Explore This Park

• Plan Your Visit
  • Basic Information
    • Operating Hours & Seasons

Operating Hours & Seasons

Hours

The park is open year-round, 24 hours a day. But many of the park's roads, trails, and facilities are closed seasonally due to snow. Visit our current conditions page to find out what's open in the park today.

Seasonal Road Closures

Crater Lake is one of the snowiest inhabited places in the USA. Each winter, deep snow forces us to close the park's Rim Drive and North Entrance to cars. Rim Drive becomes a trail for skiing and snowshoeing. The North Entrance road becomes a snowmobile trail. These roads close for the season with the first big October snowstorm, or on November 1, whichever comes first.

Closing Dates in Recent Years
Year	West Rim Drive & North Entrance	East Rim Drive
2016	October 14	October 14
2015	November 1	November 1
2014	October 28	October 27
2013	October 28	October 1
2012	October 23	October 23
2011	November 1	November 1
2010	October 24	October 23
2009	October 27	October 13

 

 

Opening the Park's Roads

We begin plowing closed roads in mid-to-late April. But it takes a long time to open them up; there are no set dates. Read about the process of "spring opening" here. In general, opening dates depend on winter snow totals, but other factors (like equipment breakdowns) play a role.

The North Entrance and West Rim Drive can open as early as mid-May and or as late as the end of June. The East Rim Drive opens sometime between mid-June and late July.

In 2017, opening dates will likely be later than normal due to an above-average snowpack. In past years with similar snow totals, the West Rim Drive and North Entrance have opened in mid-June, and the East Rim Drive has opened in mid-July. Visit our current conditions page to check on the progress of our snow plows.

Opening Dates in Recent Years
Year	West Rim Drive & North Entrance	East Rim Drive	Winter Snow Total
2017	Mid-June???	Mid-July???	48 feet
2016	May 27	July 13	38 feet
2015	May 14	June 11	16 feet
2014	May 23	July 1	21 feet
2013	May 15	July 2	30 feet
2012	June 11	July 17	33 feet
2011	June 24	July 22	56 feet
2010	June 7	July 9	34 feet
2009	June 1	June 30	39 feet
2008	June 20	July 11	48 feet
2007	May 24	June 29	36 feet
2006	June 14	July 14	48 feet
2005	June 10	June 29	30 feet
2004	June 17	July 3	46 feet