Mount Mazama, Volcanic caldera in Klamath County, Oregon, US
Mount Mazama is a volcanic caldera in Klamath County, Oregon, that holds Crater Lake and features steep rock walls dropping down to the water. The caldera measures roughly 5 miles across and contains deep blue water surrounded by jagged cliffs and a few small islands.
The volcano erupted roughly 7700 years ago, expelling large volumes of magma before the summit collapsed inward and formed the present caldera. Over the following centuries, rain and snowmelt gradually filled the basin until the lake reached its current depth.
The name Mazama comes from a Portland mountaineering club, while the Klamath people use a different term and link the site to stories of the mountain's collapse. Today visitors treat the lake itself as a place of quiet reflection, viewing it from the rim or traveling across its surface in small boats.
The rim road around the caldera often closes in winter and reopens in late spring or early summer once snow clears. Trails lead to different viewpoints, but some sections can be steep and require sturdy footwear.
Below the lake lie different volcanic deposits formed during earlier eruptions and showing varied rock compositions. A small volcanic cone rises from the water as an island, showing that activity continued even after the main collapse.
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