Sun Notch Trail is a 0.8 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Crater Lake, Oregon that features a lake and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for walking and is accessible year-round.
kid friendly
walking
forest
lake
views
snow
no dogs
This is a quick loop off of Rim Road to a terrific viewpoint over Crater Lake down to the Phantom Ship Island below. You'll have great views of the towering walls of the rim around you as you hike across a nice meadow to the edge of the rim.
Shalyse Ahl recorded Sun Notch Trail
Excellent sun set views!!
Pretty views of the Phantom Ship! This is an easy hike and was great for the whole family!
Talia Sirkis recorded Sun Notch Trail
Quick little walk with pretty views! Took us 25 minutes with stopping to take lots of pictures.
What a beautiful hike. We always like to do a “plus hike” at the end of the day. We saw a bunch of cars and whipped into the parking lot at the last minute. What a delightful place. Easy hike and seems good for all abilities. Great views of the Crater, Mt. Thielsen and surrounding red cliffs. We saw deer in the meadow.
Abbi Aldrich recorded Sun Notch Trail
Great sunset views! The trail is super easy and wide, few people out this time of day in September, so watching the sunset over the lake is peaceful and jaw droppingly beautiful.
Very easy and well maintained. The lake is just beautiful from here. Good view of phantom ship. Saw 2 deer in the middle of the meadow.
the best trail to hit up when you first get to Crater Lake beautiful views in all Direction.
Simple easy trail for everyone. Great views of phantom ship in Crater Lake.
This was a nice little trail, really short but the scenery is worth it. You get a real nice view of the Phantom Ship if you look for the right place. There's not much long distance hiking to do at Crater Lake so it was more of a relaxing sight seeing day which was good after three days of hiking 15-20 mile days.
Greg Turner recorded Recording - Jul 18, 04:47 PM
nice and short with great views. easy hike and let's most anyone view the lake from a different perspective
Callie Freeman recorded Sun Notch Trail
Easy loop trail. Kids 8 & 6 enjoyed it. Beautiful views of Phantom Ship plus a friendly deer!
Great views of phantom ship!
Donald Lamb recorded Sun Notch Trail
Stunning views, very easy, slight uphill with no benches to rest on until the top. I would love to hike again during sunrise or even a sunset. It is a beautiful trail.
Last hike of the day. Took some very good pics that would have been great if I'd been there 20 minutes earlier. Very easy walk...
Not crowded at all when we were there. Very easy "hike" to get to the rim and view the lake and Phantom Ship. As stated before, pretty dusty on the trail. Accessible to all ages.
Easy peasy if you're an active hiker. I hiked with wife and kids and there were no complaints of strain on this loop. There is a bit of an uphill but it'll make the outstanding view of the lake and Phantom Ship all the worthwhile for casual strollers - and this will be more like a stroll then a hike. The trail was dusty so were appropriate shoes (opened toed shoe wearers be aware). Also, when you approach the first viewpoint on a busy day there will be jocking for photo position. Note that there are multiple viewpoints so just move along to the next one if first is crowded.
Phantom Ship view that’s worth the easy switch back trail to the ridge. I’d rate this as easy not moderate. The cliffs off to the east as you near the top are stunning, especially in the afternoon light.
Sun notch is a beautiful, easy, rewarding loop that offers a break from the crowds at the rim. I recommend this spot as a refuge for someone who is prone to vertigo and experiencing fear of heights, which can be intense elsewhere in crater. just gorgeous views of the lake and phantom ship.
Short and easy hike to great views of the phantom ship. This hike has ranger led hikes in the afternoon and is wheelchair accessible. Pretty smooth gravel path with lots of “pull over” spots and a few benches. I agree that is should be rated easy instead of moderate.
This was a pretty hike. You can get the best view of Phantom Ship from here.
Stunning views and great bang for your buck! A very short (less than 10 mins) walk from the parking lot to the lookout, for amazing views over the lake. We were there about lunchtime on the 4th July and miraculously had the lookout to ourselves for about 20 minutes while we ate lunch.
Short, relatively easy stroll up to a viewpoint of the Phantom Ship and other viewpoints of Crater Lake. Would not consider this if you plan to do Watchman's Peak or Garfield Peak or Mt. Scott, as the views are better on those hikes. This does deliver a fairly nice view of the ship. Maybe worth a stop if your time allows.
Easy but beautiful walk through the forest with amazing views of Crater Lake and the Phantom Ship.
High "return on effort", great views for an easy hike (should not be classified as "moderate", though)
Great view of the phantom ship!
Super cute little loop. Very easy and short. 20 minutes at leisurely pace including brief photo stops to take amazing pictures of Phantom Ship and Wizard Island from two different lookout stops. Beautiful meadows and trees along the way.
Amazing views of Phantom Ship, short, easy loop hike. Check with the park, dogs are NOT allowed on the trail right now. :(
How could this extremely easy trail get rated moderate?
Beautiful!
It was still snowy on the second half of the loop on 7/15/17! Perfect trail to stretch sore legs.
