Other than the famous Crater Lake in Oregon, there is also Little Crater Lake at the Northern side of Oregon. Little Crater Lake is not as well known to people, and not even that well known to local Oregonians. Little Crater Lake is located in Mount Hood Forest National Park, about 2 hours away from Portland. Unlike Crater Lake, Little Crater Lake is not formed by volcanic eruption, it is formed from the collapsed ground from underground water. This creates a deep vertical drop and formed a lake when the water poured in.
During the weekend, we originally wanted to visit Clear Lake, but the water was mostly dried out at Clear Lake, thus we decided to visit Little Crater Lake. The drive to Little Crater Lake was relatively smooth, it was all on paved road with few bumps here and there. The day use area is right beside the camp ground and there were limited parking spaces. We parked our car and headed to the trail to get to Little Crater Lake that is just 250 yards out.
We got to Little Crater Lake and we were stunned by how clear the water is. We could see all the way through to the bottom of the lake. The water was just so clear. The water was also very calm and reflects the sky and trees onto the surface of the lake. It was simply amazing. We went around the shore and got a feel of the water and it was freezing cold. It was said to be 34 degree Fahrenheit, which is essentially at freezing point. there are also signs indicating no swimming is allowed.
At this time, a black Labrador showed up. He was so friendly and cute. The black Labrador walked around the lake, dipped his front paws into the lake and looked around. We bet he was feeling a bit cold. Then he moved further in and got his whole body soaked in the water, but he got out immediately. We were guessing the water temperature was still too cold for him.
Little Crater Lake is a nice place to visit, even for elderly people since the trail is well maintained and very close to the parking lot. The drive to there is also very convenient with well marked signs. If you would like to have a longer hike, the trail does go all the way to Timothy Lake and crosses with Pacific Crest Trail.
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