Crater Lake National Park: Big, Deep and Blue

First impression: That is a very blue lake. Second impression: There are a lot of mosquitos here. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and it also boasts being the clearest and cleanest. The basin was once a mountain peak but after a volcanic eruption 7,700 years ago, it became a deep fissure and filled with rain and snow. The day we arrived it was perfectly clear and the views from the Rim Village Visitors Center reminded us of a postcard. After exploring the rim a bit, we headed to the Mazama Campground where we found ourselves immersed in mosquitos. We quickly made dinner and played some inside games. Eli started feeling bad around bedtime and after throwing up a few times, settled down for the night. Early the next morning, we decided to make our way to Cleetwood Cove, which is the only legal place to access the lake. We packed our lunch, fishing pole, and swimsuits and headed down the 1.1-mile trail which dropped 700 feet. I can’t emphasize the beauty of the lake views. We stopped along the trail a few times to try and take it in. It is by far one of the most beautiful lakes I’ve ever seen. At the bottom, we found ourselves excited to jump into the 60 degree lake from a rock ledge! We all jumped. Some of us jumped several times! It was an incredible experience that we won’t soon forget!