Watchman Peak Trailhead Overlook

After we checked out of our loft suite at Crater Lake Lodge, we chose to do some hiking for the rest of the day before heading back to Klamath Falls.  This way, we would get two full days at Crater Lake National Park.  So, we checked out of the lodge, packed up the van and headed to the West Rim Drive.

When we arrived at the park on the previous day, we found that the East Rim Drive was closed.  I had hoped to access this road for some additional photo opportunities but, due to the unexpected road closure, we now needed to adapt our plan.  Instead, we decided to do some sightseeing along West Rim Drive and then head over to Annie Creek Canyon.  

On our way to our next hiking trailhead at Annie Creek Canyon, we stopped at the Watchman Peak Trailhead Overlook.  It was still morning so the sun was still relatively low in the sky and the view was great...

The Crater Lake Lodge we had just departed is perched on the rim at the right side of the frame in this photo.  

That flattened peak in the very center of the photo is Mount Scott.  This is the highest peak in Crater Lake National Park at just under 9,000 feet.  What is more noteworthy about this peak is that it is an extinct volcano.  It had erupted about 420,000 years ago which is long before the massive eruption of Mount Mazuma (7,700 years ago) which created this immense caldera.

The island in the foreground of the photo is Wizard Island.  This island was created hundreds of years after the eruption of Mount Mazuma in subsequent smaller eruptions.  The peak of this island is 750 feet above the level of the lake.  

While we were at the lodge, we noticed that the south side of Wizard Island has a dock and a couple of boathouses.  Upon closer inspection, we also noticed some storage sheds and what appears to be a large greenhouse (seen in photo, below).  

As a reference to show where Watchman Peak Trailhead Overlook is located on the rim of the lake as seen from the lodge, my reference panoramic image is below...  the first photo, at top, was captured at what is labeled as #2 below...

We found some nice views on this west side of Crater Lake!