Location: Klamath County, OR Map
Area: 20.6 sq mi (53 km2)
Max Depth: 1,949 ft (594 m)
Crater Lake is a situated in the crater of the extinct volcano of Mount Mazama. The lake partially fills a volcanic caldera. about 1,220 meters deep that was formed about 6,850 years ago by the sinking of the Mazama volcano. The lake was also known as a Majestic Lake or a Blue Lake by the first European settlers in the area. The Klamath tribe of Native Americans that lived near the Crater Lake National Park considered the site as sacred. They believed that the lake in the crater was formed after the battle between Llao, the god of the underworld, and Skell, the god of the skies. Many Klamath people came here in their vision quests hoping to get some spiritual knowledge. This tradition is still practiced to some extent by the locals.
The first American of European origin known to
have reached the lake was John Wesley Hillman, who saw it on June
12, 1853, and called it Deep Blue Lake. Crater lake has been renamed
at least three times under the names of Blue Lake, Lake Majesty and
finally Crater Lake.
Crater Lake is known for its famous
piece of driftwood called "Old Man of the Lake" ("Old Man of the
Lake"). It is a normal-sized tree that had been in a vertical
position for more than a century, and due to the low water
temperature, the tree remained in relatively good condition.
Although the lake did not have the presence of native fish, between
1888 and 1941 it was populated with a variety of species, some of
which have managed to establish a population. Specifically, four
species have been identified. The Oregon State Quarters Memorial,
coined by the United States Mint in 2005, shows an image of Crater
Lake on its reverse.
The entry fee for cars is $10 for seven days.
Motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians are $5 per person for seven
days.
There are several passes for groups traveling together
in a private vehicle or individuals on foot or on bike. These passes
provide free entry at national parks and national wildlife refuges,
and also cover standard amenity fees at national forests and
grasslands, and at lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management
and Bureau of Reclamation. These passes are valid at all national
parks including Crater Lake National Park:
The $80 Annual
Pass (valid for twelve months from date of issue) can be purchased
by anyone. Military personnel can obtain a free annual pass in
person at a federal recreation site by showing a Common Access Card
(CAC) or Military ID.
U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62
or over can obtain a Senior Pass (valid for the life of the holder)
in person at a federal recreation site for $80, or through the mail
for $90; applicants must provide documentation of citizenship and
age. This pass also provides a fifty percent discount on some park
amenities. Seniors can also obtain a $20 annual pass.
U.S.
citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities can
obtain an Access Pass (valid for the life of the holder) in person
at a federal recreation site at no charge, or through the mail for
$10; applicants must provide documentation of citizenship and
permanent disability. This pass also provides a fifty percent
discount on some park amenities.
Individuals who have volunteered
250 or more hours with federal agencies that participate in the
Interagency Pass Program can receive a free Volunteer Pass.
4th
graders can receive an Annual 4th Grade Pass that allows free entry
for the duration of the 4th grade school year (September-August) to
the bearer and any accompanying passengers in a private
non-commercial vehicle. Registration at the Every Kid in a Park
website is required.
In 2018 the National Park Service will offer
four days on which entry is free for all national parks: January 15
(Martin Luther King Jr. Day), April 21 (1st Day of NPS Week),
September 22 (National Public Lands Day), and November 11 (Veterans
Day weekend).
Crater Lake originated from the collapse of a large
volcano called Mount Mazama. Like other volcanoes in the Cascade Range,
the crater forms a link in a large chain of volcanoes known as the
Pacific Ring of Fire. The Cascades volcanoes are fueled by heat
transmitted by the subduction of the Gorda and Juan de Fuca tectonic
plates beneath the much larger North American Plate. Located nearly 500
km offshore, the center of the Gorda Plate is sinking almost 2.5 cm
below North America each year.
Mount Mazama appeared just under
500,000 years ago. Over time, the lava that flows around the volcano and
solidifies increasingly enlarges the volcano, which eventually reached
an estimated height of 3,660 m about 8,000 years ago. 7,700 years ago,
the volcano erupted, throwing a column of volcanic ash into the air. Ash
from this eruption falls as far as Alberta, Canada. Explosions northeast
of the volcano also form pyroclastic flows. The magma chamber then
begins to empty, rejecting the lava it contains. Nearly 50 km3 of
material are thus ejected from the volcano, ie 75 times more than during
the eruption of Mount Saint Helens in 1980. The summit of the volcano
ends up collapsing under its own weight in the emptied magma chamber.
The hole left as a result of the collapse is called the caldera.
Subsequently, the significant rainfall in the region over the years
filled the sinkhole to form the current lake. Some smaller eruptions
still take place afterwards with, for example, the formation of Wizard
Island, inside the lake. The area has not known any real volcanic
activity for nearly 5,000 years. However, geologists believe that new
eruptions could still appear at lake level. In the event of an eruption,
the main danger would be the rupture of the natural dam formed by the
cliffs surrounding the lake, which would result in the sudden emptying
of the waters and which would create a sort of tidal wave. The area of
the volcano is in fact monitored by the United States Geological Service
(USGS).