Crater Lake is another great day trip location, unless you are a serious trekker. The lake can be seen from car parks all around the rim, making it almost unnecessary to leave your car - and no, that is not a recommendation. Get out and look properly.
When you arrive, travel clockwise. The crater is then on your right hand side as are all the car parking spots, so stopping and pulling back out onto the road is much easier.
The little island in the pictures is Phantom Ship Island and can be seen best from several spots on the south side of Crater Lake Rim Drive.
If you take a drive down some of the tracks away from the rim you will find several very attractive and unusual sights. The chimneys in the bottom left picture are fumaroles, caused by volcanic activity. Known as The Pinnacles the access road is adjacent to the best viewpoint for Phantom Ship Island, so you get the two best sights almost in one.
Even the waterfall is nearby, but you can find that for yourselves. It is on the Rim road, not far from The Pinnacles access turning.
To get the best views of The Pinnacles you will need to walk for five minutes from the car park. Be warned, that car park was the busiest one we came across and it is not the biggest.
Pinnacles, the waterfall and Phantom Ship are all closest to the south western entrance.
