sbanet

We are planning a trip for late Oct to Portland. We want to visit both Crater lake and the Oregon Wine Country (Willamette and Hood River) but do not want to spend long days in the car we have 8 days. Looking for ideas to split the trip from Portland to Crater Lake and back to Newberg and/or Hood River, Looking for ideas.

Thanks

janisj

You do know that much of Crater Lake will be closed by late Oct? From the Nat'l park website:

Closing Dates in Recent Years

West Rim Drive &
Year North Entrance East Rim Drive
2016 October 14 October 14
2015 November 1 November 1
2014 October 28 October 27
2013 October 28 October 1
2012 October 23 October 23
2011 November 1 November 1
2010 October 24 October 23
2009 October 27 October 13

janisj

Couldn't preview so the spacing/columns don't display correctly but I think you get the idea. But Just in case:

Closing Dates

West Rim Drive &
North Entrance
2016 - October 14
2015 - November 1
2014 - October 28
2013 - October 28
2012 - October 23
2011 - November 1
2010 - October 24
2009 - October 27

East Rim Drive
2016 - October 14
2015 - November 1
2014 - October 27
2013 - October 1
2012 - October 23
2011 - November 1
2010 - October 23
2009 - October 13

aliced

Friends just left our house discussing their trip to Portland/Crater/Astoria/Cannon Beach. They totally missed seeing the lake due to heavy smoke and never got to the Columbia River Gorge as roads were closed. That said, they stayed in Albany which I guess is mid-way between Portland and Crater Lake. It took them 5 hours to get from Albany to Canon Beach due to heavy traffic once leaving the interstate onto a 2-lane road. With the recent fires and heat (95), there was tons of traffic on these roads out to the coast. Just keep apprised of the situation. The Columbia River Gorge, Astoria, Cannon Beach are all fabulous. We ourselves never got down to Crater Lake, but did enjoy the wineries in Williamette Valley and Portland. They felt Portland grungy and dirtier than they'd expected and of course the smoke did not add to their enjoyment.

aliced

Stardust is diner food, very crowded and very noisy. I went once and that was plenty. Check out ViceVersa or Maria Pia, both on W 45th btwn 8-9th Avenues, with excellent food and rear garden terraces and reasonable prices.

tomfuller

Just so you know, the south entrance of Crater Lake NP is open at least 350 days per year. The north entrance closed about 2 weeks ago because of smoke from a couple of large fires west of the park.
as Janisj says it is possible that many roads in the park will be closed to motor vehicles by mid October.
A few years ago, I took a ranger led snowshoe hike from the Crater Lake Lodge. The ranger led hikes are usually on Saturdays and they do provide snowshoes if you don't bring your own.