U.S. National Parks Archives - Caffeinated Excursions https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/tag/u-s-national-parks/ Blog of a Traveling Coffee Addict Mon, 12 Aug 2024 22:33:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.3 https://i0.wp.com/caffeinatedexcursions.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/wp-1555570621336.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 U.S. National Parks Archives - Caffeinated Excursions https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/tag/u-s-national-parks/ 32 32 141833777 A Weekend Road Trip To Crater Lake, OR https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/a-weekend-road-trip-to-crater-lake-or/ https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/a-weekend-road-trip-to-crater-lake-or/#respond Mon, 14 Aug 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/?p=30822 There’s no better time to visit the Pacific Northwest than in August or September! As someone who grew up in Seattle and now lives in Chicago, I can personally confirm this. I love going back home during the late summer months, especially when I have a local...

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A Weekend Road Trip To Crater Lake, OR

Published August 14, 2023

There’s no better time to visit the Pacific Northwest than in August or September! As someone who grew up in Seattle and now lives in Chicago, I can personally confirm this. I love going back home during the late summer months, especially when I have a local trip planned. This year, that excursion was a drive down to Crater Lake, Oregon!

My high school friend group has an annual tradition of getting together in late summer for an outdoorsy, PNW road trip. Dorian, Ismael, Matthew, and I have stayed in tents, rented cabins, and booked yurts. To learn more about where we’ve been the past few years, click or tap on one of the image links below!

Since we had already camped in Washington and Montana, Oregon seemed like a logical destination for 2023. My cousin, Kailyn (who is also a travel blogger), spent some time in Crater Lake National Park a few years ago. I think that’s what originally put the idea in my head. Click here to check out what she had to say about it!

A three-day weekend was enough time to go on a road trip from Seattle to Crater Lake and back. However, it was a pretty jam-packed schedule with long stretches of driving. This post will provide an overview of our itinerary, as well as my thoughts on this stunningly blue body of freshwater. To skip down to any particular section, click or tap on the corresponding link below!

Basic Information About Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake National Park was established in 1902. Located in rural south-central Oregon, the lake was formed in a caldera. It’s the result of volcanic activity (not a meteor) that occurred approximately 7,700 years ago. Both the lake and its surroundings are strikingly pretty.

The most impressive thing about Crater Lake is the deep blue color of its water. It’s a shade of blue unlike any other body of water I’ve ever seen. I’m guessing this is because of its incredible depth. In fact, this is the deepest lake in the United States! From the surface, it goes down almost 2,000 feet!

No rivers or creeks feed into Crater Lake, and the steep walls of the caldera essentially shield the water from the wind. These factors cause the surface to be exceptionally still and glassy. It’s also very clear due to the lack of turbulence or flow.

Our Three-Day Weekend Itinerary

The following is a day-by-day breakdown of our road trip from Seattle to Crater Lake and back.

Day 1 (Friday): Drive From Seattle To Crater Lake

Early Friday morning, we departed Seattle and began our long drive towards Oregon. We took I-5 South until Portland, then drove along US-97 South through Bend. According to Google Maps, the journey is about 420 miles and takes 7.5 hours without stops. We left Seattle around 9:00 a.m. and arrived at Crater Lake around dinnertime. Our breaks included a stop for lunch and a stop for groceries in Bend.

Portland, Oregon

Portland was an ideal place to get lunch; we passed through Oregon’s largest city right around noon. After some brief online searches, we decided to try the Portland Food Hall (website | location). They didn’t have a ton of vendors or seating, but it was sufficient for us. I ordered birria tacos from Mi Pueblito Magico and found them to be pretty tasty.

The Portland Food Hall is only a block or two away from the Willamette River, which runs through the center of the city. After eating, we stretched our legs for a few minutes in a park overlooking the urban waterway before getting back on the road.

Our next stop after Portland was Bend, a mid-sized city in Central Oregon with a population of about 100,000 people. Located about three hours south of Portland by car, Bend has become a popular destination in recent years, so I was excited to get a glimpse of it. However, our quick drive through (and stop at the local Fred Meyer for groceries) didn’t really reveal much about the city. I guess I’ll have to prioritize another trip to see what Bend has to offer!

