Organized Tours & Ranger Programs

Numerous ranger-led programs and tours take place in the summer. At Rim Village, 20-minute talks run several times daily. Check the park newspaper, bulletins boards, or the visitor center for the current program schedule.

At Mazama Campground, evening programs at an outdoor amphitheater focus on a variety of topics; details are posted daily at the visitor centers. The talks generally start at 9pm in July, and earlier from August to Labor Day.

The most famous Crater Lake tour is the guided boat tour that leaves Cleetwood Cove every hour, daily from early July to early September, from 10am to the last shove-off at 4pm. Remember, the trail down to the boat landing is steep. Some boats stop at Wizard Island and then glide past the Phantom Ship before heading back to the Cleetwood Dock; others are purely scenic cruises. Take a jacket, because weather here can change rapidly. Tickets are available at the trail head beginning at 8am. Tickets cost $27 for adults, $17 for children 2 to 11, free for children under 2; the prices are, respectively, $37 and $22 if you want to be dropped off on Wizard Island. For information, contact park concessionaire Xanterra (tel. 888/774-2728; www.craterlakelodges.com).