Annie Creek Canyon - Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon does not have a "gateway" city like the Badlands has Wall, South Dakota; Zion has Springdale, Utah; or Great Smoky Mountains has Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Cherokee, North Carolina.  Medford and Klamath Falls are the nearest communities with a full variety of services.  During our visit in late August, 2013, we chose to stay at Klamath Falls during our visit to Crater Lake.  The town is large enough to have several automobile dealerships, several chain restaurants and motels, and even limited access highways.  The only real downside we found was on the beautiful, scenic drive north on U.S. 97 along the shore of Upper Klamath Lake.  The insects along this route were so numerous that the rental vehicle was coated in no time.  Each evening we stopped at one of the first service stations coming into town to clean the windshield.  Oregon is one of the few states (New Jersey is the other one I recall) that require an attendant to pump gas for you.  However, you are on your own for cleaning the windshield.  The attendant did ask every evening if we needed gas or had we just stopped to "remove the organics."
North of Upper Klamath Lake is the junction with Oregon 62 also known as the Crater Lake Highway.  It is about 30 miles from the junction to the park entrance station.  The route passes through the village of Fort Klamath before heading into park about 20 miles from the junction.  Once in the park, the road is on the southwestern rim of Annie Creek Canyon.  There are several overlooks that yield beautiful views of the canyon.

Our first view of the canyon

Over the 7,700 years since Mount Mazama collapsed into the caldera that contains Crater Lake, Annie Creek has eroded a steep canyon through the thick layer of pumice and scoria ejected in that collapse.  As different layers of deposits erode at various rates, massive cliff walls form along the edge of the creek.  In addition, the gasses and heat vented by numerous fumaroles hardened and solidified vertical columns of the pumice surrounding those vents.  As erosion processes continue, striking spires are revealed in the landscape that mark the location of the old fumaroles.

Cliffs across the canyon

View up the canyon toward Mount Scott

Slide zone across the canyon

Spires across the canyon are the remains of ancient fumaroles

A $10 vehicle pass is valid for seven consecutive days at Crater Lake National Park.  Another option is to purchase the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass valid for one year for $80.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm.