Parking
Turn from East Rim Drive onto Pinnacles Road near Phantom Ship Overlook; the small trailhead lot is about 1.2 miles down on the left. Parking is limited, and there is no restroom at the trailhead.
Overview
About Plaikni Falls Trail
Why go
- A short, easy forest walk ends at a real waterfall.
- Wildflowers and a chance to listen for pikas and marmots add interest beyond the falls.
Heads up
- The last quarter-mile climbs more steeply and may be too much for some wheelchair users.
- The waterfall can feel modest if you expect a large cascade.
Plaikni Falls Trail is an easy 2-mile round trip from Pinnacles Road, following a roughly one-mile forest path to a snowmelt-fed waterfall and back. It is a good change of pace from Crater Lake’s rim viewpoints: you trade the lake panorama for a forest walk with a clear destination. The National Park Service lists about 100 feet of elevation gain. Allow about 45 minutes to an hour, including a short stop at the falls. Most of the route is fairly level; the last quarter-mile climbs more sharply, and the cascade can feel modest if you expect a large, thundering drop.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs it worth the stop?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Crater Lake map
Full mapElevation6,424–6,667 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
2 active Crater Lake alerts
- CautionPinnacles Road restricted to hikers and bicyclistsMentions Pinnacles Road, referenced in this guidePinnacles Road is open only to hikers and bicyclists because of a road construction project; motor vehicles cannot use it.Official details
- ClosureCleetwood Cove Trail closed for rehabilitationCleetwood Cove Trail is closed to the public during construction to rehabilitate the trail and marina.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Crater Lake Tour Guide
Your drive to Plaikni Falls 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
Plaikni Falls Trailhead0:00 / 0:22
“You're coming up on Plaikni Falls Trailhead, a good choice for a forest walk to a rocky cascade. Allow forty-five minutes to an hour for the two-mile round trip.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Crater Lake Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Fish People Brought
- Check the Face
- Phantom Ship Overlook
- Victor View and Reflection Point
- 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 Plaikni Falls Trail
Getting to the startFrom East Rim Drive near Phantom Ship Overlook, turn onto Pinnacles Road.
From East Rim Drive near Phantom Ship Overlook, turn onto Pinnacles Road. The trailhead lot is about 1.2 miles down, on the left. The National Park Service calls parking limited, so plan around a small trailhead rather than a large visitor lot. There is no restroom at the trailhead. This is the Plaikni Falls Trailhead access; a separate map pin for the falls itself is the destination, not where you park.
What the walk is likeThe named path runs through forest on fine gravel and stays gentle for most of the mile.
The named path runs through forest on fine gravel and stays gentle for most of the mile. When it bends right, the park recommends listening for pikas, marmots and songbirds. Wildflowers are another reason to slow down when they are in season. The last short climb brings you to the waterfall and stream tucked among dark rock, moss and greenery. The falls are fed by snowmelt, so flow changes through the season; they are a pleasant destination, not a guarantee of a huge torrent. From the base, the waterfall framed with the stream and ravine makes the natural photo stop.
Accessibility and footingThis is mixed-access, not an accessible-to-the-end route.
This is mixed-access, not an accessible-to-the-end route. The first three-quarters is described as usable by wheelchair visitors with assistance, but the final short climb to the falls may be too steep. The smooth, mostly level approach is the easy part; expect a real uphill finish and turn back if that last section is outside your comfort or mobility range.
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.
