Dutton Creek Trail is a 4.4 mile out and back trail located near Crater Lake, Oregon that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is best used from July until September.
hiking
views
wild flowers
no dogs
Directions from Annie Spring Entrance Station: Drive northward into the park 4 miles to Rim Drive. Turn left on to West Rim Drive and travel 2 miles to Rim Village Road. Turn right and drive a short distance to the trailhead. The Dutton Creek Trail can be accessed via the Discovery Point Trail. From the junction of Rim Village Road and West Rim Drive the trail leads southwestward on the opposite side of Rim Drive from the Discovery Point Trail.
Easy hike through forest with plenty of shade. The inbound part of the trail is downhill, return is uphill but not difficult. Only saw 3 other hikers
Hiked from Mazama campground to Rim Village and back. It's a short walk north along Munson Valley Rd from Mazama Village to Annie Creek Spur Trail. Annie Creek Spur Trail was steep. It flattens out a bit where it meets up with the PCT alternate, and then gets steeper on the Dutton Creek Trail as you approach Rim Village. You'll pop up out of the woods at theback of the Rim Village parking lot, where you can get a sandwich and drink at the gift shop. Took us most of the afternoon, but we're flatlanders.
Hiked this trail as part of a loop starting with Lightning Springs Trail. Although stunningly beautiful, the rapid elevation gain makes this trail quite strenuous. If we had it over to do again, we would have started on this end and finished on Lightening Springs Trail.