Crater Lake & Lassen 2022 | A Full-Camping Week

Overview

This was a one-week road trip with camping the whole way. The core three days looked like this:

1. Day 1: camp near Klamath Falls, visit Crater Lake, hike a small climb, and get soaked by rain.
2. Day 2: drive back from Oregon into California and crawl through caves at Lava Beds National Monument.
3. Day 3: camp near Lassen, hike Lassen Peak, and stop by Lake Helen.

The short version: camping the entire trip felt fresh and memorable, but it also took a lot of energy.

Day 1 | Klamath Falls Camp And Crater Lake

We camped near Klamath Falls first, then drove into Crater Lake. The lake blue was almost unreal, and the weather changed quickly: clear sky one moment, clouds pressing in the next.

We added a small hike in the middle. Once the elevation picked up, the wind and temperature got serious. Later the rain came through and soaked us, but the views were worth it.

Day 2 | Back To California For Lava Beds

The second day we drove back from Oregon into California and stopped at Lava Beds. The most memorable part was going into the lava tubes: dark, cold, rocky underfoot, and absolutely a headlamp situation.

Day 3 | Lassen Camp, Lassen Peak, And Lake Helen

On the third day we camped around Lassen, hiked Lassen Peak, and visited Lake Helen. This part felt very different from the lake scenery before it: open, volcanic, high, and rugged.

Takeaways

1. Crater Lake's color is worth a dedicated trip.
2. Lava Beds is unique, but bring a headlamp and shoes with grip.
3. Camping every night is fun, but several days in a row is genuinely tiring.
4. Next time I would mix in one or two hotel nights to recover.