There are numerous ranger-led programs and tours in the summer. From the Rim Village, 15-minute talks are given daily at the Sinnott Memorial Overlook (below the visitor center) from 10am to 5pm, on the hour. There is also a guided afternoon hike up Garfield Peak that meets at the flagpole in front of the visitor center.
At Mazama Campground, there are evening programs on a variety of topics at an outdoor amphitheater; details are posted daily at the visitor centers. The talks start at 9pm from late June through July, and at 8:30pm from August to Labor Day.
The most famous Crater Lake tour is the guided boat tour that leaves Cleetwood Cove every 45 minutes or so, daily from late June through mid-September, from 10am to the last shove-off at 4:30pm. Remember, there is a steep trail down to the boat landing. The tour docks briefly at Wizard Island and glides past the Phantom Ship before heading back to the Cleetwood Dock. Take a jacket because weather here can change rapidly. Tickets (about $15 for adults, approximately half that for kids) are available at the trailhead.
Sometimes the wait for the boat ride can be as long as 1 1/2 hours. Purchase your ticket and then go off and do some hiking. Come back, and your boat will be waiting when you make it to the dock. Also, keep in mind that if you do get off the boat on Wizard Island, you might have to wait until somebody gets off an arriving boat so you can get on for the return trip. Boat capacity is limited, and people have on occasion been stuck on the island for several hours.
