Crater Lake National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour
Description
Experience dramatic vistas, clear blue water, and incredible volcanic history with this self-guided driving tour of Crater Lake National Park. Explore Rim Village, hike a trail down to the lakeshore, and take in the views from Watchman Peak. Each stop is packed with natural beauty and geological wonders, plus plenty of fascinating history! Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together! After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The government drew up designs to accommodate these new arrivals. The idea was to design a model ‘village’ that looked like a place people might actually live. Architects worked hard to blend the buildings in with the surrounding environment. Note: The tour is over 44 miles long, with more than 40+ audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
Mount Mazama didn’t just erupt once. Each minor eruption before the big one released lightweight volcanic rock full of gas bubbles. That’s pumice! This super porous rock is so light because it’s full of holes. Volcanoes like Mount Mazama create this unusual material when they put rocks under super high heat and super high pressure, then expel them at high speeds through the air during an eruption.
This 2-mile hike is steep and strenuous, but if you want to visit Crater Lake’s shore or take a ferry to Wizard Island, this is the spot to do it.
You won’t find a boarding schools for wizardry and witchcraft on the island, though. Instead, it gets its name from the small peak on the island, which looks a bit like the pointy tip of a wizard’s hat!
A historic watchtower offering fantastic, unobstructed views of Crater Lake. This 2-mile trail is moderately difficult, with some rough terrain and elevation gain of 400 feet. It takes about an hour in total.
Merriam Point, another great spot to see stunning views of the lake and its surroundings.
This 2-mile hike is steep and strenuous, but if you want to visit Crater Lake’s shore or take a ferry to Wizard Island, this is the spot to do it. Just remember that it’s not just about descending 700 feet… You have to climb back up!
This is the highest point to catch a view of Crater Lake. Cloudcap Overlook gives us a clear view as we look to the west. The view from here helps show us just how deep the water is. Once we park, make sure the lake doesn’t steal all your attention. Just behind us, away from the lake, rises Mount Scott, the highest point in the park.
Despite its name, the Phantom Ship isn’t really a ship, but a collection of ancient volcanic rock formations. This formation sits as its own little island, just offshore from the mainland. When the fog rolls in, settling on the lake, it’ll look like a ghostly ship sailing across its surface.
Just ahead is Sun Notch Trail, an easy half-mile loop that takes about 15-20 minutes total to hike. This hidden gem offers more great views of the Phantom Ship and the deep blue water of Chaski Bay right below us.
Now keep in mind that Crater Lake is 600 feet below us. So where does the water come from to feed this waterfall? It’s actually a spring fed by seasonal snowmelt and rainfall! That means the falls are most powerful in spring and early summer, and slow later on.
The first flowers peeking through the snow are Mountain violets and Gorman buttercups. They can't wait to emerge after being covered by nearly 50 feet of snow in an average winter.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- NOTE: Crater Lake National Park is open year-round, 24 hours a day, and reservations are not required for entry. However, many roads, trails, and facilities close seasonally due to snow. Check current park conditions before your visit to see which areas are open.
- Please note that Crater Lake National Park requires an entrance pass, valid for multiple consecutive days per vehicle. This pass is not included with the tour.
- Please note that the areas between Sun Notch Trailhead and Cloudcap Overlook at Crater Lake are temporarily closed. Visitors will need to drive back and access each section separately, as both Sun Notch and Cloudcap Overlook remain open.
- Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
- Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.
- At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
- Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
- Good value: One purchase covers everyone in your vehicle, not each person separately.
- More ways to save: Choose a single tour, a nearby bundle, or access to 200+ tours.
- Download in advance: Download the Tour Guide app by Action and tour while connected to Wi-Fi or a strong cellular signal.
- Follow the route: Begin at the suggested starting point or join anywhere along the route shown in the app.
- Lifetime access: Preview the tour before your trip and revisit the stories, photos, and details afterward.
- Supported devices: iPhone with iOS 15+, Android with version 9+, or a GPS-enabled iPad/tablet with cellular capability.
Reviews(19)
The views are good, but they are pretty redundant. This made the drive much more interesting. Really glad we had the app. Download the app and location data before heading towards crater lake...you probably will not get any reception. The auto GPS markers played perfectly when they were supposed to. Also the big crowded lookouts are made to accommodate buses.....if you skip those and go to the next random opening, it looks just as good, without the crowds.
Hi there, thank you for taking my Crater Lake GPS driving audio tour. I’m so glad the app made the drive more interesting and that the GPS markers played perfectly along the route. I also appreciate your helpful reminder for future travelers to download the tour and location data before heading toward Crater Lake, where reception can be limited. I hope you’ll explore more of Oregon with my Mount Hood Loop and Oregon Coast self-guided audio tours. Happy exploring!
