- The Pumice Desert: A very thick layer of pumice and ash leading away from Mazama in a northerly direction. Even after thousands of years, this area is largely devoid of plants due to excessive porosity (meaning water drains through quickly) and poor soil composed primarily of regolith.
- The Pinnacles: When the very hot ash and pumice came to rest near the volcano, it formed 200-to-300-foot-thick (60 to 90 m) gas-charged deposits. For perhaps years afterward, hot gas moved to the surface and slowly cemented ash and pumice together in channels and escaped through fumaroles. Erosion later removed most of the surrounding loose ash and pumice, leaving tall pinnacles and spires.
- Mount Scott is a steep andesitic cone whose lava came from magma from Mazama's magma chamber; geologists call such volcano a parasitic or satellite cone. Volcanic eruptions apparently ceased on Scott sometime before the end of the Pleistocene; one remaining large cirque on Scott's northwest side was left unmodified by post-ice-age volcanism.
- In the southwest corner of the park stands Union Peak, an extinct volcano whose primary remains consist of a large volcanic plug, which is lava that solidified in the volcano's neck.
- Crater Peak is a shield volcano primarily made of andesite and basalt lava flows topped by andesitic and dacite tephra.
- Timber Crater is a shield volcano located in the northeast corner of the park. Like Crater Peak, it is made of basaltic and andesitic lava flows but, unlike Crater, it is topped by two cinder cones.
- Rim Drive is the most popular road in the park; it follows a scenic route around the caldera rim.
- Llao Rock on the north side rises 1,800 feet (550 m) above the lake, with a 1.3-mile (2.1 km) trail from Rim Drive leading to the summit.
- The Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,650-mile (4,260 km) long-distance hiking and equestrian trail that stretches from the Mexican to Canadian borders, passes through the park.
- Old-growth forests covering 50,000 acres (20,000 ha).
Crater Lake National Park is a United States
National Park located in southern Oregon. Established in 1902, Crater Lake National Park is the
fifth-oldest national park in the U.S. and the only national park in Oregon. The
park encompasses the caldera of Crater Lake, a remnant of a destroyed volcano, Mount Mazama, and the surrounding hills and forests.
The lake is 1,949 feet (594 m) deep at its deepest
point, which makes it the deepest lake in the United States, the
second-deepest in North America and the ninth-deepest in the world. Crater Lake is often referred
to as the seventh-deepest lake in the world, but this former listing excludes
the approximately 3,000-foot (910 m) depth of subglacial Lake Vostok in Antarctica, which resides under nearly 13,000
feet (4,000 m) of ice, and the recent report of a 2,740-foot (840 m)
maximum depth for Lake O'Higgins/San Martin, located on the border of Chile and
Argentina. However, when comparing its average depth of 1,148 feet
(350 m) to the average depth of other deep lakes, Crater Lake becomes the
deepest in the Western Hemisphere and the third-deepest in the world. The
impressive average depth of this volcanic lake is due to the nearly
symmetrical 4,000-foot-deep (1,200 m) caldera formed 7,700 years ago
during the violent climactic eruptions and subsequent collapse of Mount Mazama
and the relatively moist climate that is typical of the crest of the Cascade Range.
The caldera rim ranges in elevation from 7,000 to 8,000
feet (2,100 to 2,400 m). The United
States Geological Surveybenchmarked elevation
of the lake surface itself is 6,178 feet (1,883 m). This National Park
encompasses 183,224 acres (74,148 ha;
286.29 sq mi). Crater Lake has no streams flowing into or out
of it. All water that enters the lake is eventually lost from evaporation or
subsurface seepage. The lake's water commonly has a striking blue hue, and the
lake is re-filled entirely from direct precipitation in the form of snow and
rain.
