Hiking Garfield Peak at Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake is incredible from every angle. All I wanted to do during our trip was drive around the rim, hike to a peak overlooking the lake, and follow another trail down to the water for a swim.
For our summit hike, we chose Garfield Peak instead of Mount Scott. We had read that Garfield Peak offered beautiful morning views throughout the climb, rather than saving everything for the summit. The reviews were right. Crater Lake appeared again and again through the trees as we climbed, changing with the early light and giving us plenty of reasons to stop along the way.
Garfield Peak is one of the park’s more popular hikes because it is relatively short and approachable. An early start gave us an unusually quiet trail, though. For long stretches, it felt as if we had the rim almost entirely to ourselves.
We woke before sunrise and began hiking as the first light reached the lake. The trail starts behind Crater Lake Lodge, so there is no separate trailhead parking lot. We parked near the Rim Village Visitor Center and walked toward the lodge, following the paved path along the rim until we reached the trailhead.
The hike is approximately 3.4 miles round trip, with a little more than 1,000 feet of elevation gain. Much of the climb followed the rim through welcome morning shade, with frequent openings overlooking the lake. On the opposite side of the trail, the landscape stretched across the Southern Cascades and Klamath Basin.
We did not typically encounter many animals on our hikes, perhaps because we were rarely on the trail this early. We were trying to become more proactive about getting outside before sunrise, and the few early hikes we had managed were always memorable. Garfield Peak was no exception.
We moved slowly because I was still recovering from my leg injury, and a few hikers passed us on the way up. The slower pace gave us plenty of time to watch the slopes around the trail. We saw our first marmot and then spotted a small, mouse-like animal moving among the rocks. We later learned that it was an American pika.
Pikas are small relatives of rabbits that live in cool, rocky mountain environments. They do not tolerate heat well, which makes them especially vulnerable as temperatures rise and suitable habitat shifts higher into the mountains. We had recently read about researchers tracking pika populations as one way of studying the ecological effects of a warming climate. Seeing one tucked among the rocks made that information feel much less abstract.
Although the trail gains a little more than 1,000 feet, the climb did not feel excessively steep. A steady series of switchbacks spread the elevation across the route, and the trail was well maintained. Between the cool morning air, the wildlife, and the views opening over both the lake and the surrounding mountains, there was always something nearby to pull our attention away from the climb.
Garfield Peak gave us exactly what we had hoped for: a high view over Crater Lake with beautiful scenery throughout the hike. Starting at sunrise made it even better. The trail was quiet, the air was cool, and the lake slowly brightened below us as we made our way toward the summit.
