Crader Lake although without an outlet much of the seepage becomes the premier Umpqua river (see link below)!  The Umpqua is a must see in Oregon.  One of the pristine and beautiful rivers of North Ameria.

Crater Lake, Oregon  USA          

                                                                                       Like a giant megaphone, Crater Lake, screams "BLUE" at the sky!   James Wardrope

The former Mt. Mazama, which was one of the highest peak in the Cascades 7700 year ago, is now the serene setting for Crater Lake and Wizard Island.  Wizard Island, on the western edge of the lake, is actually part of the mountain rebuild activity after the violent explosion that was 43 times more powerful than Mt. St. Helens' explosion in 1980.  Mt. Mazama's explosion deposited rocks well into Idaho and Washington.  The central Oregon area is covered with large deposits of cinder and pumice from this volcano that once rained fire.  Ash deposits are hundreds of feet deep in places along the Rogue and Umpqua rivers.  The lake is 6 miles across and 1,958 feet deep, the deepest in the United States and seventh deepest in the world.  

A group of prospectors who had worked their way up the Rogue river from California were the first white men  to gasp in astonishment at the sight of the Lake that they called "Deep Blue". The Klamath Indians of the area visited the lake frequently for thousands of years before John Wesley Hillman and his fellow gold seekers stumbled across it.  Crater Lake is now the gem of Oregon and centerpiece to the 183,224 acre Crater Lake National Park.  There are no feeder streams for Crater Lake. The water is the result of snowmelt and rainwater that has filled the caldera over the years. Crater Lake Rim accumulates 44 feet of snow-pack annually.   In 1902 William Gladstone Steel succeeded in promoting Crater lake to National Park status.

A 33 mile Rim Drive gives the viewer a chance to see the lake from many different vantage points. From the north side, you can board a boat, after descending a mile long trail to Cleetwood Cove, for a guided tour of Crater Lake.  

If you forget your camera, they sell them at Crater Lake Lodge.  Film and disposable cameras are popular items at the register. Crater lake is a paradox of violent upheaval and dreamlike perfection!  If you are traveling I-5 and have 3 or 4 extra hours, make the loop to Crater Lake via the Rogue and North Umpqua rivers.  It is the some of the most beautiful scenery in Oregon. Crater Lake is open all year at the south and west gates; the north entrance is usually open from about mid-June to mid-October depending on the snowfall.   For more information on Crater Lake contact:  Park Superintendent, Crater Lake National Park, P.O. Box 7, Crater Lake, Oregon  97604  (541-594-2211)  (special thanks to Kevin L. Bachner, Park Ranger, for reviewing our information.) 

More information:  www.nps.gov/crla

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Salmon & Steel-head Fishing at its' best. See the Umpqua River in Oregon for the ultimate vacation! Click Here!