"Pardon Our Dust"
as Park Improvement Projects Begin
by Dave Brennan, Chief Ranger

We are making some improvements at Crater Lake National Park! As summer approaches, an unprecedented number of major construction projects are getting underway in the park.

Beginning later this spring, work will begin on a major project to improve the visitor experience and enhance visitor services at Rim Village. This project, which continues implementation of the 1998 Visitor Services Plan, includes relocating the existing parking lot at Rim Village to the rear of the cafeteria building and restoring the current parking lot area to a pedestrian plaza. This design will relieve conflict between pedestrians viewing the lake and vehicle traffic accessing the area. Once completed, the plaza will provide visitors a dramatic, aesthetically pleasing approach to the classic view of Crater Lake from Rim Village.

The Rim Village Store is open at the Community House

A portion of the existing cafeteria building will be rehabilitated as a year-round facility for gift sales and food service. The original 1928 camper store will be renovated into a year-round visitor center.

Through this project, we hope to enhance both educational and interpretive services, provide year-round viewing of Crater Lake, and provide upgraded commercial services to our visitors, while preserving the historic landscape of the Rim Village Historic District.

The Cafeteria and Gift Shop at Crater Lake's Rim Village is closed for rehabilitation (top); artist's drawing of rehabilitated Cafeteria and Gift Shop and landscaping at the Rim Village by the summer of 2007 (bottom).

What does this mean for our Friends and park visitors? This summer, we will not be able to provide the same amount of parking or services for visitors to Rim Village as in other years. Most of the existing parking lot will be closed, and oversize vehicles will not be allowed in Rim Village.

During construction, the historic Community House at Rim Village will serve as a retail gift sales area. Because the cafeteria building will be unavailable during renovation, a temporary facility near the Community House will provide limited food service.

Rim Village Food Service has opend for this construction season.

To reduce visitor impacts from this project, we are encouraging visitors to consider visiting during off-peak hours and days, and to visit the less-congested West Rim Drive and East Rim Drive areas rather than Rim Village. We are also suggesting that visitors prepare for more self-sufficiency in the park by bringing their own picnic lunches and beverages.

Another improvement taking place this summer will be the realignment and resurfacing of Highway 62 from the west park boundary to Munson Valley Road. By redesigning the existing very tight curves we plan to make this roadway safer.

As you can imagine, our average 533 inches of annual snowfall takes its toll on road surfaces. This summer we will be undertaking a chip-seal resurfacing project on West Rim Drive and North Entrance Road. Although these road projects will create some traffic delays and temporary disruption at scenic overlooks, the end result will be smoother, safer and more enjoyable park roadways.

If you have visited the park since last fall, you may have already noticed construction underway at Mazama Village. While the Rim Village rehabilitation is taking place, Xanterra Parks & Resorts is building a new full service restaurant and retail gift sales facility at Mazama Village. Plans call for this restaurant to open in the summer of 2006. Along with the Rim Village redevelopment, this will provide improved services for park visitors, including day visitors and campers seeking a range of meal options and gift selections.

Construction has started at Mazama Village.

Park headquarters in Munson Valley is the site of another ongoing project that will resume this summer: the renovation of Houses 19 and 20 into the Crater Lake National Park Science and Learning Center. Once completed, these facilities will provide working, teaching and lodging space for an integrated program of park research and education. Of particular interest to Friends of Crater Lake is the project supervision provided by long-time Friend Greg Hartell, with his long experience and expertise in historical park buildings.

A less visible but equally important project will be the rehabilitation of the Munson Valley wastewater lagoons to meet environmental quality standards. The most noticeable impact of this project will be increased heavy truck traffic on Munson Valley Road and lower West Rim Drive, as trucks haul soil removed from the lagoons to Rim Village for use as fill in that project.

Friends enjoying lunch by House 19 while working on the Historic District Trail on Project Weekend in 2001.

In order to ensure an uninterrupted supply of domestic water for park visitors and employees, an augmentation well is planned for the South Yard maintenance area (just inside the park''s South Entrance). This summer, we plan to drill a test well as the first step in this project. Once completed, the augmentation well will pump ground water into Annie Creek as needed, providing full water allotments for downstream water users in drought years while allowing the park to continue using Annie Springs as a domestic water source.

And speaking of Annie Springs, those of you who have visited Crater Lake in the winter may have wondered about the tall, cylindrical tower on the Annie Creek Bridge on Munson Valley Road. This serves as the winter entrance for park employees who operate and maintain the water system at Annie Springs. This summer we plan to install a new entrance to the water plant, which will provide safer access for our employees.

The National Park Service is collaborating with Xanterra Parks and Resorts to develop a summer 2005 operations plan that we hope will reduce disruptions to visitors and allow them to safely enjoy their visits. These projects will require patience, flexibility and ingenuity from all of us - visitors, park employees, Xanterra employees and Friends. We look forward to celebrating with our visitors and local communities when the projects are complete.

I appreciate the many ways that the Friends of Crater Lake National Park support and assist us in our mission. As winter begins to release its grip on the mountains and thoughts of summer tease us, please make plans to enjoy the park, to hike the trails, glimpse the wildflowers, be enveloped by deep forests, or simply find a quiet spot on the caldera rim and enjoy the wonder that is Crater Lake.

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