Lady of the Woods Trail

Lady of the Woods is a 0.7-mile loop behind Steel Visitor Center, with about 120 feet of climbing. Allow roughly 30–40 minutes if you stop at the self-guiding brochure’s points. It is an easy, small-scale walk for the stone carving, creekside woods and old park headquarters buildings; choose it for history rather than a Crater Lake overlook.

The route leaves from behind the visitor center, crosses Munson Creek and reaches the carving a short way past the first fork. It then climbs gradually to a second bridge before descending by a creekside meadow and the headquarters buildings. A left turn at the first split is the quicker approach to the carving; after the creek crossing, turn right to stay on the loop. The full route crosses a service road, so watch for vehicles.

Earl Russell Bush carved the low-relief figure into a volcanic boulder in 1917 while working with road crews. It was his first sculpture, and he left it unfinished. The face blends into the mountain hemlocks, and a long winter can keep snow over the carving until June or July. Take a moment to find the details rather than walking past the sign.

The brochure also interprets the historic buildings around the loop. The headquarters buildings were built over several decades, from the 1920s into the 1940s. Their architecture and the Munson Creek crossings give this walk a different character from the park’s rim hikes.

Dogs are allowed on this trail only when it is free of significant snow, and must stay on a leash no longer than six feet. The loop sits near 6,500 feet, so the short climb can feel harder if you have not acclimated.