National park tips: Top photo spot at Crater Lake

At Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, don’t miss Watchman Overlook on Rim Drive, north of Rim Village. It doesn’t get as much attention as Discovery Point (which has a big parking lot), but the overlook gives you a commanding angle, looking almost straight down at Wizard Island. To get even higher, there’s Watchman Peak Trail, which leads to an old fire lookout station. Try this in later summer, when the path is clear of snow.

READ: At Crater Lake, Ore., sky and water become one, bathed in blue »

In honor of this year’s National Park Service centennial, the Travel section is posting 100 park travel ideas and tips based on trips staff travel writer Christopher Reynolds has taken, along with photo-op advice from Times photographer Mark Boster. We’ll post one per day through Dec. 31.

Follow Reynolds on Twitter: @MrCSReynolds

See travel videos by Reynolds from around the world.

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