Our August 2013 trip to Crater Lake National Park continued on a side road off of East Rim Drive. Pinnacles Spur Road begins almost directly across East Rim Drive from the Phantom Ship overlook. We drove about seven miles to the end of Pinnacles Spur Road. At one time, this road continued on to US 97 and was the eastern entrance to the park. We walked the 0.6 mile trail (1.2 mile round trip) along the southwestern rim of Pinnacles Valley to the remains of the original park boundary sign. Along the way, we marveled at the unusual stone formations that have been revealed by centuries of erosion. When Mount Mazama erupted and collapsed about 7700 years ago, the Sand Creek valley was covered by over 200 feet of ash and pumice. The deposits remained hot for a long period and vented through vertical fissures or fumaroles. The escaping hot gasses cemented the pumice around the fissure into a rock called welded tuff. Sand Creek has carved a 200 foot deep canyon through the pumice that reveals dozens of these pinnacles or fossil fumaroles.
While the trail is considered family-friendly due to the limited elevation changes, please watch small children closely as there are no fences along the rim. The trailhead is at an elevation of approximately 5,500 feet and drops to about 5,450 feet at the park boundary. The trail is open to mountain bikes. Please verify trail conditions with a ranger before attempting to use a wheelchair or stroller.
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| Pinnacles visible from the parking area overlook |
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| The color bands show successive layers of pumice deposits |
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| The canyon walls are often too steep for vegetation |
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| The trail is well maintained and fairly level |
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| Several side trails lead to overlooks |
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| The trail passes through scrub brush and open forest |
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| Sand Creek continues to erode the valley |
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| Mount Scott rises above pinnacles on the opposite canyon wall |
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| Looking up the valley |
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| Remnants of the former eastern entrance to the park |
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| Looking up the valley from near the park boundary |
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| Another view up the valley on the return leg of the hike |
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| A chipmunk poses for the tourists |
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. A lifetime Senior Pass is available for $10 for those 62 years of age or older.
The park website is http://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm.
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