Getting from Portland to Crater Lake
Portland is one of the greenest cities in the entire world, known for its scenic beauty , microbreweries and lively music scene. It’s also very close to gorgeous locations within Oregon state, such as Crater Lake, is located in Southern Oregon within Crater Lake National Park. It is the deepest lake in the USA and is well known for its blue color.
Quick summary
The fastest way to get to Crater Lake is by plane via Medford. Flights start at $80* one way. Buses are cheaper , with fares from $56.50 one way but take much longer. However, you still need to either rent a car in Medford or take a taxi for the last leg of the trip (about 89 miles). The only direct way to travel from Portland to Crater Lake is by charter bus or rental car.
Flights from Portland (airport code: PDX) to Crater Lake
The closest major airport to Crater Lake is Portland International Airport (PDX), which is also the biggest airport in the state. It is located about 211 miles from Crater Lake.
Smaller airports serving Crater Lake are: Klamath Falls Kingsley Field (LMT) , located 29 miles from the lake and Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport (MFR), located 53 miles away.
Klamath Falls Kingsley Field (LMT) gets limited commercial service, but flights from Portland are available and are run by United Express. The flight time is 1h 8 min. In February 2012, expect to pay from $105 one way on either United or Continental. In March 2012, single fares start at $120 one way on the same airlines.
Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport (MFR) is located 3 miles from downtown Medford and only handles domestic flights. Service to/from Portland is run by Horizon Air. Regardless of when you fly in 2012, expect to pay from $80 one way on Delta or Alaska Airlines.
>>read more about Airfare to Portland
Buses from Portland to Crater Lake
Greyhound offers buses to Medford but from there you are left with a rental car or taking a taxi. Buses depart Portland at 6:30 a.m., 12:40 p.m., 6:15 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. The travel time to Medford is 6h 15 min – 7 h 20 min. The advanced purchase fair is $56.50 one way and the web only fare is $58.05 one way. From Medford, catch the buses at 2:30 a.m., 4 a.m., 8:10 a.m. and 2:35 p.m. The travel time and the fares are the same.
Charter buses are also available and you can travel directly to Crater Lake from Portland. Metropolitan Shuttle is one of the companies offering such services.
Driving from Portland to Crater Lake
You can rent a car in Portland and drive the 245 miles to Crater Lake in about 5 hours. This is the shortest route, via I-5 S and OR-58 E. Another option is a longer route via I-5 S and OR-138 E (takes about 5 ½ h).
Note: *at the time the article was written