The final stretch of driving from Bend to Crater Lake took about two hours. Cell service cut out for us along this rural section of US-97 South. A little before sunset, we arrived to our cabin in Fort Klamath.

Day 2 (Saturday): All Day In The National Park

This itinerary allowed us to spend an entire day at Crater Lake. This was enough time to enjoy the stunning views, do a few hikes, and drive around the rim of the caldera. A couple of attractions were closed during our visit (more on that below). If everything had been open, two days at Crater Lake might have made more sense.

We started off Day 2 with breakfast at the Crater Lake Lodge (website | location). From what I can tell, there are only three options for food in the park, and this hotel restaurant is probably the best of them. There’s also a sit-down restaurant at Annie Creek and fast food at the Rim Village Gift Shop.

At the lodge restaurant, we ordered breakfast combos with eggs, potatoes, sausage, and toast. We also shared some buckwheat pancakes. I’d say it was a pretty standard breakfast, comparable to your average diner. Those golden cubed potatoes were the best part of the meal! The menu here is not extremely extensive, but it worked for us.

After breakfast, we spent a few minutes looking around the Rim Village Visitor Center. Then, we got in our vehicle and began driving over to Cleetwood Cove. This is the only trail in the national park that will bring you to the water’s edge. I’ve written a little bit more about this moderately steep hike below.

By the time we were done exploring the lakefront at Cleetwood Cove, we were ready for a late lunch. We went back to the lodge (since there are basically no other sit-down restaurants). This time, I ordered fish and chips. It was good, but I think the breakfast here was a little better.

We were a little tired by this time, so we headed back to our cabin to rest for a few hours. In hindsight, I wish we had driven a little further counterclockwise along the lake to see the Phantom Ship Overlook or Plaikni Falls. We thought this portion of Rim Drive was closed, but that actually ended up not being the case. Nevertheless, it was probably good to rest and be out of the sun.

The final thing we did on Day 2 was return to the park for a sunset hike up Watchman Peak Trail. This was not excessively strenuous, but it was incredibly windy and chilly up there at dusk! Be sure to bring a jacket. It’s worth noting as well that the sun sets over the mountains to the west, not over Crater Lake.

Day 3 (Sunday): Drive Back To Seattle

On our third day, we cooked a quick breakfast in our cabin then checked out. The main difference between our drive to Crater Lake and our drive back was that we didn’t go through Bend on the way home. We could’ve, but the GPS was indicating that it would be a little quicker to take Oregon Route 58 to Eugene and then I-5 North.

We stopped for lunch again in Portland (this time at The Old Spaghetti Factory). After about four more hours of driving, we got back to Seattle just in time for dinner.

Highlights of Crater Lake

Below are some of the main attractions you should see during your time at Crater Lake National Park.

Rim Village Visitor Center

This quaint little shop next to the Crater Lake Lodge is a great place to orient yourself, ask a ranger for tips, or buy a souvenir. This is also a great place to get a first look at the water!

Cleetwood Cove Trail

If you’re only interested in doing one hike at Crater Lake, this is the one I recommend. Cleetwood Cove is the only place where you can approach the water’s edge or go for a swim. It’s a little steep, but not an especially grueling hike. The views on the way down are incredible!

If boat tours to Wizard Island were operating, Cleetwood Cove is where we would’ve boarded one. I still am not quite sure why they hadn’t been given the green light to operate during our visit. The weather was absolutely perfect!

Watchman Peak Trail

Unlike Cleetwood Cove, Watchman Peak Trail actually rises in elevation and offers views from a higher vantage point than Rim Drive. The hike is pretty short and not super strenuous. We heard that this hike was perfect for sunset, so we did it after dinner on Day 2.

At the top of Watchman Peak is a little house-like structure where you can rest and enjoy the view. Crater Lake was indeed pretty during golden hour, but I wish we had known just how cold it would be up here! The wind was fierce, and we really should’ve brought sweatshirts.

