Oregon · Hiking

Castle Crest Trail

Castle Crest TrailPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
0.8 mi
round trip
254 ft
climb
6,469 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Castle Crest Trail open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Crater Lake National Park. It doesn't name Castle Crest Trail, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).

  • Rim Drive and North Entrance Road are CLOSED for the Season.

    Park closure covering Crater Lake National Park · NPS · Crater Lake National Park

  • Cleetwood Cove Trail is CLOSED for Rehabilitation

    Park closure covering Crater Lake National Park · NPS · Crater Lake National Park

As of · Source: NPS · Crater Lake National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Castle Crest Trail is a short, easy out-and-back hike in Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, managed by the National Park Service. The trail is about 0.8 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 254 feet, and it starts at the Castle Crest Wildflower Garden Trailhead. The route reaches a high point of 6,469 feet and a low of 6,386 feet, with the steepest stretch at about 0.7 miles in, where the grade reaches 15 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July and August highs around 69°F with only about four wet days a month, while winter months bring highs in the low 30s and rain on 18 days a month. The trail sits close to several other routes. Castle Crest Wildflower Trail is just 0.1 mile away, and Lady of the Woods Trail is 0.4 mile off. Garfield Peak Trail and Rim Promenade are both about 1.3 miles away. For an overnight stay, Crater Lake National Park Mazama Campground is about 1.7 miles from the trailhead.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Castle Crest Trail

    Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      33° / 20°

      18 wet

    2. Feb

      34° / 19°

      17 wet

    3. Mar

      36° / 20°

      18 wet

    4. Apr

      40° / 23°

      16 wet

    5. May

      49° / 29°

      12 wet

    6. Jun

      57° / 34°

      7 wet

    7. Jul

      69° / 41°

      4 wet

    8. Aug

      69° / 42°

      4 wet

    9. Sep

      63° / 37°

      6 wet

    10. Oct

      51° / 30°

      10 wet

    11. Nov

      38° / 23°

      16 wet

    12. Dec

      33° / 19°

      18 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Crater Lake Nps Hq, OR, 0.5 mi away at 6,485 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

HIKE

Castle Crest Wildflower Trail

Next door

The Trail At 6300 feet in elevation, the Castle Crest Wildflower Trail loops around a spring-fed meadow, through a mixed conifer forest, over streams, past a grassy slope, and below Castle Crest Ridge which towers 2,000 feet above the trail on the north and east sides. All…

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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors