Parking
Start at the Godfrey Glen turnout off Munson Valley Road, between Park Headquarters and Mazama Village.
Overview
About Godfrey Glen Trail
Why go
- Easy, short loop with several canyon-rim overlooks.
- Accessible route through old-growth forest and volcanic formations.
Heads up
- Duwee Falls is difficult to see from the trail.
- The forested return has fewer canyon views.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Crater Lake map
Full mapElevation6,001–6,112 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Crater Lake alerts
- ClosureCleetwood Cove Trail closed for rehabilitationCleetwood Cove Trail is closed to the public during construction to rehabilitate the trail and marina.Official details
- CautionPinnacles Road restricted to hikers and bicyclistsPinnacles Road is open only to hikers and bicyclists because of a road construction project; motor vehicles cannot use it.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Crater Lake Tour Guide
Your drive to Godfrey Glen Trail, narrated.
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 trailhead
Godfrey Glen Trailhead0:00 / 0:24
“Godfrey Glen Trailhead is ahead, with an easy forest loop for canyon views rather than a lake panorama. Allow about half an hour for the one point one mile walk through mountain hemlock and Shasta red fir.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Crater Lake Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Goodbye Picnic Area and Its Bridge
- A Jay's Winter Stores
- Mazama Village: Food and Supplies
- Winter Written in the Trees
- 58 audio storiesacross Crater Lake’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Mule Deer, Common Raven, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 34 trails, 49 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Godfrey Glen Trail
Is this a good fit?Godfrey Glen is an easy 1.
Godfrey Glen is an easy 1.1-mile loop off Munson Valley Road, winding through old-growth forest and along the rim of Munson Creek Canyon. Allow about 30 minutes. The payoff is several looks into a deep, tree-lined gorge and at pale volcanic spires across it.
NPS describes the route as accessible, with grades up to 9%; all-terrain wheelchair users may need assistance. Dogs are allowed only on a leash and only when the trail is free of significant snow, with one pet per person.
Along the canyon rimThe trail leaves the turnout and splits into its loop shortly ahead.
The trail leaves the turnout and splits into its loop shortly ahead. The southern stretch follows the canyon edge past several overlooks; the creek runs well below the rim and may be hard to see. A small stream crosses the western section. The northbound return passes through more forest and has fewer views. Duwee Falls is tucked into the canyon, so its view from the path is limited.
What formed the pale spiresThe columns across the gorge are fossil fumaroles.
The columns across the gorge are fossil fumaroles. They formed when volcanic gases escaped through hot ash around 7,700 years ago, leaving the softer material to erode away around them. Mountain hemlock and Shasta red fir grow in the old forest around the rim.
The glen's namesakeThe glen honors William C. Godfrey, Crater Lake's chief ranger.
The glen honors William C. Godfrey, Crater Lake's chief ranger. He died in a snowstorm near the park's south entrance on November 17, 1930; superintendent E. C. Solinsky named the glen in his memory.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Crater Lake
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.