Wizard Island

One of Crater Lake’s most stunning attributes is Wizard Island. It’s not exactly at the center of the lake, but rather on the far west side. From the western half of Rim Drive, you’ll get amazing views of this landform that really does look like a (slightly flattened) wizard’s hat.

There is no land bridge or man-made bridge to get to Wizard Island, which means an organized boat tour is the only way to reach it. To board one of the tours, you would hike down to Cleetwood Cove, where the dock is. Unfortunately, these water taxis weren’t running during our visit. Which brings me to…

Things I Wish We Had Known

There are two main things I wish we had known before arriving. The first is something we could’ve looked up online; the second is something that was not clearly stated on the National Park Service website or the Crater Lake website.

First, the road that goes around the lake is not fully open right now (August 2023). The northeast quadrant of Rim Drive (also known as the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway) is closed for construction. This is clearly stated online, but it means that you can’t drive all the way around the lake until it reopens. According to the National Park Service website, hikers and bikers won’t be able to pass this way either. Hopefully construction will be done by this time next year!

Second, there were no boat tours operating when we went. This was a major disappointment because the official tour operator website says that they will run this season. However, we were told in person at the Crater Lake Lodge that the Coast Guard still hasn’t approved any boats on the water. Organized boat tours are the only way to get to Wizard Island in the middle of the lake.

We also called about a week before the trip, and the person who answered the phone implied that tours would be operating. I’m not sure if the park is intentionally being vague about it or what. The summer season is also almost over, so it’s not clear if the tours will be offered for only a few weeks in September or not at all this year. We still enjoyed our time at Crater Lake, but I feel like we missed out on the park’s most iconic offering.

Where We Stayed

The Crater Lake Lodge, which is within the boundaries of the national park, was fully booked by the time we were ready to reserve a place to stay (and we planned this trip well in advance). With this in mind, we instead booked a cabin at the Crater Lake Resort (website | location) near Fort Klamath, OR.

Driving from this campground to the south entrance of the national park took about half an hour, which was pretty reasonable. It was also a scenic drive. The cabin itself was absolutely amazing, with many more amenities than we were expecting. For example, the lodging came with a fully functional kitchen and a nice bathroom and shower in-room.

The Crater Lake Resort also had a little creek onsite and offered canoes. Unfortunately, we didn’t really have time to take advantage of them. They also have a convenience store, but prices did seem a little high there. Overall, this ended up being an ideal place to stay for us.

The idyllic little creek at Crater Lake Resort

Enjoy the Marvels of Crater Lake!

Hopefully this blog post provides some helpful tips if you’re headed to Crater Lake soon! I loved that we were able to see much of the park in one day. However, I’d like to go back maybe in a few years to experience the boat tour and hike on Wizard Island. I hope the park is open in its entirety for your visit!

Have you been to Crater Lake? If you have, what was your favorite part of the park? Leave a comment below and let me know! Thanks for reading and see you next time!

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This post was published on Aug 14, 2023

Hi, I’m Kevin! I’m a coffee addict from Seattle, and my life revolves around traveling! Caffeinated Excursions is a record of my trips over the past seven years. Since I started blogging, I’ve lived in Mexico, Vietnam, Brazil, and the US. I just moved to Australia and plan to be here a full year. Thanks for checking out my blog!

Upcoming Trips

  1. Bangkok (Sept)
  2. Istanbul (Sept)

Support the Blog!

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]]> https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/a-weekend-road-trip-to-crater-lake-or/feed/ 0 30822 Reconnect With Nature At Glacier National Park, Montana https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/reconnect-with-nature-at-glacier-national-park-montana/ https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/reconnect-with-nature-at-glacier-national-park-montana/#comments Thu, 16 Sep 2021 05:00:00 +0000 https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/?p=18562 Welcome to my blog’s very first post featuring an American National Park! If you’re looking for a truly invigorating outdoors adventure, Glacier needs to be your next destination. This national park boasts jaw-dropping views of soaring, sharp mountain peaks above and expansive evergreen valleys below...

