Appreciate the information! My kids honestly love a scramble, so I'll have to look into theilson.

Thanks so much!

FYI, I'm not sure that the person you're responding to knows what they're talking about. You wouldn't want to "hike around the lake". It's 30 to 40 miles and is a busy road. Circumnavigation only makes sense in the winter when the roads are closed, and it's very difficult.

The hikes in the park in the summer are primarily up peaks along the rim, although the PCT goes by too. Iv'e gone up Garfield and Watchman in the winter, but not the summer so I can't really advise there.

Good luck!

Awesome! July should be early enough that it's not smokey (fingers crossed). If it's really hot, I'd definitely recommend Cleetwood cove, even though the Water will still be pretty cold in July.

As for other hikes, I haven't done much there in the summer. I think the park newspaper lists a few. Maybe just swing by the visitors center and ask a ranger or check out alltrails.

If you're looking for a nearby peak, Mcloughlin is pretty fun and would likely be age appropriate for your family. Mt Theilson is awesome and very close to Crater lake, but the summit scramble may be a bit much for the kids, unless they're climbers.

If you have any other questions, let me know. I recently moved but lived in the area for a decade.

​

edit: here's the newspaper

That looks great! My neck of the woods, though I'm not familiar with this location.

We're staying in the lodge in the park. My kids aren't super young (10, 13, and 16), and we've done about a dozen ADK high peaks. I'm digging in on all trails, but based on experience there are times where people who have done the trails just know a lot more than what all trails is telling you.

Yeah, that's awesome

We're going in July. My youngest is 10, oldest is 16. We've done about a dozen of the ADK high peaks, so they do really enjoy a good hike and are fine with longish outings.

Though there arent alot of National Parks, much of the state is federal forest land.

Haha

Lol I bet everyone does

Damn, that place just needs a Walmart and it’d be perfect.

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Maybe I'm one of the few, but xeric places attract me. I've had the privilege of visiting several deserts and semi-deserts, and I certainly feel a sense of belonging there.

Not saying forests and lakes aren't beautiful. They are and I'm fortunate to be surrounded by them (if I drive a few minutes off the urban jungle).

But every time I visit Las Vegas, I consider moving there. Maybe Reno, where you can have everything.

I’ve smoked weed in that exact spot

It's kinda a local joke. There used to be a sign off the highway some years ago that said 'Silver Creek Falls'. When it turned into a State Park, they shortened it to just 'Silver Falls'

Winter is way better than summer, IMO.

Roads to rim village (SW entrance) are plowed pretty consistently, but they close for a few days after a big storm. From there it’s a fairly short hike in either direction to get away for 90% of the people.

A fun option is to rent snowmobiles at Diamond Lake and come in from the north on them.

I lived close and thought about the boat tour, but it’s a little pricey. Always sounded fun, though.

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In the summer the rim drive is open, so you can drive around the entire rim. There are a few peaks you can hike up for a less crowded view. Cleetwood cove is fun for kids - hike down a mile or so and you can swim in the lake. It’s only “kinda uncomfortably cold” if you’re late enough in the season 😂

Awesome ! Thanks

I did this hike last year absolutely incredibly beautiful.

This is the best wallpaper-apt post I’ve seen here in quite a while. …should go well with my brand new MacBook Pro!

Sober falls

My first visit back in 1981 was during a whiteout blizzard had to hike up from the entrance. After ignoring the avalanche warnings and peering down to the edge of the lake a brief clearing in the storm unveiled wizard island. Took over 30 years to return this time in June and will always be a destination when close by.