Even the clear blue sky on a cloudless day is dull in comparison to the intensity of Crater Lake blue. The two main factors that contribute to its color are the fact that its water comes only from snowmelt and rain. There are no streams, no rivers or even creeks that run into Crater Lake. The other factor is its depth. It is the deepest lake in the U.S. , and its deepest point is nearly 2000 feet deep.

Before Crater Lake existed, it was Mount Mazama. That was more than 7700 years ago. Mt. Mazama was a volcanic mountain, and, simply put, it blew its top. After all its insides were blown out, what was left of the mountain caved in. Over the centuries, Crater Lake has filled with rain and the snow that accumulates to nearly 50 feet each year.

There is no access to the water itself. The only boating activity is a park-run boat tour that goes to Wizard Island. To take the tour, there is a steep downhill grade 700 feet deep and 1.1-mile long. Getting back up after the tour might be a problem for some. The trail and boat dock are located at the Cleetwood Cove Observation area on the north side of the lake. Swimming is allowed there, but the water is extremely cold, so no one seems to stay long in the water. Below 200 feet, the water stays at 38 degrees. On the surface, it was in the 50s in July.

So, what do you do if you're at a lake and you can't swim or boat??

You drive around it. There is a 33-mile rim drive that offers spectacular, breath-taking views of the lake, Wizard Island, Phantom Ship (a rock formation in the lake) and several 'side trips' away from the lake.

Or, you hike it. There are just less than 20 hikes and 90 miles of hiking trails of various difficulty. The best ones are those with views of the lake, such as the rim trail which covers a portion of the west rim of the lake from Rim Village to The Watchman, 2.2 miles. But there are others to mountain tops and to waterfalls that are worth the journey.

And, if you don't want to hike and you don't want to drive, just stand there in front of the lake with your mouth open in awe. People will understand.