We stayed at The Last Resort in the Umpqua Valley with our friends--two families with four kids…read moretotal--and while the campground itself was tidy and the showers were nice and hot, our experience was seriously soured by the behavior of the staff. Shortly after we arrived, they yelled at our 1.5 and 4.5-year-old kids for touching the sprinkler system. Instead of a polite heads-up, it was immediate hostility. Later, they got snarky with us for being about 10 minutes past checkout--even though no one was waiting for our site, and we were clearly in the process of leaving. It wasn't just a reminder; it was rude and unnecessary. We had to directly ask them not to speak to us so nastily. Between the two families, all of us felt uncomfortable and unwelcome. There are just too many beautiful and friendly places to stay in this region to deal with that kind of treatment. The only reason I'd recommend this place is if you absolutely need a hot shower and can't find one elsewhere. Otherwise, steer clear.

Super friendly and welcoming staff, very well maintained property, campsites were level and clean,…read moreeasy to back into, restrooms were immaculate. Would definitely stay again!

0.45 mi, 12 min, 13 ft elevation gain…read more Not many people stopped here but it is worth the walk through if you have bug spray on hand for all the mosquitos! At the beginning of the trail there is a 75 cent pamphlet with all the wildflowers you might encounter. There are also a few foot bridges and streams to cross. There are certain spots where the pathway gets a bit muddy as well. It is a cool peaceful hike that gives a different view of the park.

This review is for the Watchman Peak Trail which was a ~1.7 miles round trip that took ~1 hours to…read morecomplete. This was a short and popular trail in Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. Trail starts off flat and becomes a steady incline towards the peak. Overall, it would be considered an easy hike. Unfortunately, the peak gets uncomfortably crowded with hikers. Limited parking spots with additional parking on the side of the West Rim Drive. A decent amount of people stop by at this Watchman Overlook because of the stunning views of Crater Lake. No restrooms at this location. The views at Watchman Peak are slightly different from the views at Garfield Peak. The small island is much closer to you on the Watchman Peak side. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/ksW77ALrOK0

What a beautiful national park!…read more Came here on a day where the weather changed between partly cloudy/sunny and snowy/rainy. The snowy surroundings created a nice contrast against the very deep blue color of the lake. In the early morning, it was very peaceful. There were not many people around, likely because of weather. The Steel Visitor Center's film was excellent to get a sense of the geology and history of the park. The lodge also offered an excellent meal with a partial view of the lake. Because of the snow, we were not able to go on the Rim Drive or hike the trails. I would imagine all the views would have been beautiful. The Cleetwood Cove trail down to the lake is closed for 3 summers, through 2028. If weather is of any question, the NPS website has up-to-date information about the weather, including webcams of several spots in the park.

If you're traveling to Crater Lake like I was and didn't make plans on where to stay or sleep while…read morevisiting...I highly recommend coming here to this campground...Thousand Springs Park!!! Yes...Thousand Springs was perfect for me. And for all those tourists coming to Crater Lake with their RV's or traveling spontaneously with a tent (like I was), Thousand Springs Campground is 5 stars. I visited Crater Lake over the summer time and accommodations everywhere inside the park were filled and or taken. The Rim Village Lodge was occupied and very expensive. The Mazama Village campground area was filled up. Unless you're going to park your car along a rest stop around the perimeter of Crater Lake...there was nowhere to stay or sleep. Even if you decide to crash at an overlook, I could definitely envision a Park Ranger knocking on your window and forcing you to move your car. Lol, it's been done to me before. Fortunately, a lady who worked at Mazama Village recommended coming here. And I couldn't have been more "last second lucky" that she mentioned something to me because during my first day exploring around Crater Lake...I had nowhere to go at the end of the day. Also, cell phone reception at Crater Lake was virtually non-existent. So...I couldn't use my cell phone app called Campendium to find a locale to camp for the evening. But...this nice lady revealed to me, this, Thousand Springs Campground. And...I'm happy to relay this place to everyone else who may need a quick night's rest while hanging out at remote Crater Lake National Park. Thousand Springs Campground is located pretty efficiently away from Mazama Village. It's simply 11 miles heading west on State Highway 62 (known as Crater Lake Highway). It can't be missed along the road. There'll be a sign for it (though go slow just in case) and you make a left into a giant parking lot. Drive up the little pathway onto a smooth, dirt hill and easily pick out a campsite. There was no Camp Host and best of all...it's free! I will admit that camping space was limited. I'm not sure how many campsites were offered. The first night I arrived here I discovered a spot right away. In describing the setting here at Thousand Springs...it was situated in the heart of the woods. I backed into a spot and pitched my tent. The surroundings were just terrific!!! It was nice and quiet. The campsite had a little pit for barbecuing. It was like having my own little private resort. I couldn't believe what a hidden gem this place was!!! Right nearby in the front entrance area, there were 2 vault toilets. But yeah, there was no need to sign up or pay for anything. It was first come, first served. I still to this day reflect about how a campground so close and accessible to Crater Lake (easy 11 mile drive from Mazama Village!) could be so undisturbed! Obviously after my 2nd day exploring around Crater Lake...I immediately returned here. Though, upon arriving on the grounds for my 2nd evening...a few of the campsites were taken and I believe I found one of the last spots available. Otherwise, I may have been out of luck. In the front parking lot area, there were a few RV's who parked their campers for the overnight. Both times that I camped out at Thousand Springs...of course I had wonderful night's sleeps. I had no issues whatsoever. Waking up in the mornings, I casually got myself together and ventured back to Crater Lake for more hiking and exploring. In all, I am totally surprised Thousand Springs Campground has not been talked about yet on Yelp. Maybe people want to keep it as a hidden location all for themselves. But I'm pretty excited to be revealing it. This campground was my saving grace while visiting Crater Lake. Without coming here, I believe I'd be stuck on the side of the road sleeping in my car. Thousand Springs Park - a 5 Star campground!!!

