Crater Lake’s sapphire-blue tone and steep caldera walls draw crowds all year, offering many activities for RV campers to stick around for a few days. Formed by a collapsed volcano, the lake is the deepest in the United States at 1,949 feet -- and is Oregon’s only national park. In the summer, visitors to Crater Lake National Park can hike, go on a boat tour to Wizard Island, and participate in ranger-guided programs. The long months of fall, winter and spring bring heavy snowfall, perfect for cross-country skiing and snowmobiling the lake’s rim.
Just 7 miles from the rim of Crater Lake and 3 miles from the park’s Steel Visitor Center, Mazama Village is the only RV campground located inside Crater Lake National Park. The campground is open from mid-June to late September or early-October depending on the weather. Most sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis, but a limited number of sites may be reserved in advance. Mazama Village’s RV sites have fire rings and picnic tables, but only a few sites have electrical hookups. A water hookup at the dump station, public restrooms, showers and laundry facilities are also available for guest use. Though entertainment and recreation options at the campground are limited, the proximity to Crater Lake makes Mazama an ideal base for visiting the national park to hike or taking a tour of the lake and visitor center.
In the city of Fort Klamath, about 22 miles from the visitor center, Crater Lake Resort sits on the banks of Fort Creek. The resort’s RV sites, available all year, have full hookups, picnic tables and campfire pits. Amenities at the resort include restrooms with showers, laundry facilities and free Wi-Fi access. There are no pull-through RV sites, and the resort doesn't have cable or satellite television. Campers can play pickle ball or volleyball, use free canoes to paddle in Fort Creek or visit nearby attractions in Fort Klamath -- like the Fort Klamath museum, just a quarter mile away.
The Crater Lake RV Park, also known as Prospect RV Park, is a year-round RV park about 35 miles west of Crater Lake National Park. RV sites include electric and sewer hookups and Wi-Fi. Satellite television receivers are available for rent, and the park welcomes RV campers to use a tent in their site for an additional fee. The park has two large fire circles for gatherings, and individual fire pits for each site are available to rent. Two trails beginning at the park and a small lake, a short walk from the campground, are convenient options for hiking, swimming and fishing. Just 2 miles from the RV Park on the Rogue River Scenic Byway, you’ll find three waterfalls at Prospect State Scenic Viewpoint, open year-round.
The Diamond Lake RV Park, on the shores of another brilliantly blue lake, is just 44 miles from Crater Lake’s visitor center. The RV park, open from mid-May through September, has 110 full hookup sites, including 35 pull-through sites. Each site is equipped with a concrete patio, fire pit and picnic table. Other amenities available to campers are restrooms with showers, laundry facilities and horseshoe pits. Guests are welcome to use the free Wi-Fi, though service may be poor in this remote location. You can go fishing, boating and swimming at Diamond Lake, or take to the trails and explore the surrounding Umpqua National Forest and it’s two towering peaks -- Mount Bailey and Mount Thielsen -- on foot or horseback.
