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Short Guide to One-Day Trip: Eugene → Crater Lake National Park

Graduated in June 🎓!As someone who’s always obsessed with road trips, I chose a trip to the underrated cities of Eugene and Portland. I originally planned to head straight to Portland, but when I found out how stunning Crater Lake National Park (near Eugene) is, I made sure to add a self-driving day trip there! I woke up early and grabbed breakfast at a café near my hotel ☕.Downtown Eugene is actually really nice—there are tons of cool graffiti walls everywhere, plus lots of little flowers, especially roses 🌹—you can spot them in almost every yard! After breakfast, I hit the road to Crater Lake. It’s about a 2.5-hour drive from Eugene. Along Highway 58, there are quite a few small lakes; I only stopped at two. One of them was undeveloped, surrounded by bare, black tree branches left from a recent wildfire 🌲🖤.The other was Diamond Lake—I checked it out from a small overlook, and it was lovely. Then, when I was only about 20 minutes away from Crater Lake… the road was closed! 😱 With no cell service or GPS, I ended up winding through mountain roads for an hour to get there. I was basically terrified—there wasn’t a single car coming the opposite way! A big tip: fill up your gas tank whenever you see a gas station—don’t skip it! The drive was so wild, it felt like going from summer to winter in no time ❄️… but surprisingly, I didn’t feel cold at all once I got to Crater Lake! The entrance fee is $25 per car. The ranger at the toll booth will give you a map and a quick explanation of the park. There are actually lots of scattered scenic spots, but I went straight for the main view to take photos—and wow, the lake is super blue! Like, bright sapphire blue 💙!It looks amazing even without filters, and the sunnier the day, the bluer it gets! Honestly? I think it’s way more breathtaking than the Grand Canyon or Horseshoe Bend 😍 If you’re looking for a spot with incredible views and fewer crowds, this place comes highly recommended! #EugeneOregon #CraterLakeNationalPark #OregonRoadTrip #OneDayTripGuide #PostGradTrip #OregonHiddenGem #USAOutdoors

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Grace Taylor
3 months ago
Grace Taylor
Grace Taylor
3 months ago
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Short Guide to One-Day Trip: Eugene → Crater Lake National Park

Graduated in June 🎓!As someone who’s always obsessed with road trips, I chose a trip to the underrated cities of Eugene and Portland. I originally planned to head straight to Portland, but when I found out how stunning Crater Lake National Park (near Eugene) is, I made sure to add a self-driving day trip there! I woke up early and grabbed breakfast at a café near my hotel ☕.Downtown Eugene is actually really nice—there are tons of cool graffiti walls everywhere, plus lots of little flowers, especially roses 🌹—you can spot them in almost every yard! After breakfast, I hit the road to Crater Lake. It’s about a 2.5-hour drive from Eugene. Along Highway 58, there are quite a few small lakes; I only stopped at two. One of them was undeveloped, surrounded by bare, black tree branches left from a recent wildfire 🌲🖤.The other was Diamond Lake—I checked it out from a small overlook, and it was lovely. Then, when I was only about 20 minutes away from Crater Lake… the road was closed! 😱 With no cell service or GPS, I ended up winding through mountain roads for an hour to get there. I was basically terrified—there wasn’t a single car coming the opposite way! A big tip: fill up your gas tank whenever you see a gas station—don’t skip it! The drive was so wild, it felt like going from summer to winter in no time ❄️… but surprisingly, I didn’t feel cold at all once I got to Crater Lake! The entrance fee is $25 per car. The ranger at the toll booth will give you a map and a quick explanation of the park. There are actually lots of scattered scenic spots, but I went straight for the main view to take photos—and wow, the lake is super blue! Like, bright sapphire blue 💙!It looks amazing even without filters, and the sunnier the day, the bluer it gets! Honestly? I think it’s way more breathtaking than the Grand Canyon or Horseshoe Bend 😍 If you’re looking for a spot with incredible views and fewer crowds, this place comes highly recommended! #EugeneOregon #CraterLakeNationalPark #OregonRoadTrip #OneDayTripGuide #PostGradTrip #OregonHiddenGem #USAOutdoors

Eugene
Diamond Lake
Diamond LakeDiamond Lake