Last updated: April 19, 2021
Place
Phantom Ship Overlook
NPS Photo
Quick Facts
Location:
Phantom Ship Overlook is located along East Rim Drive, open July through October weather permitting.
Amenities
1 listed
Scenic View/Photo Spot
Phantom Ship Overlook provides one of the best views of the Phantom Ship along Rim Drive. One of Crater Lake's two islands, it is 170 feet (51.8 meters) high, 500 feet (152 meters) long, and 200 feet (60.9 meters) wide.
At first glance, the dark, jagged island just offshore calls to mind the image of a ghostly ship with tall masts and drooping sails. Phantom Ship is actually a resistant remnant of an ancient volcanic cone that was engulfed in the growing Mazama volcano. This vent shared the underground changer that fed Mount Mazama and was part of its early mountain building phase. These rocky spires remained after Mount Mazama's massive eruption and collapse, displaying the oldest rock in the Crater Lake basin over 400,000 years old.
At first glance, the dark, jagged island just offshore calls to mind the image of a ghostly ship with tall masts and drooping sails. Phantom Ship is actually a resistant remnant of an ancient volcanic cone that was engulfed in the growing Mazama volcano. This vent shared the underground changer that fed Mount Mazama and was part of its early mountain building phase. These rocky spires remained after Mount Mazama's massive eruption and collapse, displaying the oldest rock in the Crater Lake basin over 400,000 years old.