Last chance to visit Crater Lake’s shore—What visitors need to know about multi-year trail closure

At 1,949 feet, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. As the central feature at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, visitors often spend time both in its waters and on its shores, which are accessed by the popular Cleetwood Cove trail. 

The 1.1 mile Cleetwood Cove trail allows thousands of visitors to explore the lake shore each year, but after this summer season the trail will close for rehabilitation. The Cleetwood Cove Trail is the most heavily trafficked trail in the park, which has led to trail deterioration and high-risk rockfall zones. 

Rehabilitating Cleetwood Cove

The rehabilitation project will improve the trail tread and retaining walls to improve visitor safety and mitigate rockfall, according to the park’s project proposal. Due to the highly erosive soil, trail maintenance is challenging, especially when about 54,000 visitors hike the trail each year.

Improvements are also planned at the Cleetwood Cove Marina, which failed in 2016 due to unstable slopes at the marina, rockfall damage and high energy waves. The proposed project includes replacing the bulkhead and dock system and replacing the composting toilets near the marina. 

This trail closure means all visitor access to the lake will be cut off for at least two to three years while the project is ongoing, the park’s public information Marsha McCabe told SFGATE. This includes access to the shoreline and halted boat operations. 

The window to complete repairs on the trail is limited to the warm, summer months due to high levels of winter snowfall. While the trail is being rehabilitated, visitors will still be able to admire the lake from panoramic viewpoints along the West and East Rim Drives. 

Crater Lake fills a massive caldera that collapsed after Mount Mazama erupted about 7,700 years ago, according to the park’s website. Soon after the collapse, continued volcanic activity built up what is now known as Wizard’s Island. Because the marina will be closed, boats will not be allowed to transport visitors to the island. 

Other park trails will remain open throughout this period, leaving visitors with plenty of options to explore the area along the rim of the lake.