Guide to visiting Crater Lake National Park in winter

Winter is the least popular time of year to visit Crater Lake National Park, but it’s also one of my favorite seasons to visit! Visitors will find a unique and beautiful snowy wonderland. In fact, it’s one of the snowiest inhabited places in the United States! There are also a surprising number of different activities you can enjoy during the national park’s winter season. In this travel guide we’re sharing everything you need to know if you plan on visiting Crater Lake National Park in winter, including what to expect during a winter trip, what to pack, and what activities you can do once you arrive. 

The basics – what to expect when visiting Crater Lake National Park in winter

First, expect a lot of snow. Crater Lake National Park is located at the crest of the Cascade Mountains, which means the area gets hammered with snow all winter. The average annual snowfall at park headquarters is 41 feet, or 12.5 meters! The park can get snow as early as October, and as late as May and June. 

Crater Lake National Park is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week… but that doesn’t mean you can always get to it! People are often surprised to learn that Crater Lake is open year round, even in winter. However, the harsh winter weather conditions can sometimes mean that even maintained roads are closed. Additionally, some roads shut down for the season, the access to the park is more limited. We cover this in-depth below in the ‘winter travel logistics’ section of this blog. The big takeaway, though, is that you should check road conditions frequently before heading out for a winter trip to Crater Lake. We recommend checking road conditions on tripcheck.com.

Expect more limited amenities and park ranger support. I find that rangers are harder to find and get a hold of in the winter months, and many of the park’s services (including in-park lodging) are closed in the winter. Thus, visitors have to be more self-sufficient. The Rim Village Cafe is open from 10 am – 5 pm, and offers food and gifts for purchase. In the past they have also offered snowshoe rentals.

Expect to encounter relatively few people. Historically, Crater Lake’s lowest visitation rates are in December and January, which is one of the reasons I love visiting Crater Lake National Park in winter! For context, in January 2024 the park had less than 5,000 visitors, compared with over 153,000 visitors in July of the same year.

travel logistics for visiting Crater Lake National Park in winter

The most important thing to know about visiting Crater Lake in winter is that some roads shut down for the season, making access to the park more limited. The North Entrance Road and East & West Rim Drives shut down once snowfall starts for the season, and they don’t open again until mid to late June or July. That means you’ll need to enter the park off of Highway 62. 

Once you enter the park you can typically drive up Rim Drive to Rim Village, where you’ll find parking and a gift shop/dining location. Other than that, the rest of the national park is only accessible by foot or ski. Select areas are also open to snowmobiles.

Before you head to Crater Lake make sure to check the Oregon Department of Transportation’s TripCheck map to ensure roads are open. You’ll also want to check the National Park’s current conditions. 

Pro tip: In winter the lake is actually obscured 50% of the time in winter by clouds and snowstorms! The area is still beautiful when you can’t see the lake, but don’t visit expecting crystal clear conditions. You can check the park’s live webcams here.

What to pack for visiting Crater Lake National Park in winter

Winter essentials for Crater Lake

Tire chains. Tire chains are an essential piece of gear when driving to Crater Lake National Park in winter. These are the ones we have, and love – I find them to be relatively easy to put on. Make sure to practice using them before you need them! At times tire chains are REQUIRED on the roads in the park, which means if you don’t have them you’ll have to turn around.

We’ve always visited with a 2 wheel drive vehicle, but 4 wheel drive would be a benefit, as well. Additionally, consider getting snow tires for winter travel. The three-peak mountain snowflake symbol indicates that your tires are tested and rates for snow performance. Additional Crater Lake National Park winter driving tips can be found here. We’ve visited the park both with and without snow tires.

Emergency supplies. I recommend carrying emergency supplies, including a blanket, shelf stable food, flashlight or headlamp, water, and shovel, in case you get stuck in the snow. Make sure you have at least a half tank of gas in case you need to run your car heater to stay warm. Cell service in the park is VERY limited.

Microspikes / trail crampons. No matter what activities you plan to do at Crater Lake, I recommend buying and packing a pair of trail crampons like these. This will allow you to safely navigate the parking lot and some of the trails, which can often be quite icy and dangerous.

