Oregon · Hiking

Sun Notch Trail

Sun Notch TrailPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
0.7 mi
loop
122 ft
climb
7,166 ft
high point
Loop
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Sun Notch Trail open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Crater Lake National Park. It doesn't name Sun Notch 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.

Sun Notch Trail is a short, easy hike in Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, managed by the National Park Service. The trail is about 0.67 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 122 feet, and it starts at the Sun Notch Trailhead. The route rises from about 7,040 feet to a high point of 7,166 feet, with the steepest stretch at about 0.36 miles in, where the grade reaches 10 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 most days. A fee is charged for the hike. Plan on about half an hour for the round trip. The trailhead is the starting point, and the surrounding park offers several other short hikes within a couple of miles, including Plaikni Falls Trail and Castle Crest Wildflower Trail. For an overnight stay, Mazama Campground is about 3 miles away.

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Sun Notch 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, 1.9 mi away at 6,485 ft. The station sits about 700 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Plaikni Falls TrailPhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Plaikni Falls Trail

~3 min drive

1.01-mile out-and-back hike to Plaikni Falls in Oregon with 372 ft of elevation gain.

Discovery Point TrailPhoto: Šarūnas Burdulis from USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Discovery Point Trail

~5 min drive

2.14-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon with 1,850 ft elevation gain and loss.

Rim TrailPhoto: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Rim Trail

~6 min drive

8.04-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 800 ft gain and 2,655 ft loss.

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Stuart Falls Trail

~16 min drive

6.40-mile out-and-back hike to Stuart Falls in Oregon with 924 ft gain.

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Castle Crest Wildflower Trail

~3 min drive

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…

Dutton Creek TrailPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Dutton Creek Trail

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ROCKTOP SNOMO TRAIL

~20 min drive

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THOUSANDS SPRINGS SNOMO TRAIL

~18 min drive

13.18-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 3,646 ft elevation gain and loss.

Castle Crest TrailPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Castle Crest Trail

~3 min drive

0.79-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon with 206 ft gain.

Mount Scott TrailPhoto: Wsultzbach, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Mount Scott Trail

~7 min drive

2.19-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,894 ft elevation gain.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors