Discovery Point Trail

Dogs No Dogs

Features Lake · Views · Wildlife

An easy and popular route, this trail may be crowded during peak hours.

The trailhead is located at the west end of Rim Village. Keep an eye open for the section where the paved walk becomes a dirt path as there is no designated trailhead. From here, the trail heads northwest from the Rim Village parking area toward Discovery Point, where gold prospector John Wesley Hillman first spotted Crater Lake in 1853.

You'll enjoy spectacular views of the lake while running along this easy trail. The trail gains less than 100 ft in elevation along its way. The trail parallels West Rim Drive and hugs the forested rim of Crater Lake. Much of the rim is forested with hemlock and pine. Be cautious around the steep edges of the rim, and keep an eye open for the breaks in the trees where you may catch glimpses of the lake, its rim, and Wizard Island.

Mountain hemlock and whitebark pine. Golden-mantled ground squirrels are frequently spotted along this trail.