The North Rim

In addition to the lake itself, the rim of the caldera is the centerpiece of the national park. The rim features a wide variety of rocks, mountains, multicolored formations, lava flows, and other features of various types. This picture shows a large section of the north rim of the caldera.

Although there are a number of high points and a few lower ones, the rim itself averages about 1500 feet above the surface of the lake. This photograph provides a different perspective of the north rim, stretching from Merriam Point and Llao Rock on the left side to The Palisades on the far right.

Llao Rock The massive Llao Rock is one of the youngest lava flows on the rim of the caldera. The lava flow which formed it resulted from an eruption 140 years before the great eruption which caused the collapse of Mt. Mazama.

Llao Rock, seen below above and beyond Wizard Island, is one of the most notable features on the rim of the caldera. It is extremely large, measuring 1200 feet thick from top to bottom.

Three different views of the formation are shown in the next three pictures. First, a picture of the front face of the is shown below.

A second view shows the rock from the east, in this case above Steel Bay.

A picture from the other side is shown from Merriam Point. This is a view which many people are treated to if they come into the park via the north entrance road, as Merriam Point is located adjacent to the junction of this road and Rim Drive.

Another view of Llao Rock, from the east section of the rim, is shown in this picture. The wake of the tour boat can seen tracing its route toward Cleetwood Cove on the right side of the picture.

Steel Bay Steel Bay is a large inlet at the very north side of the lake. It can be seen just to the right of Llao Rock in photographs such as the one below.

Steel Bay is, of course, named for well known park proponent William Gladstone Steel. There is an overlook above the waters of the bay which provides spectacular views of much of the lake and its rim.

Pumice Point Pumice Point lies beneath Grouse Hill on the opposite side of the lake from Rim Village. A long view of the formation is presented here in the center of the picture.

A closer view of Pumice Point is shown here.

Another perspective of Pumice Point is shown here, from the northeast side of the lake. Pumice Point serves as the east border of Steel Bay, which is shown behind the point in the picture below.

Another view of Pumice Point is shown here, from just behind the formation along Rim Drive.

Cleetwood Cove This inlet of the lake is located a short ways to the east of Pumice Point on the north rim. It is a sizeable cove and servers as the embarkation point for the boat tours which ply the waters of the lake.

Cleetwood Cove is the only place where people may reach the surface of the lake. There is a steep trail which leads from the rim down a series of switchbacks to a dock in the cove, shown below.

Another view of the cove is shown below.

Palisade Point The east side of the cove is set off by Palisade Point, shown below. The waters of Cleetwood Cove are visible in front of the large, forested formation.