Crater Lake National Park Road Tour

DAY 1

We will shuttle to our starting point at Fish Lake. Mt. McLoughlin towers above us to the east and we skirt its shoulder while heading north. We ride through lush meadows surrounded by towering forests as we descend to the tiny town of Butte Falls. This terrain gives very few hints of the dramatic volcanic activity which once dominated the region. From Butte Falls we roll up and over Carney Flat and then continue downward into Prospect. We will spend the night at the historic Prospect Hotel, where Teddy Roosevelt, Zane Grey and Jack London all slept when they journeyed to Crater Lake.
TOTAL MILEAGE: 46 miles

DAY 2

Today is the big day. We will earn some serious relaxation on the porch of Crater Lake  Lodge, “earn” being the key word. During our ride today we will have a great opportunity to learn about trees of the incredibly diverse forests of Oregon. There are the Western hemlock which have droopy needles and Dr. Seuss like tips. The giant yellow Cedars shed their bark in great strips. And finally there is the mighty Douglas fir, named after one of the most famous naturalists in history, David Douglas. Douglas traveled on foot throughout much of the northwest, logging over 4,000 miles in a single year, while collecting specimens and taking notes. And all you have to do is pedal up about 4,000 feet! For the next two nights our home will be the Crater Lake Lodge, with great views of the lake.
TOTAL MILEAGE: 38 miles

DAY 3

Today we will be riding the rim of the caldera and hiking down to lake level. We will get an early start and begin by spinning our way on the rolling hills of the Eastern Rim. As we approach the western side of Crater Lake Drive, we are rewarded with breathtaking views of the crystal clear lake and Mount Scott towering above the rim. We’ll park our bikes by the van at the Cleetwood Trailhead and hike to the lake. A short 1.1 mile hike will bring us down to the boat dock where we will lunch on the shore and then head out on the boat for a cruise around the glassy lake. The hearty may choose to hop on the bike to finish the loop around the rim. Hors d’oeuvres will await us on the relaxing porch of the Crater Lake Lodge.
TOTAL MILEAGE: 21 - 33 miles

DAY 4

We leave our perch on the rim and head north today. Our last views of the lake will be at the North Junction before we descend into the Pumice Desert. This is where quite a bit of Mt. Mazama ended up when it blew its top way back around 6,300 BC; a very recent event in the grand geologic scheme. We continue to Diamond Lake. Mt. Bailey rises on the western shore of the lake and at over 8,000 feet it is a popular backcountry skiing area in the winter. On the eastern shore stands Mt. Thielsen, a jagged and rocky peak that attracts only the bravest climbers. Our climbing days are primarily behind us as we continue to descend to the banks of the North Umpqua River. This river is designated as Wild and Scenic and you will soon see why. Our goal is the Steamboat Inn where we will stay in beautiful cabins right on the river.
TOTAL MILEAGE: 63 miles

DAY 5

With regret, we leave the Steamboat Inn after a very delicious breakfast and continue west along the Umpqua. Many people consider the Umpqua to be the most beautiful river in America. This area was homesteaded in the early 1900s by Perry and Jesse Wright. It is easy to imagine how they fell in love with the beauty of the place, but it is harder to imagine living here 30 years before the highway was completed. To survive on their ranch they packed everything in on pack trains of horses on narrow trails above the rushing water. We’ll have lunch with a view and then load the bikes for our trip back to civilization.
TOTAL MILEAGE: 34 miles