By the time we reached the Sentinel Rock Overlook, we had almost made our way around Carter Lake. We had already stopped at Discovery Point Overlook, Watchman Overlook, Merriam Point Overlook, Llao Rock, Pumice Point, Palisade Point Overlook, Wineglass Viewpoint, Cloudcap Overlook, and Pumice Castle. We had seen Wizard Island from all different vantage points and were excited to finally be getting some good views of Phantom Ship Island!
Sentinel Rock is a bald rock formation on the southeastern rim of Crater Lake that rises to 6,378 feet elevation. Located between Skell Head and Kerr Notch, Sentinel Rock is composed of light and dark gray dacite lava flows that are about 340,000 to 300,000 years old
From the Sentinel Rock Overlook, you can see across Crater Lake and see both Wizard Island and Phantom Ship Island, which looks small but rises 160 feet out of the lake.
Know Before You Go
- Crater Lake National Park, Oregon’s only national park, does not have a physical street address, so it can be hard to locate us using GPS. We made the historic Crater Lake Lodge our first stop, which is located at 565 Rim Drive, Klamath Falls, Oregon 97604.
- At 1,943 feet deep, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and the principal feature of Crater Lake National Park.
- The 33 mile Rim Drive that travels around Crater Lake’s caldera features spectacular views of the lake and interpretive signage at all of the main vista points.
- Good for seven days, admissions fees are $30.00/vehicle, $25.00/motorcycle in the summer and $15.00/motorcycle in the winter, and $15.00/pedestrian or bicycle.
- The national park is open year-round, 24 hours a day but many of the park’s roads, trails, and facilities are closed seasonally.
- During periods of rain and snow, Crater Lake is often hidden by clouds — it is completely invisible about 50% of the time in the winter!
- Summers at Crater Lake are short but typically sunny. July, August, and September are your best bets for warm, dry weather. However, it can snow any day of the year.
- The park’s North Entrance is closed for about seven months each year. It closes at the first snowfall or on November 1, whichever comes first and reopens in early to mid-summer. The park’s South Entrance and West Entrance are open year-round. We visited the park in late July and the roads had only been open for a week!
- Crater Lake National Park has two visitor centers. The Steel Visitor Center at Park Headquarters is open every day except December 25 — 9:00 am to 5:00 pm from mid-April to early November and 10:00 am to 4:00 pm the rest of the year. The Rim Visitor Center at Rim Village is open daily from late May to late September from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm.
- Dogs on-leash are permitted only in developed areas of the park and in Mazama Village and Lost Creek Campground. Dogs are not permitted on any trails or in undeveloped areas.
