Rim Village Historic District Cultural Landscape Report

Crater Lake National Park surrounds an ancient volcano that once loomed about 12,000 feet skyward until a rapid series of cataclysmic eruptions around 7,700 years ago. The result is a spectacular caldera and Crater Lake.

The new cultural landscape report (CLR) for Rim Village Historic District within the National Park (listed on the on the National Register of Historic Places) will inform future planning, design and planting rehabilitation at the busiest visitor destination in the Park.

The Rim Village Promenade along the caldera edge is a convergence of beauty, science and history. The CLR addresses design problems such as erosion along the caldera edge that threatens the historic stone walls, visitation impacts to vegetation from heavy pedestrian foot traffic along the Promenade, and accessibility improvements.

MIG completed field documentation, site analysis of landscape characteristics and features (with a focus on the historic character of vegetation), and a period plan documenting the landscape at the end of the period of significance, which is 1941. Specific recommendations include eventually relocating of some sections of the stone walls approximately 10 feet back; using low, temporary fencing to protect planting areas; rehabilitating the hand-carved stone drinking fountains; safety updates at overlook bays; and widening of the Promenade to address areas where visitors tend to bottleneck.

The CLR also includes a schematic planting and rehabilitation plan with plant lists, details, specifications, maintenance and an implementation schedule so the Park can immediately begin rehabilitating the district’s planting areas. Plants reflect those that were used historically and will also be resilient to heavy visitor use and future climatic changes, and will improve sightlines.