Winter adventure clothes

Your clothing needs will depend on your planned activities, but I recommend the following as a great place to start:

• Snow pants and a snow jacket. We like the doublecharge pant and jacket for women and the doublecharge pant and jacket for men. Use code ‘GWYN&AMI’ for 20% off all orders! Rainpants and a rain jacket are a good sub if you don’t want to invest in snow-specific gear. 
• A warm hat and gloves. Stio makes great gloves for men and women (use code ‘GWYN&AMI’ for 20% off all orders), and we love these winter hats from REI.
• Waterproof boots. We like the Lowa Renegade for women and men. They’re warm, waterproof, and can be used year round for hiking and snowshoeing.
• Hand and foot warmers. We like these single use options for feet and hands, and these rechargeable hand warmers.
• A backpack built for snowy adventures. We love the Gregory Verte because it has an insulated hydration bladder sleeve and is designed to shed snow. Use code ‘GwynAmi15’ for 15% off your order. 

Pro tip: the weather can change FAST at the lake, so always be prepared with warm and waterproof layers!

Winter adventure gear

Depending what activities you’re interested in, consider bringing one or more of the following:

• Snowshoes. We like TSL snowshoes for women and men. The Rim Village visitor center also rents out snowshoes by the day. 
• Cross country skis and accessories. We like Rossignol skis and accessories.
• Micospikes and hiking boots. We like the Lowa Renegade for women and men, as well as Hillsound trail crampons. 
• Sleds and tubes.
• Backcountry skis.

The best things to do when visiting Crater Lake National Park in winter

Crater Lake has amazing outdoor recreation opportunities available in winter. Below are a few we recommend. 

Snowshoe or cross country ski along the Discover Point Trail. This trail starts at Rim Village and skirts the rim of the lake. The 2.1 mile (round trip) hike is flat and easy to navigate, and has amazing views of Wizard Island. 

Enjoy hot chocolate at the rim. You can grab a cup of hot chocolate (or other hot beverage) at the Rim Village cafe, or pack your own (we always pack ours in a to-go  Thermos)! Rim Village has incredible views of the lake just a few steps from the visitor center, no hiking needed! This is a fun, low effort way to enjoy winter at Crater Lake. 

Snowshoe Garfield Peak Trail. This 3.5 mile (round trip) hike climbs 1,076 feet uphill along the southern ridge of Crater Lake. The trail has sweeping views of the lake. At the end you will have a great view of the lake’s famous ‘Phantom Ship’ rock formation.

Sledding and Tubing at Rim Village. This is always popular with young families! We recommend checking out the sledding hill just west of the Rim Village Visitor Center! Just make sure you sled away from the rim of the lake, and not toward the rim. 

Backpacking and snow camping. The entire Rim Drive is closed to cars in the winter, but it is open to snowshoers and cross country skiers. That means you can backpack around the entire lake, which takes most folks 3-4 days to circumnavigate the full 31 miles around the lake. We have not attempted this yet, but it is high on our bucket list. You can find more information about winter backpacking at Crater Lake here. 

Where to stay when visiting Crater Lake National Park in winter

Crater Lake does not offer lodging amenities within the park in the winter, so you’ll have to find lodging outside of the park. Below are a few good lodging options:

Aspen Inn: The Aspen Inn has adorable cabins and suites located just a 30 minute drive from the Rim Village Visitor Center in Fort Klamath, OR! This is one of the closest hotel lodging options to Crater Lake National Park in winter.

Diamond Lake Resort: Modest accommodations at Diamond Lake, and an on-site restaurant. Expect a 50 minute drive each way. 

Camping at Sno-Parks: If you travel in a camper van or RV like we do, then we recommend parking overnight at either the Annie Creek Sno-Park or the Thousand Springs Sno-Park. There are no amenities, and no official camp sites, but both sno-parks offer a quiet flat place to park less than 30 minutes to the Rim Village. Sno-Park permits are required.

Additional lodging recommendations can be found here.

I hope you found this guide to visiting Crater Lake National Park in winter helpful! You can find more Pacific Northwest and National Park travel guides here, and you can follow along @gwynandami on Instagram for more travel and adventure inspiration!