Yes, it is a wonder of the natural world. And yes, it's bluer than the Aegean. But it's in the middle of nowhere. Journey to Crater Lake, and you pass no other world-class natural places. Southern Utah is certainly no metropolis, but Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon North Rim, Escalante, Capitol Reef, Arches, & Canyonlands are each less than a day's drive to each other. And each are as sublime as Crater Lake.
And everything to do in Crater Lake involves getting another view of Crater Lake. Drive the rim to see what Crater Lake looks like from the other side. Hike a peak to see what Crater Lake looks like from above. Take a boat ride to see what Crater Lake looks like from lake level. Not that it's bad, but because Crater Lake is just one lake, there's not a lot of nuance & facets to it. We stayed 2 nights and I can say with certainty that I need never visit it again.
Got it. Mountian - Lake - Volcano - Blue. Done.
Was it worthwhile?
Because of the paucity of other sights in the region, for me it wasn't a value trip. We'd never been to the Northwest and now we have -- so that checkbox is now checked. But for the money -- flight, car rental, lodging -- it doesn't strike me as better than other places. It's not worse, mind you, and we had a good time. Minor sights abound, but Oregon strikes me as being for the Oregonians.
Having said all that, what's worth the doing if you go? Aside from the various views from the pull-outs along the rim, the boat trip to Wizard Island tops the list. Much like hiking down into the Grand Canyon, going down to the surface of the lake is the best way I know to make the whole thing three dimentional. Otherwise, the views are hard to distinguish from the post cards. And if you're down there, why not hike on Wizard Island -- the conical island on all the pictures. It's just so cute!
For lodging, why not stay at Crater Lake Lodge? It's right there overlooking it all. But for my money, one night'll do ya.
So long & short, if you find yourself in southeastern Oregon - spend 2 days and a night at Crater Lake. Otherwise, eh.
