Crater Lake National Park is a National Park in Oregon. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and 20 photo locations inside or next to the park.
Best photo spots in Crater Lake
We matched 20 named overlooks, waterfalls, peaks and other features to Crater Lake. Each has its own page with sun directions and a monthly golden hour table.
Waterfalls (8)
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallMountain Peaks (5)
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakLakes (2)
Rock Formations (1)
Volcanoes (2)
Fire Lookouts (2)
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Crater Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:37 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:00 PM | 242° | 9h 22m |
| February | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:40 PM | 254° | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:15 PM | 268° | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:27 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:51 PM | 284° | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 297° | 14h 39m |
| June | 5:30 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:50 PM | 304° | 15h 20m |
| July | 5:44 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:46 PM | 301° | 15h 03m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:12 PM | 290° | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:49 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:20 PM | 275° | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:27 PM | 259° | 11h 05m |
| November | 7:02 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:46 PM | 245° | 9h 45m |
| December | 7:34 AM | 8:20 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:36 PM | 238° | 9h 02m |
Computed for the park's reference point (42.9407, -122.1338); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
From Crater Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| March | 4:50 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:54 AM – 4:34 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 12:56 AM – 3:36 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 11:09 PM – 3:09 AM | 4.0 | 18° |
| July | 10:56 PM – 1:46 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 10:02 PM – 11:42 PM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 8:58 PM – 9:48 PM | 0.8 | 14° |
| October | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
2 Estimated Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars.
Weather & best time to visit
July, August, and September are your best bets for warm, dry weather. In May, June, and October, sunny days alternate with periods of rain and snow. Winters at Crater Lake are long and snowy. Storms from the Pacific Ocean dump an annual average of 41 feet (13.5 meters) of snow at park headquarters. When it's raining or snowing, the lake is usually hidden by clouds. Crater Lake is completely invisible about 50% of the time in the winter!
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 19% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (73%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
Average high (°F)
Photography permits, drones & fees
Permits. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones. Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
| Entrance fee | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Entrance - Private Vehicle | $30.00 |
| Entrance - Private Vehicle | $20.00 |
| Entrance - Motorcycle | $25.00 |
| Entrance - Motorcycle | $15.00 |
Fees as published by the NPS when this page was built — confirm on nps.gov before you go.
Getting there
From the west (Medford) - Take Hwy 62 to the West Entrance. Open year-round. From the south (Klamath Falls) - Take Hwy 97 north to Hwy 62 to the South Entrance. Open year-round. The North Entrance is on Hwy 138 and is accessed from Interstate 5 east at Roseburg or Hwy 97 south from Bend and Chemult. Winter travelers from Roseburg take Route 138 east to Route 230 south to Route 62 east to the park's west entrance. Travelers from Bend take Route 97 south to Route 62 to the park's south entrance.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Auto and ATV
- Scenic Driving
- Astronomy
- Stargazing
- Biking
- Road Biking
- Boating
- Boat Tour
- Camping
- Backcountry Camping
- Car or Front Country Camping
- RV Camping
- Compass and GPS
- Orienteering
- Fishing
- Food
- Dining
- Picnicking
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Self-Guided Tours - Auto
- Bus/Shuttle Guided Tour
- Boat Tour
- Hands-On
Nearby parks
CA
OR
CA