Crater Lake National Park; September 29, 2025

Throughout the night, I didn’t sleep well. There was some cold air getting into my sleeping bag, but I was too lazy and too tired to look into it. Somehow, it was already 7 AM. I woke up, packed my tent, made coffee, and headed to my first destination in Crater Lake National Park: the Garfield Peak Trailhead.

As I started driving toward Crater Lake Lodge, where the trail begins, I noticed the weather was completely foggy, and the visibility was minimal. When I arrived at the lodge parking lot, it was full of cars but strangely no people; it seemed like everyone was still asleep. A few others who had just arrived were wandering around, trying to decide what to do because the lake was nowhere to be seen through the thick fog.

I walked around, hoping for a view… still no lake. On top of the fog making everything invisible, it was extremely cold and windy. I decided to pull myself together and start the hike anyway. I brought my coffee with me; at this point, my brain is officially addicted.

After about a mile of hiking, I finally started seeing parts of the lake, but only in brief moments when the fog waves moved. Even though a clear sky would’ve been nice, this wild, foggy weather felt refreshing and energetic. The fall colors were definitely showing, and I took so many photos of the beautiful trees and scenery.

I reached the top of Garfield Peak after about two miles, and honestly… I was disappointed. I was hoping things would clear up higher, but I guess I haven’t experienced this much fog before. The entire lake was still covered by thick fog waves that looked like ocean tides, beautiful, but freezing and windy.

I took my time there anyway and enjoyed the uniqueness of the moment. On the way back down, I met two hikers, the only two people I have seen on the whole trail so far. When I returned to the lodge area around 9:30 AM, people from the lodge seemed to be just waking up, standing on the balcony with their coffee mugs, looking at the shifting weather.

I decided to hike along the Discovery Point Trailhead. By that time, the park was much busier. The fog still came and went, revealing the lake one moment and hiding it the next. My hike 1^st of the day totaled 5.02 miles. My next stop was the Watchman Peak Trailhead, a steep two-mile round-trip hike. The view from the Watchman Observation Station was incredible and totally worth the climb. It felt like nature was putting on a show, the lake appearing and disappearing with every wave of fog. I spent about 20 minutes up there taking time-lapse videos. I had trouble stabilizing my phone; yes, I still need that phone holder I keep saying I’ll buy. For now, rocks and sticks are my tripod. 😏

By the time I got back to the parking lot, it was almost 11 AM.

Next, I drove to the Cleetwood Cove Trail, the only trail that takes you all the way down to the lake and the Wizard Island boat dock. I stopped briefly at Merriam Point on the way. The hike reminded me of Yellowstone Falls, very steep down and then very steep up. As I descended, my left knee started bothering me again. For some reason, it only hurts going down, not up; something I can’t afford to have.

The trail was busy, and the lake was finally visible. The weather was still foggy but constantly changing, absolutely gorgeous.

When I reached the lake, I spent about 30 minutes there and met a 73-year-old man named Tom, from a small town in Oregon about two hours away. We had a great conversation. I told him about my plan to visit 13 national parks in two weeks. He laughed and said, “Oh, you’re doing it like Americans visiting 10 cities in one week in Europe.” I didn’t know that 😌😁

We also talked about the reduction of funding for national parks; irresponsible and sad. He said, “But we didn’t vote for Trump as a state,” joking but also serious. He mentioned that next year, access to the lake via the Cleetwood Cove Trail will be closed until 2029, along with other park areas for major renovation.

Tom works in woodcraft, and since he left his phone in his car, I offered to take his photo and email it to him. He gave me his business card. We shook hands, and I started the steep hike back up.

When I arrived at the parking lot, I changed into dry clothes, ate some snacks, and began driving the Rim Drive exit route, a scenic road that circles the lake (closed in winter). I stopped at a few viewpoints, but the weather on the other side of the park was terrible, visibility was almost zero, and traffic was very slow.

I made it back to Mazama Village around 1 PM. Since there were no connections, I went to the market to use their WiFi so I could set my GPS to my next destination: Redwood National and State Parks, 3 hours and 18 minutes away.

I drove through endless forest, heavy rain, and had no phone service for at least two hours. I listened to NPR, and the news was all about the government shutdown, which made me wonder if national parks would stay open.

I stopped at Figaro’s Pizza in Gold Hill, Oregon. I was starving. I’ve always heard Oregon is beautiful, and I couldn’t agree more. The state is stunning, with great infrastructure and perfect weather. I loved it.

The restaurant was quiet. The owner was extremely nice. The space was decorated with astronomy photos and high-school sports pictures. The vibe was great, even the rock music playing from the TV on an Amazon account. One song in particular caught my attention: “Shakedown Street.” I guess I’m into classic rock music now.

I asked about the astronomy photos, and he said they were from a local artist who came in to set them up. I left with such a positive feeling. Then I tried a local ATM because I needed cash for camping. The ATM wasn’t working, but the manager came out and helped me get cash. I was so thankful.

I entered California at 5:18 PM. I was surprised by the checkpoint; they asked if I had any fruit or vegetables. I said I have a few apples. “You’re good to go,” he said. I later learned California has agricultural checkpoints to prevent invasive pests and diseases, something I didn’t know since this was my first time driving into the state.

I arrived at Redwood National and State Parks around 6 PM. It was getting dark, so I rushed to the Jedediah Smith Campground in the middle of the forest, with giant redwoods and river access, extremely quiet. I drove around hoping to find a spot, but no luck; everything looked reserved. Some sites were empty but still reserved. The camp host sign said, “off duty,” and I was getting worried, the darkness, the fatigue, and this incredibly beautiful place… I really didn’t want to leave to go somewhere else.

I kept searching and found another camp host on the opposite side, a big RV with beautiful lights. The sign said: “If you need a campsite, please ring the bell.”

I rang it. A lady came out; she was watching TV. She said, “We have at least ten sites available.” I said, “I’ll take whatever.” She also helped me with some change for the fee. I was really thankful.

Now I have to find my car, which took me a while; the campground was all loops and very confusing.

Finally, I drove to my site, set up my tent, made some food, and felt so grateful to camp in such a beautiful place. The bathrooms and showers were very clean and organized, which is rare to find, but I was very impressed with the shower quarter operating system.

Back in my tent, grateful for another day, and hoping for some sleep.