Wild river

A powerful eruption followed by a colossal collapse created the deepest lake in the United

States. Crater Lake was formed by the massive volcanic eruption of Mount Mazama some 7,700 years ago. The mountain collapsed, and rain and snow eventually filled the resulting crater. Today, it's a pristine lake nearly 2,000 feet deep. There's only one safe and legal way to get to the icy lake: Cleetwood Cove Trail, a 1.1-mile (one-way) trail that usually opens in June and drops nearly 700 feet to the lake shore. It's strenuous, with an 11% grade, so it's only recommended for people in good physical shape. You can swim once you get there, but you'll shiver: Surface waters warm only to 55 to 60 degrees in summer.his is a perfect spot for a starry night. The precise coordinates on Earth (41.6501 degrees north, 77.8164 degrees west) of Cherry Springs State Park give a window onto the Milky Way's nucleus. There are several other reasons stargazers love this place. The park, in Pennsylvania's Potter County, sits atop a 2,300-foot high Allegheny Plateau, surrounded by the remote Susquehannock State Forest. And the nights are famously darker here in the world's second Gold Tier-ranked Dark Sky Park (the International Dark-Sky Association's highest rating for stargazing) than in many places across the United States. On a good night, you can see 10,000 stars. The park has shielded its lights and has converted its visible white light to red light, a color complement to the park's trees. • More: Steeped in history at Gettysburg

Popular Posts