Rim Drive is a
scenic highway
A scenic route, tourist road, tourist route, tourist drive, holiday route, theme route, or scenic byway is a specially designated road or waterway that travels through an area of natural or cultural beauty. It often passes by scenic viewpoint ...
in
Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake National Park is an American national park located in southern Oregon. Established in 1902, Crater Lake is the fifth-oldest national park in the United States and the only national park in Oregon. The park encompasses the caldera of ...
in southern
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
, United States. It is a loop that follows the
caldera
A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcano eruption. When large volumes of magma are erupted over a short time, structural support for the rock above the magma chamber is ...
rim around
Crater Lake
Crater Lake (Klamath language, Klamath: ''Giiwas'') is a volcanic crater lake in south-central Oregon in the western United States. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and is famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The ...
. Due to its unique engineering and the surrounding park landscape, the drive was listed as a
historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 2008.
History
Crater Lake lies inside a caldera created 7,700 years ago when the high
Mount Mazama
Mount Mazama (''Giiwas'' in the Native American language Klamath language, Klamath) is a complex volcano in the state of Oregon, United States, in a segment of the Cascade Volcanoes, Cascade Volcanic Arc and Cascade Range. Most of the mountai ...
collapsed following a large
volcanic eruption
Several types of volcanic eruptions—during which lava, tephra (ash, lapilli, volcanic bombs and volcanic blocks), and assorted gases are expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure—have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are often ...
. Over the following
millennia
A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...
the caldera filled with rain water forming today's lake.
In 1886,
William Gladstone Steel
William Gladstone Steel (September 7, 1854 – October 21, 1934) was an American journalist who was known for campaigning for 17 years for the United States Congress to designate Crater Lake as a National Park. Steel is from Ohio, and worked in th ...
accompanied a
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
party led by Captain
Clarence Dutton
Clarence Edward Dutton (May 15, 1841 – January 4, 1912) was an American geologist and US Army officer. Dutton was born in Wallingford, Connecticut on May 15, 1841. He graduated from Yale College in 1860 and took postgraduate courses there until ...
to survey Crater Lake. During the visit, Steel named many of the lake's landmarks including
Wizard Island
Wizard Island is a volcanic cinder cone which forms an island at the west end of Crater Lake in Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. The top of the island reaches above sea level, about above the average surface of the lake.
The cone is cap ...
, Llao Rock, and Skell Head. The lake's natural beauty made a great impression on Steel. As a result, when he returned from the survey expedition, he began advocating that Crater Lake be established as a
national park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
.
On 22 May 1902, President
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
signed the bill making Crater Lake the Nation's sixth national park. The
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the mana ...
was charged with developing road access and visitor services for the park. This was a difficult job because of the park's remote location at the summit of the
Cascade Mountains
The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...
. By 1905, a "steep and tortuous" road to the crater rim had been completed. This access road was essential for the future development of the park.
In 1913, Congress appropriated funds for the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
, colors =
, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
, battles =
, battles_label = Wars
, website =
, commander1 = ...
to construct a road around Crater Lake. The initial road survey identified the northern end of Munson Valley, three miles (5 km) south of the rim, as the best site for the road crew's seasonal headquarters and supply depot. Not only was Munson Valley a central location, the surrounding area provided timber for constructing support facilities. However,
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
slowed down road construction.
The road around the lake was finally finished in 1919. In July of that year, the
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
assumed responsibility for maintaining the new loop road known as ''Rim Road''. The roadway was only wide and had other serious limitations including sections of road with
grades
Grade most commonly refers to:
* Grade (education), a measurement of a student's performance
* Grade, the number of the year a student has reached in a given educational stage
* Grade (slope), the steepness of a slope
Grade or grading may also r ...
as steep as ten percent. As a result, a major upgrade was needed soon after the original road was completed.
[Mark, Stephen R.]
"Construction of Rim Drive"
''History of Rim Drive'', National Park Service, Department of Interior, 2003.[Holleran, Patrick]
''Park Vision'', www.shannontech.com/ParkVision, 24 March 2008.
Construction
The current Rim Drive is a loop built by the
Bureau of Public Roads
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...
and the National Park Service with help from the
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...
. The new road was designed to be wide with shoulders. The new route was surveyed and graded in 1931 and 1932. The road foundation was built up during the following two years. In 1935, the initial
paving was completed, and the old roadbed that was not covered by the new road was dug up and the landscape restored. Lane striping was added in 1938. Work on the road drainage, stone masonry guardrails, and observation points continued until 1941. Despite the difficult
topography
Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps.
Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...
the entire project was completed for two million dollars, a significant engineering accomplishment.
One of the main goals of the Rim Drive construction project was to blend the road into the natural environment. This was successfully accomplished. The road is built with gentle curves and there are no switchbacks despite the rugged terrain.
Rustic stone guardrails were constructed along curves, at drainages, and at most of the Rim Drive viewpoints. While the observation points and turnouts provide views of the lake, the road itself cannot be seen from most of the observation points. Because of its unique history, engineering, stone masonry, associated hiking trails, and vistas of Crater Lake, Rim Drive was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 30 January 2008.
[Mark, Stephen R.]
"Rim Drive Historic District"
''National Register of Historic Places Registration Form'', National Park Service, United States Department of Interior, 13 December 2007. In addition, the American Automobile Association has named Rim Drive as one of the "ten most beautiful roads in the United States".
Route
Rim Drive is located high in the Cascade Mountains. At its lowest point, Rim Drive is above sea level. The road reaches almost at its highest point on top of Cloudcap. Rim Drive has eight main viewing areas with roadside parking. Four of these observation points (Pumice Point, Skell Head, Cloudcap, and Kerr Notch) are located just off the road. Short trails from parking areas lead to the other four observation points (
Sinnott Memorial, Discovery Point,
Watchman Lookout, and Merriam Point). In addition to the main viewing areas, there are 15 turnout vista points along the road.
