April 2, 2025 4:00 a.m.

In a move that will impact tourism at one of Oregon’s most popular landmarks. Crater Lake National Park will close the Cleetwood Cove Trail starting in 2026, for an extensive construction project which is expected to take three years.

That means this summer will be the last opportunity for visitors to swim or take a boat tour at Crater Lake for quite some time.

Information from the National Parks Service said the trail is the most heavily used trail in the park, and the only permitted access to the shore of Crater Lake. Every year, thousands of park visitors hike the trail to get to the lakeshore. The Cleetwood Cove Marina is the launch point for the concession-provided boat tours of Crater Lake and the park’s boats. A giant project will rehabilitate the trail and related infrastructure to ensure safe access to the lake, provide visitor services, and protect the lake.

Work will include:

*Rehabilitation of the entire 1.1-mile trail including improvements to trail tread and retaining walls

*Rockfall scaling and mitigation along identified high risk zones

*Removal and replacement of the failed bullhead/dock with a structurally stable marina

*Replacing the outdated and undersized composting toilets located near the marina

Due to the extent of the work to be completed and short construction seasons, trail closures will be required and are expected during the duration of the 2027 and 2028 summer seasons. During this time, no boat tours will be provided, and the trail will be closed due to construction and rockfall hazards. If construction goes as planned, the renovated trail will reopen in the summer of 2029.

At 1,943 feet, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. It is located approximately two hours southeast of Roseburg. The national park borders the Umpqua National Forest.