Crater Lake and its surrounding wildlands have inspired people for generations as it provides the postcard image that encapsulates Oregon’s beauty and commitment to conservation. Every year, Crater Lake attracts half a million visitors who come to gaze into its pure, clean water, to marvel at its unique geology, and to explore its rugged backcountry.

Find out more about the Crater Lake Wilderness proposal in this fact sheet.

The natural beauty of Crater Lake extends far beyond Wizard Island and the caldera. It includes pristine roadless lands both inside and outside of the official boundaries of the park. Places such as the Pumice Desert; the craggy spires and wild forests of Mount Thielsen; the rugged backcountry of Mount Bailey; and the headwaters of the Rogue and Umpqua Rivers.

Threats

A helicopter tour operator is seeking a permit for flights into the park, over its backcountry, and along the crater rim. The noise pollution from these flights would destroy the quiet of the park, disrupt wildlife, and greatly diminish the experience for the vast majority of park visitors. Unfortunately the proposal for noisy helicopter flights is not the only threat to the wildlands surrounding Crater Lake. A misguided Forest Service logging project, known as D-Bug, proposes to log thousands of acres of forestland just north of the park boundary.

Sign up to get more info on the threats to Crater Lake and what you can do to protect our only National Park. (see more details on our plan of action below)

Solution

To combat the misguided logging of the D-Bug project and the threat of noisy helicopter flights over the Park, Wilderness protection is needed. Wilderness designation is the gold standard when it comes to protecting America’s public lands. Conservationists and the National Park Service have long argued that Crater Lake and its surrounding wildlands deserve Wilderness status. Our proposal would protect 450,000 acres both within and outside the Park boundaries. This would create a 75 mile long protected corridor of habitat with very few disturbances along the southern Cascades which will be critical for wildlife as they adjust to climate change. The proposal would not affect any of the existing roads within the park or the lodge. An interactive map of the proposal is below.

Take Action

Call Senator Ron Wyden (503.326.7525) and encourage him to protect the Crater Lake Wilderness. (Or send him an email here).

Map of Proposed Crater Lake Wilderness

Bright Green = Proposed Wilderness
Dark Green = Already Protected Wilderness

Click for a larger map

Photo: Crater Lake and Wizard Island by Erik Fernandez