On the drive from Atlanta to the Oregon coast, we stopped at Crater Lake in south-central Oregon for an early morning visit. We beat the traffic and long line at the entrance. The air was chilled and refreshing. The views were gorgeous!
With a depth of 1,949 feet, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and the 9th deepest lake in the world. The caldera is 2,148 tall and the result of a volcanic explosion of Mount Mazama. With no water coming into or out of the lake, the evaporating lake water is replaced by the water from melting snow and rain water. The area gets a massive average annual snow fall of 505 inches!