Crater Lake Oregon Elopement

Crater Lake Elopement

Here is a quick guide to planning your Elopement at Crater Lake, Oregon. Photos by Ely Roberts and Officiated by Amanda Clair and Company.

The short of it is, drive around the entire lake and pick a spot that you love. It won’t be too hard. You can keep reading for the longer description or just scroll through these photos.

My favorite time of day and year is just as the sun is setting in the fall. The lake alone is a rich blue color, but when the sun set’s the lake reflects the sky like no other. Fall can be a little on the chilly side, but it will certainly ensure that crowds are at a minimum.

You can also access the south side of Crater Lake in the winter. From the south entrance, you can rent snowshoes and head west for some breathtaking views and colors.

Crater Lake Permitting Information

If you are looking to get married at Crater Lake you will want to apply for a special use permit, which costs $50. I would apply within a minimum of 2 months before your wedding date.

You can find permitting and wedding or elopement restriction information HERE. This page will have a link to download your application. Click HERE and scroll down to Wedding Ceremonies.

When is Crater Lake Open?

Crater Lake’s Average Dates to be open and closed since 2009. Every year is a bit different so check out the charts below to get an idea of when to plan your elopement.

Coming from Bend, Oregon the North Entrance is the shortest route. It takes about 2-2.5 hours. If you are headed to the South Entrance from Bend it will take about 3 hours.

Crater Lake Mid-June Elopement

Crater Lake Fall Elopement

Emily and Dan are from Ohio and they planed a several-week road trip to explore several national parks and the west coast. Their main goal was to elope at Crater Lake here in Oregon. We planned to meet here in Bend, Oregon, and then drive two hours south to Crater Lake and then drive around and find the perfect spot for them to share their vows.

We started with a first look on the east side where you can’t find a bad view.

After they were all set we headed to the west side of the lake to take full advantage of some sunset colors.

We kicked off their ceremony hoping that we might see some colors.

A colorful sunset is definitely something that we can never guarantee, so when I see colors like this it always puts a big smile on my face.

Crater Lake Eloement in July

Crater Lake in the Winter

If you are considering eloping at Crater lake in the winter, here are some photos from last January. I joined some friends for a short snowshoeing trip and the views were amazing.

If you would like to know more about eloping Crater Lake feel free to send me an email to learn more.