Crater Lake National Park Alerts and Current Conditions

Cover of Brian Russ's guide to Crater Lake National Park

Last checked: October 25, 2026. This page tracks what's closed, what's changed, and what's coming up at Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, from the park's alerts, conditions, and hours pages. I check it daily and rewrite it when the park posts something new, so bookmark it rather than an old news story. This is one of the snowiest places in the country, and the rim roads close for winter on November 1 or with the first big storm, whichever comes first, so check the park's own alerts the morning you go.

Current alerts

  • Cleetwood Cove Trail is closed all season. The trail and marina are being fully rebuilt. The park says every other trail is open. (NPS)
  • Rim Drive is open, but not for long. West Rim Drive, East Rim Drive, and the North Entrance Road close for the season on November 1, or earlier if significant snow falls. In recent years the park lists, they closed as early as October 1. (NPS)
  • East Rim Drive work is mostly finished. The road is open for through travel, but expect traffic control near work zones and some closed pullouts. The park expects all of East Rim Drive to be open in 2027. (NPS)
  • Pinnacles Road is hike or bike only because of road construction, and it closes with East Rim Drive. (NPS)
  • No gasoline in the park. The nearest stations the park lists are in Prospect on Highway 62, at Crater Lake Junction on Highway 97, and at Diamond Lake Resort off Highway 138. (NPS)

Open and closed right now

  • The park is open year-round, 24 hours a day, with no reservation needed. The West and South Entrances on Highway 62 are open year-round. The summer entrance fee of $30 per private vehicle, good for seven days, applies through October 31. (NPS)
  • Steel Information Center: open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (NPS)
  • Rim Visitor Center: the park's dated hours show it closed for the season from October 19 through May 22, 2027. The conditions page, last updated October 14, still calls it open, so don't count on it.
  • Food and lodging: as of the park's October 14 update, the Rim Cafe and Gift Shop and the Annie Creek Gift Shop are open. Its list of closed facilities includes Crater Lake Lodge, the Cabins at Mazama Village, Annie Creek Restaurant, the Mazama Camper Store, the gas pumps, and the trolleys. (An older paragraph on that page still calls the lodge open, but its usual season ends in early October.)
  • Camping: none in the park right now. Mazama Campground is closed through June 5, 2027, and Lost Creek Campground is closed for all of 2026. Backpacking permits are self-serve at the Ranger Station, 24 hours a day.
  • Roads: Rim Drive, Cloudcap Overlook, and the North Entrance Road are listed as open for now. Munson Valley Road to Rim Village is open year-round but can close for heavy snow or accidents.

Coming up in the next few weeks

  • Sunday, November 1 (or earlier with snow): Rim Drive, the North Entrance Road, and Pinnacles Road close for the season, and Cloudcap Overlook, which is typically open only while East Rim Drive is, goes with them. The North Entrance is listed as closed through June 25, 2027. (NPS)
  • Sunday, November 1: the winter entrance fee of $20 per private vehicle, good for seven days, takes effect, and the Steel Information Center moves to winter hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • After the closure: with no snow on the ground, the closed rim roads are open to hikers, cyclists, and people walking pets. Once significant snow falls, they become ski and snowshoe routes, and pets aren't allowed.
  • Next year: there are no set reopening dates. The park says plowing usually starts on West Rim Drive in mid-April and all roads are typically ready by mid-July.

What this means for your trip

If you're here this week, drive Rim Drive now rather than saving it for the end of your trip. The calendar date is November 1, but the park's own records show many years when it closed in October. Once it closes, you can still see the lake from Rim Village, at the end of the year-round road up from Highway 62, and if there's no snow you can walk or bike the closed rim road.

The Cleetwood Cove closure means nobody gets down to the water this year. That trail is the only route to the lake shore, so there's no swimming and no boat trip.

Coming from the north on Highway 138? After November 1 the North Entrance is closed, so you'll need to come around to the South or West Entrance on Highway 62. Fill your tank before you arrive, since there's no gas inside the park, and with no campground open, book a room outside it. In winter the park is a designated snow zone: you need chains or traction tires, and you may be turned back at the entrance without them. There are no cell towers in the park, so download maps before you arrive.

Before you go

  • Check the park's current conditions and alerts the morning of your visit. It also links the park's webcams.
  • For road restrictions outside the park, check TripCheck, the Oregon Department of Transportation's site.
  • In an emergency, dial 911. There's a 24-hour emergency landline outside the Administration Building at park headquarters, next to the Steel Information Center.

If a closure knocks out part of your plan, my guide to Crater Lake National Park has nine one- to three-day itineraries at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, each with a backup plan for weather or closures. You can also check alerts and conditions for every national park.

This page is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Always check the park's current alerts before you go.