Mountain · 1 route

The Watchman

8,012 ft · Oregon

Summit
8,012 ft
Routes
1 way up

Route up The Watchman

  1. Watchman Peak TrailEasyabout 440 ft of climbing1.0 mi round tripSee the route
Map of the route up The Watchman, with each route's start numbered and the summit marked
Watchman Peak TrailMap © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap contributors

About The Watchman

The Watchman is a summit of 8,012 feet in Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon, about 19 miles from the town of Fort Klamath. 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 brings highs near 33°F and rain on most days. The Watchman Peak Trail starts just 0.2 miles away, and the Fumarole Bay Trail and Wizard Island Summit Trail are each about a mile and a quarter off. For an overnight base, Crater Lake National Park Mazama Campground sits about 5.6 miles away.

Forecast on The Watchman

Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.

Questions about The Watchman

How tall is The Watchman?

8,012 ft (2,442 m).

How many routes go to the summit of The Watchman?

One: Watchman Peak Trail.

Mountains nearby

More mountains in Oregon

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Jul–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 63–69°F and lows of 37–42°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Crater Lake Nps Hq, OR weather station, 3.7 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan33° high20° low
  2. Feb34° high19° low
  3. Mar36° high20° low
  4. Apr40° high23° low
  5. May49° high29° low
  6. Jun57° high34° low
  7. Jul69° high41° low
  8. Aug69° high42° low
  9. Sep63° high37° low
  10. Oct51° high30° low
  11. Nov38° high23° low
  12. Dec33° high19° low

The station sits about 1,500 ft lower than this spot, so expect it to run cooler up here.

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Fort Klamath, Oregon · 19 mi

Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Crater Lake National Park as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: NPS Alerts API

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

Is The Watchman open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Crater Lake National Park. It doesn't name The Watchman, so check the source for the area it covers.

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

Best time to visit The Watchman

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, 3.7 mi away at 6,485 ft. The station sits about 1,500 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.