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phrique t1_j1e3ywb wrote

Reply to comment by Raveheart19 in Crater Lake National Park [4032 × 2673][OC] by 85gaucho

I'm going there next summer with my kids. We're all hikers. Any suggestions?

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JustOnesAndZeros t1_j1ea2ko wrote

It's 6100 feet up. Snow stays until late spring. Don't go too early.

An old post of mine...

If you really want a neat experience, take the boat to Wizard Island. I think you can buy tickets online.

[What the entire island looks like] ( http://i.imgur.com/V7LEv4m.jpg). Was formed from separate volcanic event waaay after lake was already there. You can take the morning boat and stay about 4 hours until afternoon boat picks you up. We brought a picnic and everything. [The "beach" we lounged at was just sharp lava rocks.] ( http://i.imgur.com/mriOiVH.jpg). Wear good shoes for the [trail] ( http://i.imgur.com/Z716JCt.jpg). To get to the boat its one mile up, one mile down. Just switchbacks, no rides.

[I made this.] ( http://i.imgur.com/J4iHMUh.jpg)

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85gaucho OP t1_j1eemda wrote

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 😂

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phrique t1_j1epy1x wrote

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.

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85gaucho OP t1_j1esidc wrote

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

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phrique t1_j1ew2ni wrote

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

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85gaucho OP t1_j1eymfx wrote

my pleasure.

Careful on Theilsen, there's lots of exposure on the summit spire. I enjoy risk, but wouldn't take me kiddo (10) up there without having him on belay.

There's a place called chicken out ledge (or something similar) at the base of the summit spire, that is safe to get to, but the last 100 feet or so is dangerous for kids. The scrambling itself is not as hard as it looks in the pictures, but it is very exposed, in some places a fall would be fatal.

If you happen to be coming from the south, pilot rock near mt ashland is a better scramble for kids. Doable without any gear. My kid first went up when he was 5. It's not nothing though, and would still be fun for teenagers.

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phrique t1_j1f5vbg wrote

Awesome! Will take a look at those options. I don't mind stopping short if it's dangerous.

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Raveheart19 t1_j1e4z3n wrote

Are you camping in the area? And I would think that experienced hikers even kids could make the halfway trip around... but you would need some climbing equipment and safety gear for portions on the far side of the lake (pictured). The beauty of the internet is that you can study all the paths and trails long beforehand and plan your routes.
The reason I asked about camping is that will help determine how long you want to take walking around the lake

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phrique t1_j1eqdgo wrote

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.

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85gaucho OP t1_j1eu0y4 wrote

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!

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