Geology
Volcanic activity in this area is fed by subduction off the coast of Oregon as the Juan de Fuca Plate slips below the North American Plate(see plate tectonics). Heat and compression generated by this movement has
created a mountain
chain topped by a series of volcanoes,
which together are called the Cascade Range. The large volcanoes in the range are called the High
Cascades. However, there are many other volcanoes in the range as well, most
of which are much smaller.
About 400,000 years ago, Mount Mazama began its existence in much the same way as the
other mountains of the High Cascades, as overlapping shield volcanoes. Over time, alternating layers of lava flows
and pyroclastic
flows built Mazama's overlapping cones
until it reached about 11,000 feet (3,400 m) in height.
As the young stratovolcano grew, many smaller volcanoes and volcanic vents
were built in the area of the park and just outside what are now the park's
borders. Chief among these were cinder cones. Although the early examples are gone—cinder
cones erode easily—there are at least 13 much younger cinder
cones in the park, and at least another 11 or so outside its borders, that
still retain their distinctive cinder cone appearance. There continues to be
debate as to whether these minor volcanoes and vents were parasitic to
Mazama's magma
chamber and system or if they were
related to background Oregon Cascade volcanism.
After a period of dormancy, Mazama became active again.
Then, around 5700 BC, Mazama collapsed into itself during a tremendous volcanic eruption, losing 2,500 to 3,500 feet (760 to 1,070 m) in
height. The eruption formed a large caldera that, depending on the prevailing climate, was
filled in about 740 years, forming a beautiful lake with a deep blue hue,
known today as Crater
Lake.
The eruptive period that decapitated Mazama also laid
waste to much of the greater Crater Lake area and deposited ash as far east as the northwest corner of what is
now Yellowstone
National Park, as far south as central Nevada,
and as far north as southern British Columbia. It produced more than 150 times as much ash as the May
18, 1980
eruption of Mount St. Helens.
This ash has since developed a soil type
called andisol. Soils in Crater Lake National Park are brown, dark
brown or dark grayish-brown sandy loams or loamy sands which have plentiful
cobbles, gravel and stones. They are slightly to moderately acidic and their
drainage is somewhat excessive.
Climate
Snow
is relatively rare at low elevations in western Oregon, but it is common at
higher elevations, especially at Crater Lake. Measurements at park
headquarters, 6,475 feet (1,974 m) above sea level, show that snow falls
more often here than at any other long-term weather station in Oregon. Winter,
which typically begins at the park in September and runs through June,
includes an average of 98 days with measurable snowfall. Up to 37 inches
(94 cm) of snow have fallen on the park in a single day (in 1937, 1951,
and 1971), 313 inches (800 cm) in a month (January 1950), and 903 inches
(2,290 cm) in a year (1950).
Snow
typically accumulates in the park to depths of 10 to 15 feet (3.0 to
4.6 m) by early spring. Most of the park's roads remain closed through
late spring, and snow lingers into the summer. In July and August, snowfall is
uncommon, and "one magnificent day typically follows another".
January is the coldest month, when highs average about 35 °F
(2 °C) and lows average about 18 °F (−8 °C). August is
the warmest month, with an average high of roughly 69 °F (21 °C) and
an average low of about 40 °F (4 °C). Between 1962 and 1990,
the highest recorded temperature was 90 °F (32 °C), and the lowest
was −21 °F (−29 °C). Annual precipitation averages
about 66 inches (1,700 mm) a year. December is the wettest,
averaging about 11 inches (280 mm).
Although snow covers Crater Lake National Park for eight
months of the year (average annual snowfall is 533 inches (1,350 cm)),
the lake rarely freezes over due in part to a relatively mild onshore flow
from the Pacific
Ocean. The last recorded year in which the
lake froze over was in 1949, a very long, cold winter. A 95% surface freeze
occurred in 1985. The immense depth of Crater Lake acts as a heat reservoir
that absorbs and traps sunlight, maintaining the lake temperature at an
average of 55 °F (13 °C) on the surface and 38 °F (3 °C)
at the bottom throughout the year. The surface temperature fluctuates a bit,
but the bottom temperature remains quite constant.
