Hiking the Castle Crest Wildflower Trail in Crater Lake National Park
Distance (Castle Crest via Steel Visitor Center): 1.3 miles / 2.1 km
Distance (Castle Crest via East Rim Drive): 0.5 miles / 0.8 km
The Castle Crest Wildflower Trail, also called the Castle Crest Wildflower Garden Trail, in Crater Lake National Park, is a uniquely beautiful day hike at the base of Garfield Peak that winds its way through a stunning meadow filled with hundreds of different wildflower species!
That said, this one-of-a-kind lush meadow, filled with an array of wildflowers, can best be enjoyed during the mid-summer months, when the deep winter snow—lasting about seven months of the year in Crater Lake—finally melts away.
All that to say, the Castle Crest Wildflower Trail is a very easy, kid-friendly adventure that I personally think is one of the best things to do in Crater Lake National Park—so long as you don’t visit too early in the season, when there is still snow, or too late, when wildflowers begin to die off in the fall.
Castle Crest Wildflower Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Castle Crest Wildflower Trail is located at one of two places.
First, there is the Castle Crest Wildflower Trailhead off East Rim Drive, the closer of the two trailheads, or there is the option to start from the Steel Visitor Center, where visitors can hike a short connector trail to reach the beginning of the Castle Crest Loop.
With that in mind, parking at the closest trailhead off East Rim Drive will almost always be the easier of the two options, as the Steel Visitor Center also serves as the trailhead for the Lady of the Woods Trail.
Google Maps Directions: Castle Crest Wildflower Trailhead / Steel Visitor Center
Hiking Checklist - Crater Lake
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Crater Lake National Park.
That said, there are Black Bears in Crater Lake National Park, and while carrying bear spray is allowed, encounters with hikers are considerably rare.
Hiking the Castle Crest Wildflower Trail
The route shown here is the Castle Crest Wildflower Trail, beginning at the Steel Visitor Center, about 0.4 miles (0.6 km) from the start of the loop off East Rim Drive.
To get to the trailhead, walk toward Munson Valley Road to find the crosswalk that leads across to the Castle Crest Trail on the far side.
To skip ahead to the Castle Crest Wildflower Trailhead off East Rim Drive, click here.
Castle Crest Wildflower Trailhead (Steel Visitor Center)
Once across Munson Valley Road, the Castle Crest Wildflower Trail begins, following an easy and straightforward path to the start of the loop off East Rim Drive.
The first 0.4 miles (0.6 km) from the visitor center to the loop follows a mostly flat path through a mixed Lodgepole Pine forest, but even so, I recommend hiking the Castle Crest Wildflower Trail in a hooded sun shirt.
I say this because the Castle Crest Wildflower Loop is best hiked in the mid- to late-afternoon hours for the best photos—not to mention, one will certainly be useful for countless other adventures across Crater Lake National Park.
Castle Crest Wildflower Trailhead (East Rim Drive)
This is the Castle Crest Wildflower Trailhead, from the closest parking area off East Rim Drive.
That said, the whole loop is only 0.5 miles (0.8 km) if you decide to begin from this point instead of the Steel Visitor Center.
Castle Crest Wildflower Loop Trail
After just a few steps, the Castle Crest Wildflower Trail splits into the 0.5-mile (0.8 km) loop around the beautiful meadow.
I chose to go right in the counterclockwise direction because this is the fastest route to the start of the meadow, which opens up after hiking just 0.1 miles (0.2 km).
Castle Crest Wildflower Garden
When the trail emerges from the trees, the Castle Crest Wildflower Garden (meadow) begins, which is truly an incredible explosion of wildflowers if you happen to catch it during its peak!
On that note, peak wildflower season is typically mid- to late July, with some annual variability depending on how much snow the park received the winter prior.
The National Park Service reports that there are more than 200 wildflower species growing along the Castle Crest Wildflower Trail!
It’s difficult to tell from these wide-angle photos, but they were taken during peak bloom—before plants like Lupine had begun to seed toward the end of summer.
This is where the Castle Crest Wildflower Loop leaves the meadow behind and returns to the beginning of the loop, about 0.2 miles (0.3 km) away.
Castle Crest Wildflower Loop Junction
This is where the Castle Crest Wildflower Loop returns to the initial split, with the East Rim Drive Trailhead located just up the hill, and the Steel Visitor Center Trailhead located about 0.4 miles (0.6 km) away.
That said, go straight (right) to return to either starting point.
