The Watchman — Local services in Klamath Falls

Watchman Overlook is an observation and interpretive site atop Watchmen Peak. The trail up is 0.8 miles each way with 420 feet of elevation gain,m (so about 1.6 miles round trip) and it consists of several switchbacks as you make your up.

The quickest path up starting from the Watchmen Parking lot. Alternatively you can park at Lightning Springs Picnic Area and hike to the Watchmen, which adds about 1.2 miles each way to the hike.

The site was a fire lookout starting in 1917 when a simple building was constructed, and by 1926 they added summer interpretive and educational programs here. The current building was designed by Francis Lang and built between 1931 and 1933.

The view up here is amazing, a 360° panorama of the surrounding area. Do to your height above the landscape, your line of sight to the horizon is quite large, and you can see quite far. The expansive view of Crater Lake is absolutely.

There's a reason this spot is so well known, looking out and being able to see the width of Crater Lake without having to move your head is amazing. Cloudcap, Garfield Peak and Mount Scott are also places worth looking into a few enjoy these kind of views.

The Watchman is definitely a place anyone looking to visit Crater Lake should stop at...

Beautiful! Really wish it was still a functioning fire watch we could actually go into that was highly disappointing. Beautiful views from up there though. This is at crater lake national park. It’s quite a hike for me but I’m not exactly in shape. It was doable with little stopping points here and there to breathe. I had my boyfriend and 2 kids with us. The boyfriend and the older daughter blazed up the trail while the younger daughter and I trailed behind enjoying the views and breathing lol hoping to hike it again when I’m in...

This was a fantastic hike on a cool but sunny day. Absolutely stunning views of the lake (the best in my opinion), neighboring mountains and surrounding areas. It is definitely a bit of a workout getting up here, but so worth it. Highly...