Crater Lake worth it?
 

Hello. We have three days to travel from Portland. Will leave in early morning on Friday and need to be back for a 7pm flight from Portland on Sunday. The posts strongly suggest Mt. Hood/Columbia River Gorge area and are only lukewarm on Crater Lake. What do you think? Should we stick to Mt. Hood or go for Crater Lake as well? <BR>THank you!

Why not dial up Crater Lake on the web and take a look at the photographs? <BR>Then you can decide if you want to pay it a visit. <BR>I thought the lake was very scenic. <BR>I do not, however, think taking a boat ride on the lake itself is all that great. You are after all looking up from the bottom of a hole. <BR>The drive around the lake is quite nice, but it does not take more than half of a day. <BR>I enjoyed the Oregon coast, particularly the area north and south of Yachats. <BR>There is one place where a sheer cliff rises 1,000 feet straight out of the water. You can drive to the top for a great view. You will find the coast is quite varied. There are sandy stretches as well as rocky headlands where the surf has pounded the rock into all sorts of shapes. The Oregon state park system has provided many places to stop so you can enjoy the views.

Crater Lake is stunning; it took our breath away. It is definitely worth the trip. It's also possible to drive the entire rim, stopping at most of the look-out points, within a few hours. We hiked down towards the water, but quite frankly, the view is from the top. But DO try to see it.