Heading northwest from the Crater Lake National Park headquarters in the
Munson Valley Historic District
Munson Valley Historic District is the headquarters and main support area for Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon. The National Park Service chose Munson Valley for the park headquarters because of its central location within the park. ...
, it is three miles (5 km) to Crater Lake rim and the
Rim Village visitor area which is also a historic district. The Sinnott Memorial overlook is located in Rim Village. Leaving Rim Village, the speed limit is reduced to . Visitors reach the Discovery Point viewing area in just over one mile (1.6 km). From there, it is five miles (8 km) to the junction with the ''North Entrance Road''. Between these two way points visitors pass over the West Rim Summit. The section of Rim Drive between Rim Village and the North Entrance Road is known as ''West Rim Drive''. This part of the road is used heavily during the summer because it is the direct route between the park's north and south entrances and passes by the Rim Village visitor area and the park headquarters at Munson Valley. It also offers classic views of Crater Lake and Wizard Island along the way.
Continuing north on Rim Drive past the North Entrance Road junction, visitors traverse the back side of Llao Rock. This is the beginning of ''East Rim Drive''. The next turnout for viewing the lake is approximately two miles beyond the North Entrance Road junction. Viewpoints along East Rim Drive are generally not crowded except at the Cleetwood Cove parking area which is at the north end of Crater Lake. Cleetwood Cove is the trailhead for the only hiking trail down into the crater. The National Park Service maintains a marina for boat tours at Cleetwood Cove.
Beyond Cleetwood Cove, on East Rim Drive there are a series of seven turnout-parking vista points. These turnouts retain almost all of their original stone masonry and have views of Crater Lake. The first of these view points is located above Grotto Cove, about halfway around the lake from Rim Village. The next viewing area is Skell Head, about a half mile from Grotto Cove. The next five vista points are spread over the approximately seven miles. These stops are Cloudcap, Cottage Rocks, Sentinel Point, Reflection Point, and Kerr Notch. Each site has views of the lake and surrounding landscape include
Mount Scott.
Kerr Notch, located from Rim Village, is the last observation point on the Rim Drive loop with a view of the lake. After leaving Kerr Notch the road cuts across the east face of Dutton Ridge offering a view of the
Klamath Basin
The Klamath Basin is the region in the U.S. states of Oregon and California drained by the Klamath River. It contains most of Klamath County and parts of Lake and Jackson counties in Oregon, and parts of Del Norte, Humboldt, Modoc, Siskiyou, a ...
from near the East Rim Summit. Rim Drive then descends to the Sun Notch trailhead where visitors can hike to another viewpoint overlooking the lake. Rim Drive continues along the outer edge of Sun Meadow to a parking area in front of Vidae Falls, a cascade. Vidae Falls has a picnic area and a trailhead to a cinder cone called Crater Peak.
The final two miles (3 km) of Rim Drive passes by the Castle Crest Wildflower Garden. The half mile long Castle Crest Nature Trail takes visitor through a wetland wildflower meadow. The wildflower display is at its peak in July and August. Rim Drive terminates a half mile from the Castle Crest parking area, at the Munson Valley Road junction near the park headquarters and visitor center.
Access
Rim Drive has two access points. The south access begins at the park headquarters in the Munson Valley Historic District sixty miles north of
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Klamath County, Oregon, United States. The city was originally called ''Linkville'' when George Nurse founded the town in 1867. It was named after the Link River, on whose falls the city was ...
. The road to Munson Valley is open year-around. However, snowfall in the park is heavy and winter storms make driving in the Crater Lake area unpredictable.
"Weather"
National Park Service, United States Department of Interior, 7 April 2008.
The park's north entrance is nine miles (14 km) north of the Rim Drive junction across an area known as the Pumice Desert. From the north entrance, it is to Bend, Oregon
Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is the principal city of the Bend Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, with a population of 99,178 at the time of the 2020 U.S ...
. The North Entrance Road is closed in the fall and does not re-open until the following summer.["Rim Drive"](_blank)
National Park Service, United States Department of Interior, May 2001.
In the Crater Lake area, winter lasts eight months with an average snowfall of 533 inches (1,354 cm) per year, and many snow banks remain well into the summer. While the park headquarters and visitor center at Munson Valley and the Rim Village cafeteria are open year-around, Rim Drive is only open during the summer due to the heavy snowfall. In most places, the road is covered by more than of snow with drifts as deep as in some areas. Sensors buried in the roadway help snow removal crews locate the center of the road under the accumulated snow.
National Park Service, United States Department of Interior, Crater Lake, Oregon, November 2001.
During the summer, the National Park Service charges a $30 fee for private passenger vehicles entering the park. In non summer months the fee is $15 for private passenger vehicles. Commercial vehicles are charged between $25 and $200 depending on the vehicle's capacity.
References
External links
Crater Lake National Park
National Park Service
Crater Lake National Park Roads, Crater Lake, Klamath, OR
at the Historic American Engineering Record
Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...
(HAER)
{{National Register of Historic Places Oregon
Civilian Conservation Corps in Oregon
National Register of Historic Places in Crater Lake National Park
Roads on the National Register of Historic Places in Oregon
National Park Service rustic in Oregon
National Register of Historic Places in Klamath County, Oregon
Transportation in Klamath County, Oregon
Tourist attractions in Klamath County, Oregon
Historic American Engineering Record in Oregon
1935 establishments in Oregon
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Oregon