Late summer family trip to Oregon. Visited Crater Lake National Park and the beautiful coast.
Rogue River
Flew into Medford, then drove to Crater Lake National Park. Along the way, we visited the Natural Bridge and gorge along the Rogue River. The river starts in the Cascade Mountains, near Crater Lake. It flows 184 miles downstream and reaches the Pacific Ocean near Gold Beach.
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| The river flows into a cave. |
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| Rogue River flows through a lava tube - this is the Natural Bridge. |
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| Rogue River gorge |
Crater Lake
We stayed in a cabin in Mazama Village, 15 minute drive from Crater Lake. The rooms were basic - essentially a place to shower and sleep. Beds were comfortable. We had two days in Crater Lake National Park - plenty of time to visit the viewpoints and some hikes. The first day started very hazy due to smoke from wildfires in northern California - we couldn't see the sky and the lake was barely visible. Fortunately, around noon a cold front came through and changed the wind to blow from the north which pushed out most of the smoke and reducing the haze. Our second day was clear skies and almost no haze. Perfect for enjoying the beautiful blue lake and as a bonus, there was a super moon that evening.
Crater Lake formed when Mount Mazama, a volcano, erupted and its summit collapsed 7,700 years ago creating a crater. Over time, rain and snow fell and collected in the crater. Additional water came from runoff from melting snow on the hills above the lake. At 1943 feet/592 meters, it is the deepest lake in the United States and also the world's deepest lake that was formed by volcanic activity.
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| Model of Crater Lake near the Rim Village visitor center. |
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| Near the top of Cleetwood Cove Trail, which goes from rim to lake level. This trail is 2.2 miles/3.5 km round trip. It is a steep grade, so it is a challenging hike. |
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| Bottom of Cleetwood Cove Trail, near the base of the lake. |
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| Someone decided to jump in the lake and swim. |
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| Here comes the super moon, rising over Crater Lake. |
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| The super moon is big and bright. |
Toketee Falls
We departed Crater Lake National Park and headed to the Oregon Coast. We stopped at Toketee Falls along the way. It is a 1 mile/1.6 km roundtrip hike to the falls. A large wooden pipeline transports flowing water to be converted into energy.
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| North Umpqua Hydroelectric Project Pipeline. Any leaks are normal. |
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| Toketee Falls from the observation deck. |
Oregon Coast: Reedsport to Gold Beach
We arrived the Oregon coast in late afternoon and spent the night in Best Western Salbasgeon Inn & Suites in Reedsport. The Umpqua Lighthouse is nearby and we visited it twice - at night to see the red and white beams circulating and the next morning to climb to the top. We visited several spots on the coast on our way to Gold Beach.
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| The sunset produced yellow, orange, and purple colors in the sky |
Oregon Coast: Gold Beach to Bandon
We continued heading south on the Oregon coast. Then turned around at Harris Beach and headed north to Bandon.
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| Overlook at Cape Sebastian |
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| Natural Bridges |
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| We hiked a loop trail at Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor. Lots of ocean views here. |
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| Sand dune in Samuel H. Boardman corridor |
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| Cape Ferrelo Viewpoint |
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| Harris Beach. This rock formation resembles a whale head. |
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| Needle Rock at Cape Blanco State Park |
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| Panoramic view at Cape Blanco State Park |
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| Cape Blanco Lighthouse |
Oregon Coast: Bandon
Our last night on the coast was in Sunset Oceanfront Lodging, across the road from Bandon Beach. Lots of rock formations in this beach. We walked the beach during low tide and enjoyed the sunset.
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| Castle Rock |
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| Cathedral Rock |
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| Wizards Hat rock |
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| We found a rock shaped like a heart on the beach |
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| Sunset over Castle Rock |
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| Castle Rock under the sun |
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| Siuslaw River Bridge in Florence with the sand dunes in the background |