Mammals that are residents of this national park
are Canadian
lynxes, bobcats, beavers, chipmunks, pikas, foxes, cougars, squirrels, porcupines, black bears, coyotes, timber wolves, badgers, deer, elk, muskrats, and martens. Birds that commonly fly through this park including
raptors are American
dippers, Peregrine falcons, ravens, Clark's nutcrackers, gray jays, bald eagles, hummingbirds and spotted owls while Canada geese float on its lake.
Park features
Some
notable park features created by this huge eruption are:
Other park features
Histor
Local Native
Americans witnessed the collapse of Mount
Mazama and kept the event alive in their legends. One ancient legend of the Klamath people closely parallels the geologic story which emerges
from today's scientific research. The legend tells of two Chiefs, Llao of
the Below World and Skell of the Above World, pitted in a battle which ended
up in the destruction of Llao's home, Mt. Mazama.[14] The
battle was witnessed in the eruption of Mt. Mazama and the creation of Crater
Lake.
A trio of gold prospectors: John Wesley Hillman, Henry Klippel, and Isaac Skeeters were the first white
people to visit the lake. On June 12, 1853, they stumbled upon the long,
sloping mountain while hunting for provisions. Stunned by vibrant blue color
of the lake, they named the indigo body
of water "Deep Blue Lake" and the place on the southwest side of the
rim where he first saw the lake later became known as Discovery Point.[3] But
gold was more on the minds of settlers at the time and the discovery was soon
forgotten. The suggested name later fell out of favor by locals, who preferred
the name Crater Lake.
William Gladstone
Steel devoted his life and fortune to the
establishment and management of a national park at Crater Lake. His
preoccupation with the lake began in 1870. 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.
With the help of geologist Clarence Dutton, Steel
organized a USGS expedition to study the lake in 1886. The party carried
the Cleetwood, a half-ton survey boat, up the steep slopes of the
mountain then lowered it to the lake. From the stern of the Cleetwood, a piece of pipe on the end of a spool of piano wire sounded the depth of the lake at 168 different
points. Their deepest sounding, 1,996 feet (608 m), was very close to the
modern official depth of 1,949 feet (594 m) made in 2000 by sonar. At
the same time, a topographersurveyed the area and created the first
professional map of the Crater Lake area.
Partly based on data from the expedition and lobbying
from Steel and others, Crater Lake National Park was established May 22, 1902
by President Theodore Roosevelt. And because of Steel's involvement, Crater Lake Lodge was opened in 1915 and the Rim Drive was completed
in 1918.[3]
Highways were later built to the park to help facilitate
tourism. The 1929 edition of O Ranger! described
access and facilities available by then:
Crater
Lake National Park is reached by train on the Southern Pacific Railroad lines
into Medford and Klamath Falls, at which stops motor stages make the short
trip to the park. A hotel on the rim of the lake offers accommodations. For
the motorist, the visit to the park is a short side trip from the Pacific and
Dalles-California highways. He will find, in addition to the hotel, campsites,
stores, filling stations. The park is open to travel from late June or July 1
for as long as snow does not block the roads, generally until October.
Activities
There are many hiking trails
and several campgrounds inside the park. Unlicensed fishing is allowed without
any limitation of size, species, or number. The lake is believed to have no
indigenous fish, but several species of fish were introduced beginning in 1888
until all fish stocking ended in 1941. Kokanee salmon (Oncorhynchus
nerka) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus
mykiss) now thrive and reproduce here
naturally.[17] Swimming
is allowed in the lake, and the boat tours, which stop at Wizard Island, a cinder cone inside the lake, operate daily during
the summer. All lake access for people is from Cleetwood Trail, a steep
walking trail, and there are no roads for cars, trucks, or wagons that lead to
the waterfront. All of the boats in the lake were delivered by helicopter.
