Ultimate Oregon Road Trips: 7 Days at Crater Lake
Crater Lake National Park is surrounded by a bounty of outdoor adventure, if you just know where to look.
The blue waters of the United States’ deepest lake takes center stage, but just beyond its borders, there are wonders almost as beautiful and probably more fun.
Oregon’s second deepest lake is nearby. So is a beautiful river, surrounded by waterfalls and filled with whitewater rapids.
Those wonders help make this 7-day road trip to Crater Lake one of the best experiences for adventure-seekers in the state.
This trip does require some prep work by making reservations in advance. I’ve provided options for camping or staying at more expensive lodges.
So, read through this story and before you hit the road, and make sure to get reservations. I’ve included links to websites and phone numbers for convenience.
A Willamette National Forest map and printing off this brochure for the North Umpqua River is recommended.
Brief itinerary
Day 1: Waterfall hikes in the North Umpqua Canyon
Day 2: Rafting / kayaking the North Umpqua River
Day 3: Waterfall hikes and Crater Lake camping / lodging
Day 4: Crater Lake boat tour and Wizard Island.
Day 5: Climb Mount Scott and head to Willamette Pass
Day 6: Canoe Waldo Lake
Day 7: Hike Salt Creek Falls / Diamond Falls Loop
Something shorter?
Don't have seven days right now? Be sure to check out my two-day and four-day road trips here:
4-Day Road Trip: Mount Hood and whitewater rafting
2-Day Road Trip: Goonies or Waterfalls
Morning / afternoon
And you’re off!
Head south on Interstate 5, past Eugene and into Southern Oregon. After two hours of driving, a good lunch or late breakfast spot is Henry’s Doughnuts in Sutherlin. Don’t be fooled by the name — they also have great bagel sandwiches.
After lunch, keep your eyes peeled for the exit onto North Umpqua / Diamond Lake Highway 138, heading east.
Your first stop in this beautiful region is Susan Creek Falls and Fall Creek Falls, two short and spectacular waterfall hikes within a few miles of each other. Susan Creek (milepost 28.2) has the more scenic cascade, while Fall Creek Falls (milepost 32) offers the better overall hike.
Afternoon / evening
Here’s where you’ll make your first choice on where to stay for the first two nights.
If you want to camp, two of the best spots in this area are Susan Creek Campground and Horseshoe Bend.
Susan Creek ($20 per night) is gorgeous and has more amenities like showers. There are 29 sites, 13 of which can be reserved.
Horseshoe Bend ($15 per night) is also very nice, but a bit more rustic, and allows reservations for seven of its sites. Both are right along the banks of the North Umpqua River.
If camping isn’t your thing, and you’re willing to spend a bit more money, the gorgeous Steamboat Inn is your ticket. Rooms start around $195 and go up from there.
Once you’re situated, consider hiking other nearby waterfalls or going swimming hole hunting up Steamboat Creek.
The second day of this road trip features the most exciting adventure on this trip — rafting or kayaking the North Umpqua River.
This ice-blue river cuts through beautiful forest and drops down a multitude of Class II, III and IV rapids.
Unless you’re a seasoned river-runner, I recommend going with an outfitter. A good choice is Orange Torpedo Trips. Pioneers of the inflatable kayak trip, OTT is great because it offers trips where some members of the family can ride in a raft while others tackle the rapids in an inflatable kayak.
Oregon Top 5: Best summertime whitewater river trips
"Surrounded by beautiful spires and filled with crystal clear water, it feels like a river that should be either much harder to access or much harder to paddle than it is," said Erik Weiseth, managing partner at OTT. "This river provides thrilling, but still beginner-friendly whitewater, in a river with easy access and almost no people. It's truly a gem of Oregon and in my opinion the single best day trip in the state for families with teenagers."
It’s a long day on the river — 16 miles and around five hours — from Boulder Flat to Gravel Bin. But worth every second. Cost starts at $115 per person.
In the evening, consider taking a soak at Umpqua Hot Springs. The hot springs have seen major problems in recent years — you might not want to bring children — but when it's uncrowded, it's an amazing place to relax.
(If rafting and kayaking isn’t your bag, consider fly-fishing the North Umpqua or mountain biking the North Umpqua Trail).
Morning / afternoon
Get up and break camp, today is for traveling.
After a nice morning meal, head up Highway 138, but before you reach Crater Lake, stop at Watson and Toketee Falls.
The two most impressive waterfalls in this canyon full of waterfalls are quite close to each other, but couldn’t be more different. Watson Falls is a long, thin rope that drops 272 feet, while Toketee is the full North Umpqua blasting into an amphitheater of layered basalt.
