Possibly the most comprehensive view of the lake may be obtained from Cloud-cap, on the east rim. Its summit rises over 8,000 feet above the level of the sea and 2,000 feet above the lake. To the east is Mount Scott and to the north and west wide vistas of the summit of the range. On a clear day the shining surface of Klamath Lake may be seen far to the south, bordered with vast marshlands and the dark timber at the foot of the range, while farther south is the crown of beautiful Mount Shasta. The strange coloring of Crater Lake is well observed from Cloud-cap. In the sunlight there is play of clouds and soft shadows upon the surface of the lake. Purple hues, delicate lavender with violet blue, and deep streaks of emerald shading to a silvered green along the shores present a variation of color and beauty one may never hope to see elsewhere.
MOUNT SCOTT
East of Cloud-cap is Mount Scott, easily climbed and affording fine unobstructed views. The peak is the highest point within the park, reaching an altitude of nearly 9,000 feet. A fire lookout is located on the summit.
THE PINNACLES
Located in Wheeler Creek, near the east entrance of the park, are slender spires of pumice. Some of the needles are 200 feet in height. In Sand Creek Canyon and Godfrey’s Glen in Annie Creek Canyon there are additional spires and fluted columns carved out of the soft volcanic material by the erosion of water. As erosion continues the Pinnacles grow in height and new ones are slowly being formed.
During the summer of 1935, ranger naturalists discovered many small fumaroles near the top of the gray tuff and ash deposits of Wheeler Creek Canyon. Some of them are within the pinnacles themselves, regarded as proof that the deposits were once hot and of the nature of sand flows like those in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes in Alaska.
UNION PEAK
From the highway that mounts the Cascade Range from the west, one obtains a splendid view of Union Peak, 7 miles to the southwest of Crater Lake. It appears to have been placed on the top of the range to mark the burial place of a guide of Indian lore. This strange towering peak is the remaining neck of what was once an active volcano which played its part in the building of the Cascade Range. It is a landmark of unusual form among the peaks, rising 1,400 feet above the crest of the range and nearly 8,000 feel above sea level. Trail trips to Union Peak are among the finest offered in the Crater Lake area.
MOUNT THIELSEN
This great clifflike formation, rising to an elevation of 9,178 feet, is to the north of Crater Lake and outside of the park. It is a picturesque sight when seen from the heights surrounding the lake and is often referred to as the Matterhorn of the Cascade Range. It is the wreck remaining of a great mountain. The sharp summit of the peak has been shattered repeatedly by lightning, producing fused glassy surfaces and tortuous opening of the nature of fulgurite formations. To reach its sharp heights is difficult and requires experience in mountain climbing. Near the foot of Thielsen lies Diamond Lake.