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Reconnect With Nature At Glacier National Park, Montana

Reconnect With Nature At Glacier National Park, Montana

Published September 16, 2021

Welcome to my blog’s very first post featuring an American National Park! If you’re looking for a truly invigorating outdoors adventure, Glacier needs to be your next destination. This national park boasts jaw-dropping views of soaring, sharp mountain peaks above and expansive evergreen valleys below. In terms of outdoor activities, hiking is the main one, but it’s not required to see many of the park’s most beautiful spots!

How did I pick Glacier over all the other beautiful national parks? Well, three friends from high school and I have wanted to do an outdoorsy trip in Montana for a number of years. Glacier was recommended to us by other people who’ve been to Western Montana, and I’m so glad they put it on our radar! We also camped a couple days on nearby Flathead Lake before heading to the park.

This post is organized into a few sections: basic info, what to see along the park’s main road, hikes we did, food ideas, where to stay, and additional tips.

Basic Info

Glacier NP is known for its dramatic mountains, steep cliffs, and clear glacial lakes. The park’s focal point is Going-to-the-Sun Road, which connects its eastern and western boundaries. There is a sprawling network of hiking trails throughout Glacier, and the park itself is truly massive at roughly one million acres.

Given how big the park is, you’ll probably only have time to scratch the surface of what Glacier has to offer. We spent four days there, and this post will give you an idea of what we were able to do in that time.

Attractions Along Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTSR)

The one thing you simply can’t miss on your visit to Glacier NP is driving along Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTSR) from start to finish. The scenery is stunning, and each little section offers its own unique views. Since we stayed in West Glacier, I’ll mention the points of interest going west to east.

Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTSR)

From end to end, GTSR is about 50 miles long, and takes about two hours to drive along. If you’re planning on doing a two-way drive in a single day, you’ll want to give yourself from morning until sunset to stop for pictures and admire the views. With a very early start, you might be able to fit in a short hike too, but it would be a pretty packed schedule.

West Entrance Sign

West Glacier Village is a small collection of restaurants and souvenir shops that anyone can visit without actually entering the park. In front of the ticket checkpoint is the entrance sign, which as of fall 2021, is still the older style. (The East Entrance Sign has a more modern design.)

Lake McDonald

This long, narrow lake is the first major attraction you’ll drive by as you start your journey on Going-to-the-Sun Road. As such, you might be tempted to stop a bunch of times along its shore, but don’t spend all day here! Lake McDonald is only a preview of even more stunning views further along!

The Loop

GTSR’s sharpest hairpin turn is called The Loop, located roughly at its halfway point. As you make your way from Lake McDonald to this point, you’ll slowly climb in elevation and begin to see some unique mountaintops, particularly Heavens Peak.

Heavens Peak

Logan Pass

In my opinion, this is the most stunning part of the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Past The Loop, GTSR is no longer a straight path surrounded by forests, but a windy road hugging steep mountainsides. The views go from stunning to spectacular as you continue to increase in elevation.

As you approach Logan Pass, you’ll start to be able to see Mt. Oberlin, which is probably my favorite mountain in the park. Its flat face has these incredible horizontal geological layers criss-crossed with vertical layers carved out by glaciers. The lower half of Mt. Oberlin is also covered with vegetation, forming a beautiful gradient of light to dark green.

Notice the stunning layers of rock running perpendicular to the vertical ridges carved out by glaciers on the side of Mount Oberlin.
All of the various shades of grey and green on Mount Oberlin are pretty impressive.

A few trailheads are located at the Logan Pass Visitor Center: the famous Highline Trail and the Hidden Lake Trail. As you continue to drive eastward from this point, you’ll see Going-to-the-Sun Mountain on your left.

Saint Mary Lake

This glacial lake is the last major landmark before reaching the end of GTSR. I personally think it’s a lot prettier than Lake McDonald.