To reach Toketee Falls, at milepost 58.6 on Highway 138, turn north onto Road 34. Stay left at the Y and cross the bridge. Watson Falls Trailhead is just off Highway 138 near milepost 60.5.
Following the hike, and as you’re headed to Crater Lake NP’s south entrance, I’d recommend lunch at Becky’s Café in the Union Creek Village.
Afternoon / evening
The afternoon and evening is all about getting situated for two nights at Crater Lake National Park or nearby.
Making advanced reservations is highly recommended to stay at Mazama Campground ($22 per night), The Cabins at Mazama Village ($152 per night) or Crater Lake Lodge ($200 and up per night).
If all those options are sold out (possible) or you’re looking for a cheaper option, consider Union Creek Resort or camping at Farewell Bend, Natural Bridge or River Bridge campgrounds. All are cheaper, with more room, and about an hour’s drive from the rim of Crater Lake.
Oregon Top 5: Best summertime adventures at Crater Lake
A full day atop the United States’ deepest lake awaits.
The best overall way to experience Crater Lake is by taking a Volcano Boat Tour and getting dropped off on Wizard Island, a spectacular cinder cone in the middle of the lake.
Few experiences compare with hiking to the summit of Wizard Island surrounded by the cliffs and the deep blue of the lake.
The trip costs $57 for adults and $36 for children aged 3 to 11, and making reservations in advance is a good idea. The Wizard Island boat tours start at 9:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. from Cleetwood Cove. Allow yourself plenty of time since you must pick up tickets and hike 1.1 miles down to Cleetwood Cove Trail.
The trip, which includes an interpretive talk while on the boat tour with a park ranger, lasts a little more than five hours.
After a long day in the sun (hopefully), reward yourself with dinner at Crater Lake Lodge. Yes, it’s going to make for an expensive day, but the food is great and the view from the deck is impossible to beat.
Morning / afternoon
Wake up early, pack up your campsite, and head to the trailhead for Mount Scott.
The highest peak at Crater Lake at 8,832 feet, Mount Scott offers the most awe-inspiring view of the lake, taking in the entire sweep.
The good news is that energetic children and even older adults can complete this climb. From a high trailhead, it’s only 2.5 miles, with 1,250 feet of climb, to the summit. That’s not an easy hike, but it’s far easier than most treks to that high elevation.
After climbing Mount Scott, it’s time to say farewell to Oregon’s only national park. Leave through the north entrance and head north toward Willamette Pass Highway 58.
Afternoon / evening
This afternoon brings yet another choice of where to spend two nights — the resorts at Crescent or Odell lakes, or one of the numerous campgrounds in the area.
The cabins at Crescent Lake run from $100 to $200 per night, while Odell’s run from $80 for a lodge room to the upper $200s for a larger cabin. As ever, campgrounds are much cheaper, and there are many to choose from around Crescent, Odell and Waldo lakes.
Speaking of Waldo Lake, that’s your destination for the final full day of this road trip.
After just visiting the United States’ deepest lake, why not take out a canoe and explore Oregon’s second deepest lake, Waldo?
The water is so clear here that it set a record for depth visibility at 157 feet. And the ban on motorboats means that you’ll be cruising in quiet, often in solitude.
To set up the trip, I’d recommend renting a canoe from Odell Lake Resort for $60 for the day.
(You have to pay an extra $300 deposit to bring the canoe to Waldo Lake, but with a credit card that’s not a big deal).
Either way, strap the canoe to your roof rack and bring it to North Waldo Campground, about 40 minutes away, where you can launch among the lake’s islands, which can be parked at and explored on foot.
Mosquitoes are thick on Waldo Lake, so bring repellent or, better yet, wait to visit until late August or September.
The countless islands and places to visit on the lake’s shoreline should keep you busy for the day, but the area is home to numerous hiking and mountain biking trails as well.
Time to head home.
But before you finish up completely, take the time while driving west on Highway 58 to stop at Salt Creek Falls, Oregon’s second-tallest waterfall.
The well-marked parking area for Salt Creek Falls is at milepost 58. If you’re up for more waterfall views, follow the Diamond Creek Falls Trail on a beautiful 3.4-mile loop of easy to moderate difficulty.
After finishing the hike, make the two hour, 20 minute sprint back home to Salem.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors writer, photographer and videographer in Oregon for eight years. He is the author of the book “Hiking Southern Oregon” and can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Zach Urness or @ZachsORoutdoors on Twitter.