Crater Lake National Park Fees & Reservations

Butterfly on Mount Scott, Crater Lake National...

Butterfly on Mount Scott, Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake National Park offers real value for money, you get a whole lotta’ park for a whole, erm,  little bit of cash!

  • Cars – a seven day pass will cost you only $10, that includes the passengers in the car (private vehicles only)
  • Motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians – it only costs $5 per person for a seven day pass

Commercial Vehicle Passes – really depends on the size of your vehicle and the number of passengers.

  • Between 1 and 6 passengers – $25 plus $5 per person
  • Between 7 and 15 passengers – $75
  • Between 16 and 25 passengers – $100
  • More than 26 passengers – $200

Special Permits for Crater Lake National Park

There’s a whole lot of other stuff you can get up to at Crater Lake National Park, apart from the usual hiking, camping, gazing at the fantastic scenery and spotting the wildlife, you can also;

  • Get married
  • Scatter the ashes of your loved ones
  • Do some serious filming or photography
  • Hold sporting events and rallies
  • Have large picnic groups

All of these things do require you to have a permit, and the more notice you give to Crater Lake National Park, the better it is for everybody involved.

Staying Over at Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake National Park is such a great place to visit that many people opt to stay over for a few days, and who can blame them? Overnight stays at the park can be in either lodgings, cabins, camping on one of the designated campgrounds or even back country camping.

  • Crater Lake Lodge – reservations are highly recommended, in fact, don’t expect to find lodgings here without ’em.
  • Mazama Village Cabins – also advise advance reservations, just to be sure that you’ll have a bed for the night.
  • Mazama Campground – around half of the 200 camp sites at Mazama Campground can be reserved in advance, the rest are first come first served, so it’s always better to be safe than sorry, particularly if you visit Crater Lake National Park in high season.
  • Lost Creek Campground – no reservations can be made for the Lost Creek Campground, it’s strictly first come, first served . . . . better get there early.

They sure look like they had a great time camping in the Crater Lake National Park.

Crater Lake National Park Back Country Permits

Crater Lake National Park is open all year round, although some of the roads and facilities (including the campgrounds) are not. Back country camping is permitted in the park throughout the year, providing a terrific opportunity to really leave the crowds behind. Any overnight stays in Crater Lake National Park require permits, whether you are camping at  back country designated site or dispersed camping. Car camping is only permitted at the recognized campgrounds of Mazama and Lost Creek.  You are not permitted to take a motorized vehicle, bicycle or any pets into the back country of Crate Lake National Park.

Back country permits are free of charge, but you must have one so don’t forget!

Don’t forget your thermals . . . or your back country permit.