Hiking the Cleetwood Cove Trail in Crater Lake National Park
Distance (Roundtrip): 2.2 miles / 3.5 km
Elevation Change: ~625 ft. / 191 m
The Cleetwood Cove Trail in Crater Lake National Park is the single most popular day hike within Crater Lake because the trail is the only safe way to access the shoreline and all the boat tours out on the water.
That being said, hiking down to the crystal-clear blue waters of Crater Lake is as old as traditions get in southern Oregon, which is to say the Cleetwood Cove Trail—along with everything there is to do along the shoreline, the boat tours, and Wizard Island—is, without a doubt, one of the best things to do in Crater Lake National Park!
For all these reasons, expect the Cleetwood Cove Trail to be very busy. However, know that if you decide to book the shuttle to Wizard Island, both the trails on the island and the swimming spots in Crater Lake are much less busy than those surrounding Cleetwood Cove.
How to Book a Crater Lake Boat Tour/ Wizard Island Shuttle?
All boat tours on Crater Lake, including the shuttle to Wizard Island, are operated by one private company, meaning that all reservations must be made directly through the company, not the National Park Service.
That said, both the tickets for the boat tours on Crater Lake, as well as the Wizard Island shuttle, are extremely competitive and sell out within minutes of being released, which is 24 hours prior to the start of the tour.
This means that the only way to secure one of these competitive reservations is to be online, ready to book just a few minutes before the start of the tour, one day in advance. Then, when the minute changes, refresh the page and book as fast as possible!
I can say from experience that boat tours on Crater Lake are not nearly as competitive as others around the country, like Havasupai Trail reservations, but definitely don’t forget the time to be online. You may miss out if you do!
The only exception to all this is if there is a no-show, or a tour doesn’t completely sell out, which is rare when the weather is nice. If you don’t have a reservation, it’s certainly worth asking those who are working when you arrive, but don’t think of this last-second strategy as a good strategy—especially when traveling with a big group!
Book Here: Crater Lake Boat Tours
Cleetwood Cove Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Cleetwood Cove Trail is located in a large paved lot directly across East Rim Drive from the trailhead.
Before arriving, know that even though the parking lot is fairly big, it almost always fills up fast during the busy summer travel season.
This means that, if you have a specific boat tour reservation time, plan to arrive well in advance to give yourself time to find parking, along with time to hike the trail down to the water.
Google Maps Directions: Cleetwood Cove Trailhead
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 Cleetwood Cove Trail
The Cleetwood Cove Trail begins directly across East Rim Drive from the parking area.
Immediately after beginning the hike, the Cleetwood Cove Trail begins descending, losing about 625 ft. (191 m) from the trailhead to the shoreline along Crater Lake.
For this reason, some visitors may prefer to carry trekking poles, which can be useful here and on countless other Crater Lake adventures, such as Garfield Peak and the Watchman Trail.
In total, there are 9 switchbacks on the Cleetwood Cove Trail to reach Crater Lake, with the 5th switchback marking the start of the longest straightaway.
This is the 5th switchback, which begins the longest 0.6-mile (1.0 km) stretch down the Cleetwood Cove Trail.
Since hiking down the Cleetwood Cove Trail is best on a hot summer day, I highly recommend wearing a hooded sun shirt to stay safe from the sun—especially if you’re hiking down for a tour on the water or a trip to Wizard Island.
Be aware that it’s not uncommon for volunteers and park staff to be stationed along different parts of the trail in order to turn hikers around if necessary.
They do this to visitors who obviously don’t take the warnings at the beginning seriously, as the descent to Crater Lake will always be easier than the trail back up.
This is the end of the longest 0.6-mile (1.0 km) straightaway, meaning that, from this point, the Crater Lake shoreline is only about 0.4 miles (0.6 km) away.
Rockfall is certainly not uncommon on the Cleetwood Cove Trail, which is one of the main reasons the trail is undergoing a three-year rehabilitation project, set to open again in 2029.
Shortly before the Cleetwood Cove Trail reaches Crater Lake, the trail descends three more shorter switchbacks before reaching the shoreline.
The final stretch down to Crater Lake is the steepest part of the entire Cleetwood Cove Trail.
Crater Lake Boat Dock
When the Cleetwood Cove Trail reaches Crater Lake, the trail passes directly by the boat dock for all the tours on Crater Lake, including the Wizard Island shuttle.
If you are curious to learn more about Wizard Island, click on either of my separate posts about each day hike on the island to learn more.
Read My Separate Posts: Wizard Island Summit Trail (Coming Soon) / Fumarole Bay Trail (Coming Soon)
As for swimming in Crater Lake, the vast majority of visitors head directly east along the shoreline after reaching the water, but to reach the most popular cliff-jumping rock, go straight past the boat dock to hike to the end of the Cleetwood Cove Trail.
This is the Cleetwood Cove Trail past the Crater Lake boat dock.
Cleetwood Cove Cliff Jumping Rock
This is the end of the Cleetwood Cove Trail, where visitors can enjoy more places to swim in Crater Lake, as well as a roughly 15 ft. (4.6 m) cliff jump from the rock shown in the second photo.
For those who may be familiar, the Cleetwood Cove cliff-jumping rock is similar in height to the Phelps Lake cliff-jumping rock in Grand Teton National Park.
