Crater Lake's Cleetwood Cove Trail to Close After 2025 for Multi-Year Rehabilitation

The National Park Service confirms the only legal access to Crater Lake will shut down for extensive safety upgrades and environmental preservation through at least 2028.

• The Cleetwood Cove Trail, the only legal route to Crater Lake's shoreline, will close at the end of summer 2025 for a multi-year rehabilitation project.
• The closure will suspend all recreational access to the lake, including swimming, boating, and shoreline visits, until the trail reopens in summer 2029.
• The rehabilitation aims to address safety concerns like rockfall hazards, repair erosion damage, and upgrade infrastructure such as the marina dock and composting toilets.
• Heavy foot traffic and winter weather have significantly degraded the trail, necessitating its closure for repairs and preservation of the fragile volcanic environment.
• Construction is constrained to summer months due to heavy snowfall, with work planned for the 2026, 2027, and 2028 summer seasons.

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