Our lakes and rivers are plentiful, and they provide both beauty and recreation all over the state. The most famous lake in Oregon is Crater Lake – and people come from all over the world to gaze upon its azure glory. Crater Lake National Park has around 700,000 visitors every year, and if you’ve ever been, you won’t be surprised to hear that it’s often named as the most beautiful place in the state.
Did you know that Oregon is home to the cleanest, clearest large body of water in the world? Visit Crater Lake National Park to see it firsthand.
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The website LiveScience reports that Crater Lake has the cleanest, clearest water in the world. This is due to the fact that the water from the lake comes solely from melting snow and rainfall.
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Most lakes are fed by rivers, but crater lake is different. It sits in the caldera of an ancient volcano. Mount Mazama erupted around 5700 B.C.. When its peak collapsed, it left a massive depression.
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Wizard Island is actually a cinder cone that resulted from one of the smaller eruptions that occurred after the big one. Over time, rainfall and snowmelt slowly accumulated in the caldera, creating the lake.
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As evaporation takes water from the lake, more rain falls, and more snow melts, and the lake replaces all of its water over a 250-year cycle.
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Old Man of the Lake is another testament to Crater Lake’s purity. It’s an old tree trunk that has been floating upright in the lake’s waters for more than a century. Though it’s at least 450 years old, the log has remained preserved, in part due to the clean, cold water.
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Many visitors take the scenic rim drive around the lake to admire its beauty from above…
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But for a close-up look at the clean, clear water of Crater Lake, take the boat tour.
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You’ll hike down to Cleetwood Cove and board a boat that will take you on a two or five hour tour of the lake.
Elizabeth Bender/iStock via Getty Images On the five hour tour, you’ll have three hours to spend swimming, fishing, and hiking on Wizard Island.
Test out the water for yourself!
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Learn more about Crater Lake National Park on its website, and see more gorgeous photos on the park’s Facebook page.
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On the five hour tour, you’ll have three hours to spend swimming, fishing, and hiking on Wizard Island.
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Have you seen Crater Lake in person? We’d love to see your photos and read about your trip in the comments!
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Address: Crater Lake, Oregon 97604, USA