Let me say that we have used audio tours in the past. This one was not easy to use. We spent too much time trying to get it to work correctly. We never did get it to work with the driving map. We played the narratives manually and they did not match the signage at Crater Lake so it was very difficult to follow. The stories were interesting but not much help. I would not buy again.
Hi Paddy, I’m sorry to hear about your experience. It looks like you used the password and downloaded the tour beforehand, as my app works offline. Please note that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto aren’t supported for navigation, but you can still listen to the audio stories through them. If you could share more details, I’d be happy to assist. My support hours are 9–6 EST, and since our products are valid for a year, you can use them at your convenience or request a replacement or refund if needed.
Never able to download app and assistance was below average. I tried a minimum of four tries to download and could never accomplish and was told I would receive a call or a text....when I finally talked to someone I was passed off to another person and kept getting re-routed to beginning of process.
Jim, sorry about your Crater Lake tour experience. Did you try downloading it at the location? I recommend downloading in advance on a good internet connection, as park areas often have limited service. Complete download and setup beforehand to avoid issues. If the link isn’t working, search for the app on the App Store or Google Play, enter the password, and you’re set. It seems you contacted Viator support—I’d like to help personally. My tours are valid for a year after booking, so you can use them if you return. If you’ve left Crater Lake, I can offer a different tour as a replacement. Feel free to reach out; I’ll guide you through the setup.
Loved the narrations and how well timed each chapter came on! Appreciated being able to drive and learn without having to experience in a tour bus.
Lynne, I’m so glad you enjoyed the independence of my Crater Lake audio tour. It’s wonderful to hear that the narrations and timing worked well for you, allowing you to explore at your own pace without a bus. For more adventures, check out my Tour of 30+ National Parks, featuring engaging audio guides at parks like Yellowstone, Joshua Tree, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Glacier, and more. Happy travels!
Loads of information. Be aware that the road is closed so you cannot complete the full circle of the lake.
Sue, I’m glad you enjoyed all the information on my Crater Lake audio tour. I’ve updated the closure details in the additional information section so that future travelers are aware. If you’d like to explore more, my 30+ National Parks Bundle includes self-guided tours of the Grand Canyon, Glacier, Rocky Mountain, Joshua Tree, and more. Happy travels!
We really enjoyed the guided tour our first day at Crater Lake! It was informative and entertaining. Thank you for making our experience even better!
Stacia, so glad to hear you enjoyed my Crater Lake National Park audio tour. I’m thrilled it made your first day at Crater Lake both informative and entertaining. For more adventures, check out my Tour of 30+ National Parks, featuring engaging audio guides at parks like Yellowstone, Joshua Tree, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Glacier, and more. Happy travels!
Nice narrative while driving around Crater Lake. Learned a lot about how it was formed. We had thought the Crater was from a meteor. It corrected that.
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed my Crater Lake audio tour and learned more about the park’s formation. It’s great that the narrative helped clarify some of the details, like the crater’s origin. For more adventures, check out my Tour of 30+ National Parks, featuring engaging audio guides at parks like Yellowstone and Glacier, designed for freedom and discovery. Happy travels!
I have used GuideAlong for plenty of other tours, and feel that Action has a lot to catch up to. Did not seem as organized or as timely, and no personal suggestions
Sri, I’m sorry to hear that my Crater Lake audio tour didn’t meet your expectations. Unfortunately, you felt something was missing. If you could share more details about what you felt was lacking or what improvements you’d like to see, I’d greatly appreciate the insight. Your feedback is valuable, and I’m always looking to improve my tours. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
The commentary was right on the money mile for mile around crater Lake great history and we stopped at all the places it suggested absolutely wonderful. We would definitely use this again.
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the Crater Lake tour and found the commentary helpful mile after mile. Happy it guided you to all the best stops and made your visit more enjoyable. For more adventures, check out my Tour of 30+ National Parks, featuring engaging audio guides at parks like Yellowstone and Glacier, designed for freedom and discovery. Happy travels!
When you buy the guided tour they don’t tell you the road is closed due to snow and road construction. I was able to drive 1.8 miles of the 21 mile loop! Will not reopen until July if even then according to the park ranger.
Susan, thank you for your feedback. I want to clarify that the closure of the North Entrance and Rim Drive for the season was included in the information provided both before purchase and in the redemption instructions, so travelers were aware of this before booking. As only the South Entrance is currently open, the audio tour is available for both entrances. Our support team is available from 9 AM to 6 PM, and we're happy to assist with a replacement or refund if needed. Please reach out to me directly.