Wow!!!! It is BEAUTIFUL! It is about an hour drive from Medford and TOTALLY worth the trip!!!…read more For those less mobile, you can get a great view of the gorge and water rushing through the rocks with a 5 to 10 minute walk to the first bridge depending upon your walking speed. And it is paved until the third overlook. I went hiking. It is a 1/4 mile to the Natural Bridge from the parking, but you can hike further past the three overlooks. I stayed on for another 1.5 miles which is worth the hike. By my standards, it is a "moderate" hike with a few steep grades. Once you cross the second bridge, take a left and walk another 1/4 mile to reach a shaded beach area to lay down and relax or cool off in the water.

This is a cool place to just take a stroll and really breath in the cleanest air possible. Well, it…read moremight not be the cleanest air, but it's darn near close enough in this wilderness area. There is also, a lot of parking here for all sorts of vehicles but it doesn't ever seem like this place gets full. I stopped here as I was staying at a place in Prospect. The road to Crater Lake was super snow covered and I didn't have chains so I opted to just hike here instead and try Crater Lake the following day. It wasn't really challenging but I still got a great hike. I really think it's amazing how the lava and water have carved so much of the landscape in this area and it's free just to roam and take it all in. Most of the trails are well travelled but there are several areas where I had to turn around and head back as they were fenced. Although you can hear the rush of the water nearby, it's oddly quiet. It's just how I like it for hiking so you can get real peace of mind. I kind of wish I saw a little more wildlife but I guess that's why they're called wild-life. They have limited first come, first serve tent sites as well as limited RV sites. There are vault toilets as well. There is no drinking water, so bring your own water. I think I saw signage for $10 for a campsite, but check the resources to make sure. Also with most campgrounds pack it in, pack it out with regards to trash.

August 30 - Sept 3, 2025 - Diamond Lake, Oregon…read more We've stayed at this RV park several times, and like many others, it really helps to know the layout ahead of time--some sites are definitely better than others. I studied the campground map and chose what looked like a great spot: spacious, tucked in the back, and away from the road. Unfortunately, it turned out to be very unlevel with a noticeable slope. We had to use levelers on one side and add blocks under the jacks. Not exactly the most stable setup, but we managed to make it work. There are plenty of campgrounds in this area, but if you want hookups, the options are limited. That's one of the reasons we return to this park--it's right across the road from Diamond Lake, just a short drive to Crater Lake, close to the Rogue River Gorge, and within easy reach of several waterfalls. The location makes it a convenient base for exploring the region. Be aware there's no cell service at the campground. We found a signal only by walking over to the pizza restaurant across the street, which, as it turns out, also serves pretty good pizza. One of our favorite evening activities was simply sitting at our campsite at dusk and watching the bats swoop around for dinner--a fun and memorable way to end the day. Overall, while the uneven sites can be a challenge, the location and surroundings make this RV park a solid choice, and we'll likely return again.

Great campground with decent facilities and friendly staff. Diamond lake is just across the street…read morealong with a pizza / sandwich restaurant and ice cream shop.

2 mi, 423 elevation gain, 56 minutes to complete…read more Small snowfield to cross if you start at watchman overlook. If you come from discovery point it would be longer but you would avoid any of the snow crossings. Totally worth the hike- one of the most amazing views in the park especially at sunrise or sunset! Lots of different wildflowers along the way and panoramic views. There is a cute fire lookout that appears to no longer be in use at the top.

