Hiking the Garfield Peak Trail in Crater Lake National Park
Distance: 3.2 miles / 5.1 km
The Garfield Peak Trail in Crater Lake National Park is a beautiful day hike on the south side of Crater Lake that leads to a stunning, panoramic viewpoint above some of the iconic landmarks in the park, like Mt. Scott and the Phantom Ship.
That said, the Garfield Peak Trail is one of my personal favorite day hikes in all of southern Oregon, because Garfield Peak is, without a doubt, the best sunset hike in Crater Lake National Park!
I strongly believe this because the summit is located near the east side of Crater Lake—the best side of the lake to watch the colors change as the light shifts from yellow to gold along the caldera rim and Mt. Scott in the distance!
All that to say, sunset is truly the only time of day I recommend hiking Garfield Peak, but be sure to plan ahead for dinner, as almost everywhere will be closed if you’re staying outside of Crater Lake, in either Bend or Klamath Falls.
Garfield Peak Trailhead Parking
Parking for Garfield Peak Trail is located in the parking lot at the very end of Rim Village Drive, just before Crater Lake Lodge.
However, if you are a guest staying at Crater Lake Lodge, parking can be found as close as the lodge itself.
Google Maps Directions: Garfield Peak Trailhead (Crater Lake Lodge)
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 Garfield Peak Trail
Walking to the Trailhead
From Crater Lake Lodge, the actual trailhead is located about 0.2 miles (0.3 km) down the paved path to the east of the deck overlooking Crater Lake.
Google Maps Directions: Garfield Peak Trailhead
Garfield Peak Trailhead
When the paved path ends, the true Garfield Peak Trailhead will be found.
It is here that the Garfield Peak Trail begins its climb to the summit, gaining almost exactly 1,000 ft. (305 m) of elevation in about 1.4 miles (2.3 km).
Just 0.1 miles (0.2 km) past the marked trailhead, the views of Crater Lake open up to the north!
In total, there are only six switchbacks on the Garfield Peak Trail, as the hike mostly follows the ridgeline to the summit—unlike Mt. Scott, where the trail ascends the south face of the mountain to reach the summit.
Depending on the time of summer, poles and micro-spikes may be necessary to hike the Garfield Peak Trail safely, as Crater Lake National Park is notorious for holding onto snow much longer than other parks around the country, like Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.
Since the Garfield Peak Trail is mostly exposed from the surrounding forests, I also recommend hiking the trail in a hooded sun shirt, which can certainly be useful for almost every upper-elevation adventure in Crater Lake National Park.
This viewpoint is a strikingly similar to the views on the Sun Notch Trail, just up the road.
This is the view looking back toward the trailhead, with Crater Lake Lodge in the distance.
To the south, Union Peak, the most remote summit in Crater Lake National Park, can be seen on a clear day!
This is the view looking back toward Wizard Island, with Mt. Thielsen in the distance—the closest peak outside the National Park that still has a view looking down at Crater Lake.
From this point, the summit of Garfield Peak can be seen for the first time in the distance!
This snowbank, just below the summit, is notorious for sticking around on Garfield Peak into the late summer, which is exactly why there is a side trail through the trees on the right-hand side.
That said, I decided to kick in steps for the next person and head up the snow.
The top of the ridge straight ahead is the summit of Garfield Peak!
Garfield Peak
The top of Garfield Peak is a wide, open, mostly flat summit that makes for a great place to lay out and enjoy the views.
According to the National Park Service, Garfield Peak stands at 8,061 ft (2,457 m), or about 1,880 ft (573 m) above Crater Lake below.
Golden light fading on the caldera rim, with Mt. Scott in the background, is exactly why I think Garfield Peak is the best sunset hike in Crater Lake National Park!
