Crater Lake closing to swimmers, boaters for 3 years starting in 2026

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Crater Lake’s most popular trail and the only one that has access to the water will be closed to the public for up to three years for construction, beginning in 2026, officials said.

As a result of the construction at the Cleetwood Cove Trail and its closure, there will also be no public boat tours on the lake for the summer seasons of 2026, 2027 and 2028, according to the National Park Service. This means boat tours to visit Wizard Island will also be unavailable during that time.

The trail is scheduled to reopen in 2029.

The Crater Lake National Park itself — outside the Cleetwood Cove Trail, marina and the Cleetwood parking lot — will remain open throughout the construction period. It will still be possible to traverse along Rim Drive and visit other park trails to catch views of the central Oregon lake and tourist destination during the 2026-28 seasons, NPS said.

“This project is all about improving safety and the visitor experience at Cleetwood Cove,” Marsha McCabe, a spokesperson for Crater Lake National Park, told KOIN 6 News.

The reason for the closure largely stems from safety issues at the trail, officials said. The construction project will include making improvements to the trail surface and retaining walls and manually dislodging rocks that are at risk of falling in a process called slope scaling.

The marina at the end of the trail will also be replaced, along with outdated composting toilets. It is expected that the project will involve the use of helicopters to move bulk materials to and from the renovation site and the Cleetwood parking lot will need to be closed as it will be used for a construction staging area.

The trail is still expected to be open to visitors in the summer of 2025. However, NPS hopes to secure a construction contract this year, with the project slated to go underway in the summer of 2026. Construction can only take place during the summer season, with the project expected to last at least two or three years.

“Once our trail crew is able to make it safe, the Cleetwood Trail will be open for visitors to access the lake this summer.  We do not yet know if there will be boat tours or not.  The construction project will begin as soon as there is access to the area in the summer of 2026,” McCabe said.

The Cleetwood Cove Trail sees about 54,000 park visitors per year, or 10% of the total visitors to the park.

The National Park Service has more information about ongoing and upcoming Crater Lake National Park projects.