Crater Lake National Park: Lady of the Woods and Castle Crest Trails (Blog Hike #871)

Trails: Lady of the Woods and Castle Crest Trails
Hike Location: Crater Lake National Park
Geographic Location: south of Crater Lake, OR (42.89581, -122.13394)
Length: 2.1 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: July 2021
Overview: A pair of short interpretive trails exploring the park's man-made and natural attractions.
Park Information: https://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=881023
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: These two trails start at Crater Lake National Park's Steele Visitor Center, which is located on the west side of the main park road 4 miles north of the park's south entrance.  Park in the medium-sized parking lot in front of the Visitor Center.

The hike: For my general comments on Crater Lake National Park, see my hike on the park's Discovery Point Trail.  The two short trails described here do not receive a lot of traffic because they yield no Crater Lake views.  Nevertheless, these trails explore some other interesting areas that visitors who just come to see the lake never get to see.  The two trails can be hiked independently, but because they both start at the Steele Visitor Center, it makes sense to combine them into one low-key behind-the-lake hike, which is the one described here.

Trailhead: Lady of the Woods Trail

            Starting with the Lady of the Woods Trail, the trail heads west from a signed trailhead at the south side of the Visitor Center.  This trail showcases Crater Lake's history as a national park, and an interpretive guide available for purchase at the trailhead will make that history come alive.  Numbered wooden posts correspond to stops in the interpretive guide, and the first stop tells you that the Steele Visitor Center began its life as the Rangers Dormitory in 1932.

Lady of the Woods

            Just shy of 0.2 miles, you reach the Lady of the Woods, an unfinished sculpture carved into a boulder.  A medical doctor named Earl Russell Bush carved this sculpture over 2 weeks in 1917, and it has been a visitor attraction ever since.  Past the sculpture, the single-track dirt trail climbs the hillside beside an arm of Munson Creek while weaving around a large number of boulders.  Numerous park dormitories and operations buildings are located in this area.  These buildings were built between 1930 and 1941, and the interpretive guide describes how they were designed to blend in with the woods.

Historic national park dormitory

            At 0.4 miles, you reach the highest point on the Lady of the Woods Trail, which is only about 110 vertical feet above the Visitor Center.  Next you cross a park maintenance road and enter an open area that offers a nice view of Crater Lake's rim above you to the north.  After a short but steep descent, you arrive alongside Munson Creek.  The trail descends gradually along Munson Creek to return to the Visitor Center at 0.7 miles and complete the Lady of the Woods Trail.

Start of Castle Crest Trail

            To find the signed start of the Castle Crest Trail, walk through the parking lot and use the crosswalk to cross the park road.  The Castle Crest Trail descends gradually through some nice pine forest.  1.2 miles into the hike, you reach the roadside parking lot and trailhead for the Castle Crest Wildflower Trail.  Turn left to begin the second short nature trail.  Another interpretive guide is available for purchase here; it will help you identify some of the wildflowers that grow along this trail.

Approaching the meadow

            After a short descent, the trail splits to form its loop.  Turn right to hike the loop counterclockwise.  Soon the wildflower show begins as the trail narrows and enters a sunny meadow that is covered with a dense carpet of greenery dotted with flowers.  On my visit in mid-July, I saw monkeyflower, scarlet gilia, lupine, and other wildflowers in full bloom.  The secret to this meadow is the creek that flows through it and waters the wildflowers.  Although the trail is narrow in spots, stepping stones keep your feet dry in all but the wettest of times.  Take your time as you walk around the meadow to see how many wildflowers you can identify.

Stepping stones through a wet area

Wildflowers along the creek

            After looping through the meadow, the trail enters the edge of the woods just before you close the loop.  A short walk brings you back to the parking lot for the Castle Crest Wildflower Trail.  To get back to your car at the Steele Visitor Center, turn right and retrace your steps uphill 0.5 miles.