Crater Lake north entrance to close temporarily

The north entrance to Crater Lake National Park will close temporarily beginning at 10 p.m. Sunday to allow for fire line preparation and burnout operations related to the Crescent Fire.

The precautionary closure is being put into effect to facilitate fire operations and provide for the safety of firefighters and park visitors. The Pacific Crest Trail also will temporarily close from the park’s north boundary to the junction with Lightning Springs Trail.

Visitors traveling from the north should proceed south on U.S. Highway 97 to Route 422 at Chiloquin then on to Route 62 to the south entrance of Crater Lake.

There are no entrance fees for drivers simply traversing Route 62 through the southern part of the park. Commercial truck traffic remains prohibited on Route 62 within the park.

Visitors should expect increased delays at the Annie Creek entrance station, as all park traffic will be routed through this point during the temporary closure of the north entrance.

Crews continue to make progress on the fires and have focused on the north flank to prevent the fire from spreading across Highway 230 and toward Diamond Lake. The preparation along the park’s North Entrance Road will support those operations.

All other roadways within the park and all facilities remain open. Smoke within the park has been intermittent and limited, depending on wind direction.

Viewing conditions can be variable throughout the day and range from hazy to clear. Please visit Crater Lake’s website, www.nps.gov/crla, for updated information or to view real time conditions from the park’s webcams.

For more on the National Creek Complex of two fires near Crater Lake, visit http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4463/