Oregon Coast and Crater Lake

[markopolo]

We took a two week trip down the Oregon Coast. It was very enjoyable. We swung by Crater Lake on our way back. I doubt I'll ever forget the blue color of the lake.

Some photos

Fort Stevens State Park, shipwreck on beach:



Great walking / cycling paths:




Best recycling setup I've ever seen in a park at Fort Stevens State Park in Oregon. This is only about 1/3 of it:


Seaside, Oregon, spent a few hours strolling around town:



Ecola State Park:



Manzanita, OR, had a good clam chowder here:



Near Cape Lookout State Park. We hiked 10 miles!



The dunes near Florence, Oregon:



Bullards Beach State Park, this spot is approx 3 miles from the campround. I'm glad we had our bikes.





Gold Beach:







It was so windy! Tried to walk on the beach three times that day but it was just too windy. The wind blown sand would sting exposed skin. We cycled into town and had lunch.

On the way to Harris Beach State Park:









Harris Beach State Park









The temperature around Brookings reached 107 degrees!







Crater Lake. We stayed in the park at Mazama Campground. No hookups, tiny site, had to use 4 blocks under my right front wheel & 1 under the left to get leveled! We cycled 7 miles up to the lake, climbing from 6000 to 7000 feet above sea level. It was fun coming down later, 7 miles downhill! Yes, the white stuff is snow (July). It was hot outside, shorts & t-shirt weather, but there was still some snow on the ground.

[Whiskyecho]

I've lived on a couple of the Hawaiian Islands and have traveled to the S. Pacific, the Far East, the Caribbean, S. and Central America, Mexico and most of the coastlines of W. Europe. Calif, Oregon & Washington may not have the best weather but their beauty can't be touched by anything I've seen.

The "blue" on Crater Lake is, of course, a reflection of the sky.

Thanks for posting the pics - makes me anxious to hit the road..

[Whiskyecho]

When we were there last year we noticed a boat circling that Island (that you've shown in your pics). The boat pulled up to a structure of some sort on the Island.

Does anyone know "what's the deal with that" ? For tourists perhaps - or "off limits" for tourists ?

I'd bet the view from down on the Lake's surface would be as spectacular as it is from above, looking down.

[Whiskyecho]

the internet is a great tool - found the answer to the "island" question:

Wizard Island Options:
Boats stop at Wizard Island. It is possible to stay on the island and take a later boat back. However, your return journey is dependent upon available space on returning boats. You are not guaranteed a ride back until the final tour of the day, possibly arriving at the Cleetwood Dock as late as 6:30 p.m. There are two hiking trails on Wizard Island. There is no camping allowed on the Island. Keep in mind that Wizard Island is a remarkable place: an infant cinder cone with all the expected hazards: extremely rough lava, loose cinder, and dry conditions. Use caution when hiking. A pit toilet is located at the dock area. There are no other facilities provided for the public on Wizard Island.

[markopolo]

You have to hike down the Cleetwood Cove Trail to get to the boat tours.

The Cleetwood Cove Trail, located on the north side of Crater Lake, is the only safe and legal access to the shore of Crater Lake. It is one mile (1.6 km) in length, one-way, and drops 700 feet (210 meters) as you descend from the East Rim Drive trailhead to the lakeshore. On your return trip, this is comparable to climbing 65 flights of stairs! The Cleetwood Cove hiking trail is recommended only for those in good physical condition and should not be attempted by visitors with heart, breathing, or walking problems. It is not accessible for visitors with mobility impairments. Hikers should wear closed-toe shoes and bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and mosquito repellent. Toilets are available at both the trailhead and the boat dock area. Due to the park's heavy snow conditions, the trail typically does not open until sometime in June, and closes in early October.

We didn't take the boat tour.

We did hike the Garfield Peak Trail to about 8,000' elevation.

There were lots of mosquitoes at the campground and on the way up to the lake. My wife held off using mosquito repellent until I informed her of the 15 mosquitoes I could see on her shirt. That's when she said "spray me"!

[abacusblack]

Excellent pictures and description of your trip Marko. I`m sure that they will encourage many members and guests to visit these wonderful locations. I have camped at Fort Stephens and visited Seaside but have not made it to Crater Lake yet. I have seen pictures of the area but yours have encouraged me to make the trip sometime soon. Thank you for your many contributions to this great site. By the way which camp sites in the area allow you to camp on or near the water? Thanks

[markopolo]

Re: Crater Lake camping - the only campground for RV's in Crater Lake National Park is Mazama Village Campground which has 212 RV and tent sites.

http://www.craterlakelodges.com/Mazama- ... d-815.html

It is 7 miles from Crater Lake. I think 14 sites had electricity. No other hookups though.

I got a brochure for Crater Lake Resort which is 25 miles from Crater Lake.

http://www.craterlakeresort.com/rv.html

It has full hookups.

I also got a brochure for Prospect RV Park

http://www.prospectrvpark.com/index.html#

I don't know how far it is from Crater Lake. I think I got the brochures when I paid to enter the National Park as part of an info package.

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Re: camping on the Oregon Coast - other members here will hopefully share their info. It was our first time going down the coast in a motor home. We'd previously done it once in a car.

We spent 12 days on the Oregon Coast in 5 parks:

Fort Stevens State Park - long but easy walk to beach

Cape Lookout State park - very close to beach, easy access to beach, we traveled some bumpy roads to get to the park though.

Bullard's Beach State Park - 3 miles to beach by road or 3/4 mile via trail through soft sand (quite a workout).

Turtle Rock RV Resort - at Gold Beach, OR - very close to beach, some sites would get a lot of highway noise so check their map first.

Harris Beach State Park - close to beach but there is a steep hill to go up / down but not that difficult.

We liked Harris Beach State Park the best. We had a huge sunny site. I got wifi access in this park. It came from a nearby info center and was hosted by Road Connect. It was $3.99 for 24 hours payable by credit card.