Best route to Crater Lake NP from SF

[raghu]

Hi,

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I am headed out of the SF bay area to Oregon's Crater Lake NP.

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What's the better route after Weed on I-5. Via Klamath Falls or via

Medford? This in terms of what is more scenic and/or more easy to

drive on.

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Thanks in advance for any suggestions and advice.

[paul_mchenry]

I prefer the route via Medford. It qualifies in the "easier" category, and the drive is nice, especially going up the Rogue River gorge. There are some nice photo opps once you get off I-5 as well. As an FYI, I have found gas to be significantly cheaper in Oregon than California, so it might be worthwhile to wait to Ashalnd or Medford to fill the tank if you can.

[craig_gillette]

I don't think the route via Klamath is difficult. They'll be different. You have the open plains and Klamath Lakes if you go that way. Might be worth considering one way in, the other way out?

[john_sandoval]

I just returned from there. There's great photo ops on the way there from Klamath

Falls. I took some great b/w pictures of old barns and fences, and as mentioned you'll

want a wide angle shot of klamath lake. Also, since you're coming up from S.F. you

might want to consider spending the night somewhere and trying to get up to crater

lake before 10am. I got there at 10:30 and the reflections of the rim on the lake were

incredible. I got a couple of shots that literally look like postcards. There's still alot of

snow up there. When I was there two weekends ago parts of the park were still

closed. Take a windbreaker, if the wind comes up it'll get chilly. Have fun!

[raghu]

I wanted to close this thread with a quick thanks to those who responded. Headed up Medford and back down on the Redwood Coast. I'll post some photos soon.

[raghu]

And here are the <a href="http://www.indospectrum.com/travels/crater_lake.html">Crater Lake photographs</a>

[jim_gifford]

Good work... isn't it fun going someplace where you can have a snowball fight on the Fourth of July?

 

Be well,