Picnic area · Crater Lake National Park
A shady picnic stop beneath old-growth pines with trail access.
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
Lodgepole Picnic Area and Pumice Flat“Lodgepole Picnic Area is coming up on Highway sixty-two, a small lunch stop beneath old-growth pines. There are just two tables, so this suits a simple break.”
Plays as you drive up to Lodgepole Picnic Area in the Parkwolf Crater Lake Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
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Guide
Lodgepole Picnic Area is a roadside picnic site on south Highway 62, with two tables under old-growth lodgepole pines. It works as a shaded meal stop or the starting point for Pumice Flat Trail; by itself, it’s a simple place to pause rather than a stop to build a long visit around.
The trail is 5.5 miles round trip. Its first half-mile stays shaded, then the route opens into pumice flats and grassy meadows, passing burned trees and wildflowers. It’s described as a gentle incline, and the trail crosses Highway 62, so take care at the road.
The old-growth lodgepole pines are the standout feature, with many growing over 100 feet tall. Lodgepole is also the only pine native to the Pacific Northwest with two needles in each bundle.
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
ModerateStuart Falls via Pumice Flat Trail11.9 mi · 6 hr · At the trailheadA long walk from Pumice Flat reaches a waterfall beyond the park.
ModeratePumice Flat Trail5.5 mi · 4 hr · At the trailheadA shaded climb opens onto pumice flats and a broad meadow.
EasyGodfrey Glen Trail1.1 mi · 30 min · 1.9 mi awayA short, accessible loop with canyon views and volcanic spires.
ModerateAnnie Creek Canyon Trail1.7 mi · 1.5 hr · 2.2 mi awayA short loop into a deep canyon beside Annie Creek.
ChallengingLarge PCT Loop30 mi · 16 hr · 2.6 mi awayA 30-mile PCT loop from Mazama with long rim-side views.
EasyAnnie Spring Trail1.6 mi · 1 hr · 2.6 mi awayA spring-side walk with an optional PCT extension.
ChallengingUnion Peak Trail9.8 mi · 6 hr · 2.9 mi awayA long forest walk ends on a narrow summit with wide views.
ChallengingUnion Peak and Stuart Falls Trail22.4 mi · 13 hr · 2.9 mi awayA long PCT hike pairs a rocky summit with a backcountry waterfall.
Campground · 2.1 mi awayMazama CampgroundA shady forest base six miles south of Rim Village.
Picnic area · 2.1 mi awayAnnie Falls Picnic AreaAn easy picnic break for the sound of a partly hidden waterfall.
Lodging · 2.1 mi awayCabins at Mazama VillageA quiet pine-forest base, seven miles south of the rim.
Picnic area · 2.2 mi awayGoodbye Picnic AreaA shaded picnic break with a creek that can roar after snowmelt.
Store · 2.3 mi awayMazama Village StoreThe park’s only general store doubles as a seasonal fuel stop.
Restaurant · 2.3 mi awayAnnie Creek Restaurant & Gift ShopSeasonal meals, souvenirs and a separate scoop shop in Mazama Village.
Entrance station · 2.4 mi awayAnnie Spring Entrance StationThe Highway 62 entry checkpoint for Crater Lake's south side.
Picnic area · 3.8 mi awayVidae Falls Picnic AreaA picnic stop doubles as Crater Peak's creekside trailhead.Parkwolf’s Crater Lake ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
