Scenic pullout · Crater Lake National Park
An east-facing stop for the Klamath Basin beyond the rim.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Crater Lake Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Crater Lake National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Crater Lake audio tourRecorded for this place
Dutton Ridge Pullout“You're coming up on Dutton Ridge Pullout, a boulder-lined stop looking east across the Klamath Basin toward Klamath Marsh. Pull in for a few minutes if you want to see the country beyond the caldera.”
Plays as you drive up to Dutton Ridge Pullout in the Parkwolf Crater Lake Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Dutton Ridge Pullout is a boulder-lined roadside viewpoint on East Rim Drive, near mile 24.9 at the road summit. It looks east across the Klamath Basin toward Klamath Marsh, after Kerr Notch's last lake-facing look. Keep it on a slower rim drive if you want the landscape beyond the caldera; if you are after another direct look at Crater Lake, move on.
This is a short roadside stop, not a trail outing. The full Rim Drive circuit is possible during much of summer, so plan it as part of that loop and check current road access before setting out.
The basin panorama is the reason to stop: face east and let the open country fill the frame, with Klamath Marsh farther east. A wide photo shows how the landscape opens beyond the steep face of Dutton Ridge, rather than giving you another close view of the lake.
Wildlife
16 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
178 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
26 sightingsCommon RavenMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
33 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around 1 PMSighting map
47 sightingsRed-tailed HawkMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
71 sightingsCascades FrogMost seen around 5 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Crater Lake. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateGrayback Road8 mi · 4 hr · 0.8 mi awayA broad, quiet forest walk along an old rim road
ModerateCrater Peak Trail6.5 mi · 3.5 hr · 0.8 mi awayA forested climb to a volcanic summit above the Klamath Basin.
EasySun Notch Trail0.8 mi · 36 min · 1.3 mi awayA short loop through a pumice meadow to Phantom Ship.
EasyPlaikni Falls Trail2 mi · 1 hr · 1.6 mi awayA gentle forest walk to a waterfall, with a brief final climb.
EasyCastle Crest Trail0.5 mi · 36 min · 2.6 mi awayA short loop around a spring-fed wildflower meadow.
ModerateRaven Trail2 mi · 2.5 hr · 2.8 mi awayA marked winter climb to the caldera rim.
EasyLady of the Woods Trail0.7 mi · 36 min · 2.8 mi awayA short history loop to a weathered forest carving.
EasyGodfrey Glen Trail1.1 mi · 30 min · 3.4 mi awayA short, accessible loop with canyon views and volcanic spires.
Picnic area · 0.8 mi awayVidae Falls Picnic AreaA picnic stop doubles as Crater Peak's creekside trailhead.
Sight · 0.9 mi awayVidae FallsA spring-fed cascade right off East Rim Drive.
Sight · 1.5 mi awaySun Notch OverlookAn uphill walk reaches Phantom Ship from several rim angles.
Sight · 2.2 mi awayPhantom Ship OverlookA jagged volcanic island that wears a ship's shape in fog.
Campground · 2.2 mi awayLost Creek CampgroundSixteen tent sites tucked into forest off Pinnacles Road.Sight · 2.4 mi awayPlaikni FallsA shaded forest walk ends at a snowmelt-fed waterfall.
Visitor center · 2.8 mi awaySteel Information CenterA practical first stop for ranger advice and Crater Lake context.
Scenic pullout · 2.9 mi awayReflection PointA long stone parapet frames another view of Phantom Ship.Parkwolf’s Crater Lake ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
