on November 9.

1934 Died November 21. Buried in Medford's, Siskiyou Memorial Park wearing his NPS uniform.

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Reservation Information

Permits are required for all backcountry camping in the park and are issued free of charge at visitor centers. Reservations are not taken for camper/tent sites, however, they are strongly urged for rooms at the Crater Lake Lodge and the Motor Inn.

Reservations may be made for organized group interpretive tours in the summer and on the weekends in the winter season by calling visitor information at 541-594-2211 ext. 402. Educational groups can make reservations for weekdays during the school season.

It is recommended that reservations be made a year in advance for Crater Lake Lodge. Call (541) 594-2211 ext. 402.

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