44 RIVERS & SHORES
crater
lake
KLAMATH, OREGON
At 1,943 feet (592 m), Crater Lake in south-
central Oregon is the United States’ deepest
lake. Because it is fed by precipitation—
notably 45 feet (14 m) of snow a year—and
has no inlets or outlets, it is also one of the
country’s purest, famed for the clarity and
startling blue of its water. Formed after
the eruption of Mount Mazama, part of the
Cascade Range, around 7,700 years ago,
it is surrounded by the jagged, clif-edged
rim of the former volcano and dotted with
islands created by subsequent eruptions.
DON’T MISS
Two viewpoints ofer wonderful vistas across the
lake: the Cloudcap Lookout, accessed as part of
the East and West Rim Drives (open to cars in sum-
mer only), and the three-hour hike to Mount Scott
(8,929 ft/2,721 m) on the lake’s eastern flank.
Crater Lake, with Wizard Island at its heart. Both were
created by a series of volcanic eruptions.