Crater Lake does not look real the first time you see it. The water is a deep, saturated blue, almost unnaturally pure, and it fills a bowl nearly ten kilometres across, with steep walls rising some six hundred metres above the surface. It formed about 7,700 years ago, when the volcano Mount Mazama erupted so violently that it emptied its magma chamber and collapsed in on itself. Rain and snow slowly filled the caldera, and with no rivers flowing in or out, the water stayed exceptionally clear. At nearly six hundred metres, it is the deepest lake in the United States.
The Klamath people witnessed the eruption, and their stories of a battle between the spirits of the sky and the underworld may preserve a memory of it. The lake remains sacred to them. Wizard Island, a small cinder cone, rises from the western part of the lake, and a boat tour runs out there in summer, descending by a steep trail from Cleetwood Cove, the only legal access to the water. The park was established in 1902, one of the oldest in the country, and the area is rich in old-growth forest, with mountain hemlock, whitebark pine and wildflower meadows.
The Rim Drive circles the lake for about fifty kilometres, climbing and dipping along the crest at heights between two thousand and two and a half thousand metres. It is slower and more varied than you might expect, with a series of overlooks where you can stop. Corners are gentle, the surface is generally good, and the main hazards are tourists and cyclists, gravel on the verges, and wildlife. Snow lingers so long that the full drive usually opens only in July and closes in October, and it can close at any time after an early storm, so check the park's conditions before riding.
Fuel inside the park is limited. There is a seasonal station at Mazama Village, but it is wise to arrive with a full tank, and the nearest larger services are on the surrounding highways, at Fort Klamath, Union Creek or the Diamond Lake area. Nights are cold, even in summer, so bring layers, and the air is thin at this altitude. Smoke from wildfires can blur the view in late summer, so a clear day in July or September is best. Take your time at the overlooks, because the colour of the water changes with the light.