Located at the top of the Cascade Mountain Range, Crater Lake in southern Oregon is the deepest lake in the US, and is considered to have been formed over 7,700 years ago. It is the deepest in America, and the ninth deepest in the world. The lake was formed from a volcanic eruption of Mount Mazama. It is a lake whose depth is a result of much precipitation, with many Americans referring to it as the most pristine lake on the planet.
The depth of the lake is 1,949 feet, although this fluctuates with the seasonal temperatures and precipitation. This lake was first discovered in 1886 during a Geological Survey.
There are two islands in Crater Lake, Wizard Island and Phantom Ship. Wizard Island is located in the west, and Phantom Ship is a rock island on the southern tip of the lake. Surrounded by forest and unique wildlife, the lake was a natural base for a national park by 1902. It is approximately 6 miles across and sits at an elevation of 7,000 feet and the second deepest lake on the continent after Canada’s Great Slave Lake.
Crater Lake is home to Crater Lake National Park, where deep blue waters prevail. Its name comes from the volcanic collapses that caused the lake. No rivers flow in or out of the lake, and its depth is caused by rain and snow. Evaporation of precipitation will cause the depth of the lake to fluctuate over the course of the year. It is said that its entire water depth of almost two thousand feet will replace itself every 250 years.
The climate here is called subalpine, and in line with Oregon’s dry summers as a result of high elevation surrounded by mountain ranges. Summers are mild and winters are very cold here, with intense snowfalls that average approximately 505 inches annually.
In many areas near and around Crater Lake, the snow does not melt until the middle of the summer. This causes mountain glaciers. A record snowfall of over 8865 inches occurred over 1949 and 1950. The record daily snowfall here was 37 inches and this occurred in 1971 on the last day of February. It is not uncommon to see a snow storm here in June or September, and the last frost can occur late in the summer. Still, plant life and wildlife prevails to create a beautiful scenery for one of America’s most beloved national parks.