Overview

• Location: Klamath County, Crater Lake National Park (eastern rim drive)

• Waterfall Type: Horsetail

• Height: ~115 feet (35 m)

• Trail Distance: Short walk from roadside pullout; approximately 0.1 miles from the Rim Drive

• Difficulty: Easy

• Best Time to Visit: Late spring through fall; Rim Drive typically open late May through October

History & Background

Vidae Falls is a graceful 115-foot horsetail waterfall on Vidae Creek visible directly from Crater Lake’s Rim Drive — one of the few significant waterfalls within Crater Lake National Park itself and easily one of the most accessible waterfalls at such high elevation anywhere in Oregon. The falls pour off the caldera rim at approximately 7,100 feet elevation, making them one of the highest-elevation waterfalls accessible by road in the state. The name Vidae comes from the Latin word for ‘I have seen’ or ‘life’ — possibly chosen by early park visitors or cartographers for the sense of vitality the falls bring to the austere volcanic rim landscape. The falls are most powerful in late spring and early summer as snowmelt feeds Vidae Creek, then diminish significantly by late summer.

Geology

Vidae Falls drops 115 feet as a horsetail off the rim of the Crater Lake caldera over volcanic rock at approximately 7,100 feet elevation — the same basalt and andesite volcanic material that forms the caldera rim. The falls flow on Vidae Creek, which drains from the snow-laden volcanic plateau above and plunges over the caldera rim to the forested slopes below. The surrounding landscape is dominated by the products of the Mount Mazama eruption 7,700 years ago — pumice deposits, lava flows, and the 2,000-foot-deep caldera filled with the world’s deepest blue lake.

Directions & Access

• Nearest City: Crater Lake Village, OR (~6 miles west via Rim Drive); Klamath Falls, OR (~60 miles south)

• Trail Information:

  • From the south entrance of Crater Lake National Park, follow the East Rim Drive approximately 4 miles to the signed Vidae Falls pullout; a very short walk leads to the falls viewpoint from the road

  • The Rim Drive is typically open late May through October, depending on snowpack; park entrance fee required; the falls are best visited in combination with a full Rim Drive tour of the crater

• Parking:

  • Roadside pullout at the Vidae Falls viewpoint on the East Rim Drive; Crater Lake NP entrance fee required

• Accessibility:

  • Short, essentially flat walk from the roadside pullout; generally accessible for most visitors who can make the drive

Best Time to Visit

• Spring: Late spring snowmelt feeds the most powerful flows; Rim Drive opens typically in late May when snow is cleared

• Summer: Flows diminish by August; the surrounding caldera rim is spectacular in clear summer weather; Crater Lake’s famous blue color most vivid

• Fall: Low flows; rim drive closes with first significant snowfall, typically October; stunning fall atmosphere

• Winter: Road closed by snow; the falls inaccessible

Nearby Attractions

• Crater Lake (deepest lake in the US)

• Crater Lake Rim Drive (full 33-mile tour)

• Wizard Island

• Pinnacles (volcanic rock spires)

• Pumice Desert

References

• Links:

  • Crater Lake National Park – NPS

  • Travel Oregon – Crater Lake

• Books:

  • Oregon Waterfalls by Greg Plumb

  • Waterfall Lover's Guide: Pacific Northwest