Thousand Springs Sno-Park

This is a hidden gem (okay not very hidden as it's literally feet from the highway into Crater Lake) that has plenty of room, quick access to Crater Lake (about 20 minutes), and even has a free WiFi network provided by the local snowmobile club! I was the only person here all day and night in mid-September.

It's not much to look at, it's literally a giant parking lot separated from the highway by a small median, but road traffic is minimal and it's perfect for free camping with direct access to Crater Lake. Highly recommended.

I had found this camp spot on the app and hoped it would work for us. It worked perfect. All we needed was a place to park the trailer for camping so we could visit the park, and this fit perfectly . It is at about mile marker 63 on the highway and about 16 miles from the west entry where you pay, not the west edge of the park, that is just a few miles down the road. Only took about 15 to 20 minutes to drive to pay point. It is a large paved lot. You get to park wherever you want. There are no lights of any kind so the stars at night were brilliant and beautiful. A slight slope that was easily fixed with risers. We camped for two nights. The road is very quiet at night. Not a lot of traffic. The first night there was one other person staying there and the second night here were four others staying there. But still lots of room for many more. We have a 33 foot 5th wheel. Would definitely use this again if going back to Crater Lake.

A great spot to rest, stretch your legs, let the kids burn some energy, picnic and stay the night. We pulled in late in the evening, saw an amazing star show and rested. We felt very safe, the area is clean and the local snowmobile club has invested in the park and added some comfort amenities. Please pick up more than you drop off. Keep it clean and usable for all to enjoy.

This Sno-Park is super convenient for visiting Crater Lake! It was the closest place we could find to the park, since we were visiting after the campgrounds in Crater Lake were closed for the season.

Before it snows, this is a large parking lot surrounded by trees. It's nice and flat. The first night we were alone in the lot, and the second night there were 3 other cars around. There was plenty of space for all of us! There is a highway that goes right by the sno-park but very few cars drove by in the evening or at night. There are two vault toilets, and a really large snowmobiling hall/shelter (?) with a wood-burning stove that's kept full of wood in the winter.

I really loved how quick it was to get to the park from here, and of course it's always a plus to have a toilet available. Another huge pro for us was the stargazing. It's a pretty remote place, and since the parking lot is so large there aren't many trees blocking the view to the north. Bring your binoculars and star maps!

This is the closest you can get to a national park for free. After we woke
Up, only a 15 Min drive to Rim Village visitor center. Can’t beat it! Large parking lot as described which after the past few nights of camping in the mud, we actually enjoyed the cleanish pavement for our things!! Had maybe 3 neighbors total and as always, folks were super nice.