Crater Lake: Cleetwood Cove Hike

Cleetwood Cove Hike

The Cleetwood Cove hike is one of the most popular hikes at Crater Like. It is one of the only places where you can actually make it all the down to the water and can even jump in and take a swim in the iconic lake. While it does see a lot of visitors, Cleetwood Cove has a steep and challenging hike out from the lake front. But the views make the whole trek worth it.

Down to the Water

Crater Lake is one of the most beautiful places I have seen in my life. For me, The walk down to the water amazingly special. It was the first time I had been to the lake. I couldn’t stop staring at the water as I descended the relatively steep trail to get to the water. Each step increased the view tenfold.

The upper trail starts with some thicker woods. The views of the lakes come in a bit of flashes between the trees. A pocket here or there to show slivers of the lake. The trail just keeps heading downhill and through some switchbacks.

As you get a bit lower, the trees thin out a little bit more. They views of the lake get longer and longer. However, there are some spots here that are in rockslide areas. Signs tell you to keep moving and to not stop in certain parts. Finally, towards the bottom, the full lake starts to take shape.

Waterfront

The trail is only just over a mile until you get to the bottom. The bottom is just as stunning as you think it would be. There is a small area with some boats when you first get to the bottom. Then some rocks near the water’s edge that a lot of people were fishing at. As you walk a little further, there was a little building where people can change clothes and actually jump into the freezing water.

The water is very cold…or so I was told. I did not actually jump in. In my defense, the trail was closed until the day I visited so i didn’t think I would be able to get this far. Being down at the waters edge was amazing though. The view of the lake was simply stunning.

The water is so clear and on a clear day, casted a perfect reflection of the clouds and mountains. It was like walking towards a painting. If I had it to do over again, I would have jumped in for sure. Even without swimming, I was so happy just being down here in such a spectacular spot.

The Return

After making it all the way down to the water’s edge, the rewards are high, but so is the return the trip. The return trip rises up over 600 feet in just a mile. That is a lot of elevation for anyone but especially for those who are not used to hiking at elevation. The top of the trail is also over 6,000 feet so the air is a bit thinner adding yet another degree of difficulty. As someone who hikes in the mountains of Colorado, this trail was still a struggle! So if you are visiting and don’t hike very often, please take caution when hiking back up from the lake.

Luckily, you still have the amazing view to keep your mind off of the elevation gain! As another warning, the grade is pretty consistent at 15-18% as you head back up. Plus, there are spots that aren’t safe to stop at. Just trying to let people know what they are in for on this one. However, the views and the lake are amazing so if you have the ability, this is a can’t miss stop at Crater Lake!

For more pictures, make sure to check the gallery below!

Closing Trail

Unfortunately for those who haven’t made it yet, Cleetwood Cove is closing at the end of the 2025 season. The trail and marina will be rehabilitated and the project is planned to take 3 years. Due to the extreme weather at Crater Lake, crews have a short work season and aren’t expecting it to reopen until perhaps 2029. Here is a link to more information on the closure.

Video of the Cleetwood Cove Hike

I have put this time-lapse video together of the Cleetwood Cove hike so other hikers can get a feel of what the hike is like. If you enjoy this video make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. It is free to subscribe and you will get the latest outdoor content.

Distance and Elevation

f you don’t have the AllTrails app you might want to check it out, I really love mine. It records your progress and is a great way to search for hikes that are nearby and gives you difficulty measurements. According to AllTrails today’s hike was around 2.25 miles and had a total elevation gain of about 640 feet including undulations. That put the high point at around 6,818 feet. Note that the high point is actually at the start of the hike! I was also moving for a total 1 hour and 1 minutes.

I am a Pro member of AllTrails and love it. If you are interested in the platform, please consider using my affiliate link for AllTrails. It gives me a small commission with no extra cost to you.

Effort

This hike is no joke! The trail starts at the high point and heads downhill for about a mile. Well, what goes down must come back up. That means a return trip of over 600 feet of elevation in about a mile to get back to the top. On top of the elevation gain, the trail is also at over 6,000 feet of elevation. For visitors who are not from accustomed to hiking at elevation or hiking up steep trails, this could be a problem. Make sure you have water with you and plan to take breaks on your way back up. It is easy to get in a bit of a trance from the beauty of the lake as you hike down and overlook the return. Because this is a trail that is popular with tourists, I am going to mark it as Hard. Please take it seriously.

Terrain

While the trail is easy to follow and well maintained, there are some dangers of rockslides. Certain areas of the trail have warnings to not stop and the trail can be closed at times. There is shade on the top portion of the trail but it does get exposed down near the water. They are closing the trail for the next few years and rebuilding it to try to help with the stability.

Finding the Cleetwood Cove Trail

Warning that the Cleetwood Cove Trail will be closed for maintenance at the end of the 2025 season and isn’t scheduled to reopen until 2029. The trail is part of Crater Lake National Park. There is a daily use fee at the park. There is a large parking area with pit toilets at the trailhead.

Wrap up of the Cleetwood Cove Trail

The Cleetwood Cove trail was one of my favorite hikes ever. The views of Crater Lake were simply unbelievable! I was lucky and had perfect weather for my trip which made the lake look like a painting with a perfect reflection of the world around it. I had to stop as many times to pinch myself as to catch my breath. I can’t wait to see what it looks like when they reopen it!

Please be careful when it comes to the hike back up. If you are not comfortable with hiking up steep trails, think twice about going down to the water. It was a struggle to make it back up! If you are confident and comfortable with elevation, then enjoy one of the prettiest hikes I have ever seen!

I have added this hike and all of my hikes to the interactive map page you can find here. If you have any suggestions for hikes or comments feel free to email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com or you can follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Happy Hiking!

Gallery of the Cleetwood Cove Trail

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