Numerous observation points along the caldera rim for
the lake are readily accessible by automobile via the "Rim Drive", which is 33 miles
(53 km) long and has an elevation gain of 3,800 feet (1,200 m).
The highest point in Crater Lake National Park is Mount
Scott at 8,929 feet (2,722 m).
Getting there requires a fairly steep 2.5-mile (4.0 km) hike from the Rim
Drive trailhead. On a clear day, visibility from the summit exceeds 100 miles
(160 km), and one can, in a single view, take in the entire caldera. Also
visible from this point are the white-peaked Cascade Range volcanoes to the north, the Columbia River
Plateau to the east, and the Western
Cascades and the more-distant Klamath Mountains to the west.
The
scenery of Crater Lake is fully accessible during the summer months. Heavy
snowfalls in this park during the fall, winter, and spring months force many
road and trail closures, including the popular "Rim Drive", which is
generally completely open from July to October and partially open in some
other months, such as May, June, and November.
Trails
Cleetwood Cove
The
Cleetwood Cove trail originates on the north side of the lake about
4.5 mi (7.2 km) east of North Junction along East Rim Drive. The
trail is the only one that accesses the shoreline of the lake, descending 656
feet (200 m) from the Cleetwood Cove parking lot. First opened during the
summer of 1960, the trail is 1.1 mi (1.8 km) long with an 11% grade
that rates it as a strenuous route on the return trip. Due to its steep grade,
the trail is not accessible for mobility-impaired visitors. A dock with
concessionaire boats facilitates tours around the lake with a stop at Wizard
Island for dropping off and picking up passengers. Swimming and fishing are
permitted. Snow may cover the trail from October to July with some variance depending
on yearly snowfall conditions.
The Watchman
The Watchman Peak trail begins from the Watchman
Overlook parking lot, about 3.8 mi (6.1 km) northwest of Rim
Village. The trail is 0.8 mi (1.3 km) long with a 420-foot
(130 m) elevation change. It is a steady uphill trail on an isolated
mountain on the west rim of the crater, with several switchbacks, providing
wide views of Crater Lake and Wizard Island. Several nearby landmarks are
visible from the summit, including Mount McLoughlin, Mount Thielsen, Union Peak, Mount
Scott and the Klamath Basin. The trail ends next to a historic fire lookout tower
built in 1932.
Lightning Spring
The Lightning Spring trail starts from the Lightning Spring picnic
area. It is a 3⁄4-mile
(1.2 km) hike with an elevation gain of 250 feet (76 m). The trail
circles around several meadows up to the Lightning Spring creek. The trail is
known for the frequent sights of grazing deer.
Castle Crest Wildflower Garden
This is considered to be the easiest trail, looping around the
Castle Crest Wildflower Garden. It starts from the East Rim Road, near the
park's headquarters. It received its name because of a large stretch of
meadows around which the trail circles and which is bursting with wildflowers in the springtime. The trail
is about 1⁄2 mile (800 m) before it
reaches the wildflower meadow garden, from which other improvised routes
depart.
Plaikni Falls
The
Plaikni Falls trail is the newest trail on the Crater Lake park. It stretches
1.1 miles (1.8 km) from the trailhead located 1.2 miles (1.9 km)
south from the Phantom Ship Overlook on Pinnacles Road, which spins off Rim
Drive. The trail leads to the Plaikni Falls. Most of the trail is
wheelchair-accessible. The final stretch is fairly uphill, which may prove
moderately challenging.
Garfield Peak
The Garfield Peak trail is a moderately challenging 1.7-mile
(2.7 km) hike to Garfield Summit. The trailhead is located east of the
Crater Lake Lodge and gains approximately 1,000 feet (300 m) of
elevation. Several spots along the trail provide viewpoints overlooking the
Phantom Ship island and Dutton Cliff. A few viewpoints offer unique views of
Wizard island. The trail is popular in the late afternoon on account of unique
shifting colors over the lake and its surroundings.