I'd like to talk about not just hiking to Watchman Peak, but also the roadside pullover here at…read moreWatchman Overlook. So yes...there are 2 purposes for stopping at this Watchman Area. The Overlook from the rim and hiking the trail to Watchman Peak. This section of Crater Lake is deserving of 5 stars because...when driving around the 33 mile rim encompassing all of Crater Lake (although the views can get quite repetitive and monotonous)...the BEST APPEARANCES OF CRATER LAKE COMES FROM HERE AT WATCHMAN PEAK!!! That's what makes Watchman Overlook so worthwhile. Because the roadside emergence of not just Crater Lake, but the main centerpiece attraction to it all known as Wizard Island is the closest and most prevalent you'll find throughout the park. Watchman Overlook was the best observation viewpoint I can remember from my time spent at Crater Lake. Wizard Island sort of smacked me in the face through my camera lens...I was able to photograph Crater Lake in it's majestic entirety from the viewpoint. Whereas, many of the significantly less roadside Crater Lake stops can just be ordinary especially when you're pulled over far away from Wizard Island. Then the scenery was really a letdown. For instance, when you're on the other side of the lake near Phantom Ship, when I exited my car to look upon Crater Lake, it was like glancing into the abyss of some large sized lake of water, without any focal points (like Wizard Island) and without any meaningful blue coloring to it. I was expecting turquoise blue around the lake and never found it. Even at the main hub of activity in Rim Village featuring Sinnott Overlook, the Crater Lake Lodge, Garfield Peak Trail, and even along Discovery Point Trail....I never received that fulfilling/humbling "wow moment" that completely blew me away in comparison to the sights and scenery I uncovered here at Watchman Overlook and Peak. Regardless...back to what makes Watchman Peak Overlook one of the most worthy of roadside stops at Crater Lake... - I HIGHLY RECOMMEND VISITING HERE IN THE AFTERNOON TIME! Yes this is SO IMPORTANT because from here at Watchman Overlook the sun starts to set from your backside. So...you get the sun reflecting onto Crater Lake and it affords you the most clear and concise perspectives for taking pictures! If you arrive in the morning, the sun will hit you in the opposite (in your face) direction and then you may be stuck with those annoying shadows! - After observing Crater Lake from the rim overlook area....off to the right hand side you'll find the hike to Watchman Lookout Trail. This path will take you to the apex of the rim's edge for uninterrupted views of Crater lake. This Watchman Lookout Trail isn't hard. There'll be a sign/trailhead stating that the Lookout Tower is 0.8 mile to the top. That's 1.6 miles round trip and it's an elevation gain of about 450 feet - I'd say a moderate level of difficulty, but it's overall less than 1 mile. - This Watchman Lookout Trail to the Lookout Tower is certainly recommended because there's not many hikes to even traverse at Crater Lake. I found Crater Lake to be more of just a roadside get out of your car kind of park. So...might as well take advantage of a little hiking opportunity while here...especially since the views around this Watchman Peak area are some of the most scenic in the park! - Along the 0.8 mile...there's not much to view, just switchbacks making your way to the top. From this Watchman Peak Lookout Tower, the appearance of Crater Lake was just as good as the roadside view (there wasn't much difference in my opinion) but still, I'd recommend grabbing a couple of photos from high atop here. - During this summer pandemic of 2020, the Lookout Tower was closed. So, in the end...you just have a small viewpoint to pier down on and admire Crater Lake with of course Wizard Island being so photogenic as well. I truly believe you won't find superior angles/perspectives of Crater Lake and Wizard Island anywhere else in the park other than being here at the rim's Watchman Overlook and at the pinnacle of Watchman Peak Trail Lookout Tower. Capture as many pictures as possible during your time here because the views won't get any better.

Nice falls, fun short hike. Rocky, windy trail up to the falls. Burn zone, so lots of trees down,…read morebut we enjoyed the path along the stream and through the rocks and shrooms. Only a handful of parking spots at this one, and no vault toilet.

Fall Creek Falls- AMAZING!!!…read more I love this place! The hike to the Falls is beautiful with plenty of things to explore, and is not all that far. When I got to the Falls there was a family there that was just leaving and I wound up having that entire area to myself for about 45 minutes. I spent more than half of the time meditating directly under and right next to the falls, make sure you bring a bathing suit so that you can really get in there and sit under the water. It was by far one of the most energizing waters I've ever had the pleasure of being in, it was alive, electric and conscious and really gave me the mental, spiritual, physical recharge that I had needed for so long. I don't think you can truly understand until you go there yourself and get under that water for some time. You have no idea. Much love to Fall Creek Falls and the beautiful drive getting there.