The Blue Deeps: Crater Lake

There are hundreds of places all over the world that people can explore and venture to see the most beautiful places and locations. Many explore to find the new and coolest animals. Many explore to find the next greatest formation and nature, and most explore for the fun of seeing great things the planet has given us a chance to experience.

My first stop on this great adventure is exploring one of nature’s gifts; Crater Lake National Park. It is home to an oddity that turned the area into a great place to visit.

Crater Lake is based on top of a dormant volcano with a lake in the center of its crater. What is so unique about this lake, it that the lake is made entirely of snow and ice melt. There are no outside water sources feeding into or out of the lake. This pure source is what gives it a deep blue color and crystal clear purity.

Some people will say that they have seen clear waters down in the Caribbean where the water is like a window, but Crater Lake far outstrips even that. There are scientific tests to literally see how far into the lake a person can view. These are the Secchi Disk tests, a researcher drops a disk and records how deep they can see. The current record of visibility depth is 149 feet deep for the park.

Sadly, swimming in the lake is off limits to preserve the purity of the lake. Despite this, you can take tours and ride around the lake and visit Wizard's Island. Wizard's Island is an old buildup of volcanic ash from a volcanic vent under the lake. It is kind of like the islands that you read about in adventure and fantasy stories. It is a neat opportunity to get a closer look at the lake and see the rich color up close and personal.

The lake is not the only thing in the entire park. The park is based on a volcano with the lake at the top sitting as the crown jewel at the peak of the mountain. The park is home to a vast conifer forest. Housing many types of plants and a variety of animals. Be careful because there are black bears and elk roaming around the mountainside. There are also hiking trails and camping grounds for the outdoors types.

When you go to Crater Lake National Park make sure to bring something warm. The weather doesn't care if it is in the middle of May, there will still be snow upwards of 20 feet. As you head up the volcano, it gets cooler and cooler until it is downright cold, but once you head back down, it gets warm once again.

Crater Lake National Park is a great place to go explore and get lost in thought as you gaze at the mesmerizing blue depths of a grand lake. It is a great place to relax and have a fun adventure, learning that nature has much more to see than just a forest of a river. If you want to know more about the lake, go to Crater Lake National Park web page to learn more.