Don’t miss Wild Goose Island Lookout, which can be found about halfway along the lake’s northern shore. Goose Island may just be a tiny piece of land in St. Mary Lake with a couple of pine trees on it, but the view of it in the foreground and the mountains in the background is one of the most impressive stops along Going-to-the-Sun Road.

East Entrance Sign

Past St. Mary Lake is the final stretch of GTSR, which has a visitor center, a ticket checkpoint, and another park sign. We took pictures here since the lighting was better, and as you can see, the design is different from the West Entrance sign (as of September 2021).

Saint Mary

Directly outside of the Park boundary at the east end of GTSR is the tiny town Saint Mary. Since we arrived here in the early afternoon, we figured that this little village would have a number of lunch options, but that didn’t really seem to be the case. We finally ate at one hotel restaurant, but the food was overpriced and sort of mediocre.

After our underwhelming lunch, we started heading back towards West Glacier the way we came. Although the drive was familiar to us by now, it was worth seeing all those beautiful mountains and lakes from the opposite direction. If you wanted to do a real loop, you could instead head back on US-89 South and US-2 West, which are not within the NP boundaries.

Hikes

During our four days in Glacier, we only managed to do two hikes, for reasons I’ll explain below.

Avalanche Trail

This relatively straightforward hiking trail was the first one we did. You park in or around this parking lot before entering the forest. For most of the climb up, it’s honestly not too interesting. But when you reach Avalanche Lake, you’ll understand why this hike is worth it!

Located in a little clearing surrounded by waterfalls trickling down walls of rock, Avalanche Lake feels like its the center of a massive outdoor stadium. The water is so calm, and it’s a great place to take pictures. Note that there aren’t any vendors along the trail, so it’s a good idea to pack whatever snacks or beverages you may need.

Highline Trail

This trail might be Glacier NP’s most famous, and there’s a good reason for that: the views are some of the most impressive that we encountered. Since the Highline begins with an ascent up above Going-to-the-Sun Road, it allows hikers to see an even more stunning panorama of the valley below.

Looking down on Going-to-the-Sun Road from a portion of the Highline Trail

The trailhead for Highline can be found at the Logan Pass Visitor Center. It then heads about 7.4 miles northwest before ending at the Granite Park Chalet. Given the trail’s length and the fact that it doesn’t form a loop, we decided to only hike a portion of it and then go back.

But I’ll be honest with you: you need to be prepared and take this trail seriously. It’s not an incredibly difficult hike, but there are lots of sections that have steep drop-offs and no railings or barriers. We were still able to enjoy it, but there were portions where almost all of my attention was focused on not getting anywhere near the edge. The trail itself is not extremely narrow, but it’s also not exactly wide.

I would recommend that anyone with a fear of heights keep that in mind before going on this trail. It might not be appropriate for young kids, either. Good shoes with traction are a must, and I would personally never do this hike alone. Unfortunately, tragic accidents have occurred in the area. My purpose in telling you all of this isn’t to scare you into avoiding the Highline, but to just be honest about what to expect.

To end this section on a lighter note, Highline is where we saw the most wildlife. Some beautiful mountain goats and adorable ground squirrels were roaming near the trail, so keep your eyes and cameras out for critters!

Hidden Lake Trail - A Hike We Wanted to Do but Couldn't

This short trail also originates at the Logan Pass Visitor Center, and it’s my understanding (comment below and correct me if I’m wrong) that it’s a bit more family-friendly than the Highline. However, we never got an opportunity to check it out, since the trail was closed two days in a row due to bear sightings.

Bears are something to be aware of while visiting Glacier, and since sightings could cause any trail to close, consider backup hikes just in case. In addition, inquire at your hotel or campground about bear spray.

Food Ideas

In between driving along GTSR and hiking, we found some pretty good places to eat in and around West Glacier. In general, most restaurants in the area offer American classics.

Josephine's Speakeasy (and Glacier Distilling Company)

This bar (location | website) has an extensive food menu, so we ate there for dinner twice. With fancy offerings like charcuterie boards and bone marrow, Josephine’s was the perfect place to share a bunch of plates and a few drinks for dinner.

