Wow, what an incredible place! This, the deepest lake in the United States, was formed when Mount Mazama imploded around 7,700 years ago. The implosion released so much ash that the entire state of Oregon could have been covered in eight inches of ash (had it been distributed evenly). The resulting crater is over 1,900 feet deep at its deepest point and is fed by the AVERAGE snowfall of 44 FEET A YEAR in this area! What the heck!

The water is a deep crystal blue and transparent to 80-115 feet and when we visited was a balmy 38 degrees. You can rent a boat or go on a guided tour, but no personal watercraft are permitted...nor would you have any way to get them in the water considering the rim is about 1,000 feet higher than the water level.

An awesome sight, truly.