Crater Lake - camping

imported
#1

Starting @ south rim on Discovery Pt trail (after a night @ Mazama CG), it appears that the next available camp is the hiker/biker camp on Trail 1410 @ Diamond Lake. But that’s ~ 20 miles - a long haul for us doing only the Oregon PCT (won’t have our “long” legs yet). It looks like a possible stream (& potential “wet” camp?) on the NW corner of Crater, just before the Rim trail reconnects with the main PCT. Can anyone comment on potential camping/water at or near this junction? (Lightning Spring camp is too soon.) Thanks!

trek-or

#2

There wasn’t any water there in July '04. Maybe a ranger can update you on conditions when you hike. Maybe you could even scout it out if you get a ride up there on the way to your starting point.

The road crossing at Hwy 230 is a good place to leave a water cache, if you can drive by there before you hike. (There was an informal cache there in '04.) You can probably legally stealth camp somewhere around there, just outside the NP boundary.

Garlic

#3

We were up there at Diamond Lake right about this time in 2007 and the mosquitoes were ferocious! There were clouds of them. We were car camping and finally had to put up a screen house we had brought along just to be able to sit outdoors at all. Have some netting or really good repellent with you.

mrs baggins

#4

Camping should not be a problem at all once you leave Crater Lake National Park. You’ll cross over into the Umpqua National Forest, where you can pretty much camp where ever you want until you get into the Diamond Lake Recreation Area, there the Forest Service wants you to camp in one of the three campgrounds. The one on the south end of the Lake has showers if you’re interested. If you are not familiar with camping in a National Forest compared to a Nataional Park, the rules are totally different, in a NF you can camp anywhere you want unless designated other wise. The NP is just the opposite, you can ONLY camp where they allow it and NO where else. So you should be good. Water is another story, you should stash some as its pretty dry between there and Diamond Lake. The mosquitos can be bad so bring some Picaridin or DEET. Its a beautiful area.

misqua