June 28, 2021 3:20 a.m.

The entire 33-mile Rim Drive around Crater Lake along with the 7-mile Pinnacles Road opened for the season on Friday.

A release from the National Parks Service said below average snowfall during the winter and unseasonably early snow melt this season this spring have led to an accelerated opening. The release said visitors can enjoy spectacular views of Crater Lake from many vista points along this scenic drive and escape the heat of lower elevations.

Most facilities and services in the park are also open with few exceptions. The indoor visitor contact stations at the Park Headquarters and Rim Village will remain closed this season. An outdoor contact station is staffed daily by rangers on the back porch of the Rim Visitor Contact Station in Rim Village. The Crater Lake Natural History Association Park Store is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Rim Village Community House. The release said Lost Creek Campground will remain closed for the season.

The Cleetwood Trail, the only safe and legal access to the lake, remains closed at this time while work is being done on the trail and lakeshore area to make it safe for visitors. The Watchman Peak Trail remains snow covered and will require more melting and possibly shoveling, before it opens for the season. The last portion of the Garfield Peak Trail is still closed due to snow and ice hazards. The release said most other hiking trails in the park are now open, but many have patches of snow and debris.

For more information about trail conditions at Crater Lake, call 541-594-3100.