Next to Josephine’s Speakeasy is Glacier Distilling Company (location | website), which sells both bottles of almost any kind of liquor you can think of as well as very affordable flights so that you can taste a bunch of options before deciding on what to take home. The alcohol they distill is all locally inspired, and a lot of what they have tastes great without a chaser or mixer.

Flitter Bee Buzz Thru Espresso and Micro Bakery

This little coffee and pastry stand was our go to for breakfast basically every day! It’s located in the parking lot of the Glacier Outdoor Center right outside of West Glacier, and they had a ton of interesting flavored lattes to get you going in the morning. They also have bagels and other baked goods.

There aren’t a ton of breakfast places in the area (I wouldn’t recommend sitting down for a massive meal before hiking anyways). That’s why breakfast to go from Flitter Bee Buzz Thru was perfect before heading into the park.

Glacier Grill & Pizza

This popular spot (location | website) was right across the street from our hotel, so we went there a couple times. Their pizza and burgers were filling and delicious after a long day of driving and hiking.

They also offer broasted chicken, a dish that none of us had tried before, so we had to go for it! If you want to try it, get there early; once they run out for the day, you’re out of luck!

Kalispell, MT (Hops Downtown Grill)

This is the largest town near Glacier NP, located about 35 miles southwest of West Glacier Village. There were a number of interesting restaurants to choose from in Kalispell, and we tried Hops Downtown Grill Kalispell (location | website) for dinner one night.

Their Caesar salad with anchovies was delicious, and for the main course, I couldn’t resist their “Hunter’s Trio,” a combination of three sliders using yak, elk, and bison patties. Those little burgers were really good too, although to be honest, I couldn’t tell which one was which!

Where to Stay

We booked a room at the Evergreen Motel, an affordable and clean lodging about a ten-minute drive south of West Glacier. We were originally looking to stay inside the park itself, but availability was almost nonexistent even months in advance. Since we only needed a place to sleep at night, this was a great find with friendly staff. I’d definitely stay there again.

Additional Tips

We saw a couple buses and trolley tour vehicles in the park, but I highly recommend driving out to Glacier or renting a car when you get there. You’re going to want to be able to explore on your own terms, pull off to the side of the road when you want to, and so on. Trying to get around without a car would be way more trouble than it’s worth.

In order to enter the park, you need both a park entrance pass and a GTSR pass. The latter is a new system as of 2021 designed to limit traffic on the road, and it is, for all intents and purposes, not optional. Plan early and research to stay up to date on requirements.

While Glacier NP is technically open all year, GTSR closes in the winter. This guide is intended for a summer or early fall visit, but if you’ve been to Glacier in the winter, leave a comment below and let me know what you did!

Go Rediscover Nature!

Since we’ve been wanting to visit Montana for so long, our expectations for Glacier National Park were high. Nonetheless, the park blew us away! As I mentioned earlier, we only scratched the surface: there are so many other lakes I want to see and hikes I want to do.

Have you been to Glacier before, or are you planning an upcoming trip? Leave a comment below and let me know! Thanks for checking out this blog post!

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Glacier National Park was a stunning outdoorsy getaway trip. With dramatic mountain peaks and clear glacial lakes, Glacier offers some of the most stunning views you can possibly imagine. Check out this blog post to learn more! Glacier National Park was a stunning outdoorsy getaway trip. With dramatic mountain peaks and clear glacial lakes, Glacier offers some of the most stunning views you can possibly imagine. Check out this blog post to learn more!

This post was published on Sept 16, 2021

Hi, I’m Kevin! I’m a coffee addict from Seattle, and my life revolves around traveling! Caffeinated Excursions is a record of my trips over the past seven years. Since I started blogging, I’ve lived in Mexico, Vietnam, Brazil, and the US. I just moved to Australia and plan to be here a full year. Thanks for checking out my blog!

Upcoming Trips

  1. Bangkok (Sept)
  2. Istanbul (Sept)

Support the Blog!

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