From the summit of one of these peaks they saw numerous lakes, and finally after ascending a long gentle slope they came upon the brink of a precipice where far below them lay, what the leader of the party describes as "the bluest lake I ever saw.
They reached the rim at a point a little west of Victor Rock, found the snow reaching down to the water in very many places, and continuing along the rim for some hours, they estimated the Lake to be not less than 20 miles in diameter, and judged its distance from Jacksonville to be about miles.
They looked in vain for an outlet, which made their discovery seem all the more wonderful, and they saw, and on their return gave a fairly accurate description of Wizard island, but failed to notice the Phantom Ship. After their wonder and excitement had subsided, the naming of the Lake was discussed and, each one suggesting a name, it finally narrowed to the selection of one of two -- Mysterious or Deep Blue Lake -- the latter begin given the preference, though it was occasionally referred to afterwards as Lake Mystery.
The party soon proceeded on its way and on returning to civilization reported its wonderful discovery, but there being no newspaper then published in southern Oregon the first number of the Oregon Sentinel was issued on January 13, , no account of it was printed Nothing further was heard of the Lake until the fall of , when it was again discovered by a party of six miners returning to the Rogue river valley for the winter from the Granite Creek mines on the North Fork of the John Day river.
A description of this trip was published in the Oregon Sentinel for November 8, Steel, Portland, , p. Victor, Philadelphia, , p. Fremont and others, the first authenticated visit by white men was not made until After peaceful relations had been established temporarily with the Rogue Indians of southwestern Oregon in prospectors began entering the area looking for gold along the Rogue River and its tributaries.
During the winter of four young packers transporting food supplies discovered gold on Rich Gulch in the vicinity of present-day Jacksonville. News of this discovery led to Oregon's first major gold rush, and soon new discoveries were made along the Applegate, Illinois, and Rogue rivers.
A camp named Jacksonville took shape along Rich Gulch as merchants arrived with supplies of foodstuffs, mining tools, and liquor. One of a party of footloose and impoverished gold seekers to arrive at Jacksonville was John W. Hillman, a native of Albany, New York, who had joined the rush to California three years earlier as a youth of seventeen years. While drinking in a saloon he and his friends were told by a party of Californians that they possessed secret information that would lead them to a rich Lost Cabin Mine in the rugged mountains of present-day Josephine County.
Evidence of this activity lingers in volcanic rocks, lava flows, and domes beneath the lake surface; the small cone of Wizard Island is the only visible portion of these younger rocks. Image of the Day Land. The basin for this lake was formed hundreds of millions of years ago by a meteorite impact.
EO Explorer. Crater Lake National Park. At the time of publication, it represented the best available science. National Parks. View more Images of the Day:. You might also be interested in view all. Subscribe to our newsletters. Crater Lake is a great place to test your cycling skills.
The hilly landscape requires extreme endurance and plenty of training prior to participation. Rim Road goes vehicle-free two days a year for the Ride the Rim event. Bicyclists from across the country take part in this ride to enjoy the scenic roadway. Crater Lake is the only place in the world to find the Mazama newt. This subspecies of rough-skinned newt, also called the Crater Lake Newt , is native to the lake.
Threatened by invasive species, scientists are trying to combat non-native crayfish and preserve the existence of these unique newts. Usually found hiding under rocks or logs , lucky visitors may spot one of these rare creatures around the edge of the lake. The summer fire season at Crater Lake can scorch thousands of acres of land. However, this natural occurrence has proven to have positive impacts on the ecosystem. Many plants have adapted to survive fires and thrive in their aftermath from restored nutrients in the soil.
While essential to the ecosystem, wildfires can be dangerous for visitors. Always follow fire safety tips when venturing out during fire season! Eerie islands rise out of the lake. Wizard Island is the largest in Crater Lake.
The remains of a volcanic cinder cone, it rises more than feet about the surface of the lake. Visitors in the summer can take a boat tour out to explore Wizard Island and hike to the its summit. Phantom Ship Island is anchored just off the lakeshore and is off the radar of most visitors.
Though it resembles a small sailboat, the island is as tall as a story building. Visitors can get a great view of the island by driving to at Phantom Ship Overlook or by hiking to Sun Notch. Where the water goes, no one knows! Because Crater Lake has no outlets leading to other water sources, the changing water level of the lake presents an interesting scientific question. Precipitation rates are more than twice the evaporation rates, so there is a lot of water that seemingly goes unaccounted for.
Scientists have discovered that steady seepage is what maintains the water balance. The mystery scientists are still studying is where all of that water goes -- no paths, springs or other water sources have been found to carry the same water as the lake. Crater Lake is the perfect place to explore snow or shine!
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