Let me just start off with…wow!
Saturday we drove about two and a half hours to Crater Lake National Park, and it was worth every minute of that long drive.
We learned that Mount Mazama grew, erupted, and collapsed forming a caldera. Water eventually filled the caldera, creating Crater Lake.
The water is a deep blue color, and it is mesmerizing. The reflection of the clouds adds even more depth and beauty to the already stunning lake.
We chose to walk the Discovery Point Trail around the rim of Crater Lake so that we could check out all the beautiful views.
It was hot, but it was definitely worth the heat.
Our kids were completely fascinated with how Crater Lake was formed and thought it was beautiful to see.
After walking around for awhile and feeling like we’d really seen and soaked in the beauty of Crater Lake, we drove further into the national park to Plaikni Falls Trail.
Plaikni Falls Trail is a shaded 2-mile roundtrip hike. It is jog stroller friendly and an easy walk.
We were very happy to be in the shade after being in the hot sun the couple hours before.
Our kids had a blast walking logs, climbing rocks and looking for unique things they’d never seen.
Our older kids often ask for individual pictures in areas with amazing views. Our little girls very often ask for individual pictures by random rocks, tree stumps or in areas of devastation. While hiking this trail, I ran and stood on this little rock and excitedly said, “Oooh! Ryan, take a picture of me!” Our big kids laughed and our little kids looked at me like I was crazy. Later, Ryan posed on a log. Haha!
We enjoyed our walk and slowly made our way to Plaikni Falls.
Another great waterfall! I loved the setting of the rocks, green moss and trees.
We all touched the water and found it to be very cold but refreshing.
After seeing the waterfall, we made our way back down the trail.
Treasure searched and searched for a tree she had seen earlier. She felt it would make for a perfect photo. She was overjoyed when she found it. She asked her daddy to sit her in the hole. Then she got completely freaked out by the height but posed for her perfect photo anyway. Ha.
We made our way back to our van and started our long drive back to our RV Park. We surprised the kids by ordering Chipotle online, picking it up and eating a late dinner in the van.
Crater Lake is one of those places that looks fake in photos and fake in person because it is just that gorgeous. It’s worth making the trip to see for sure!