Crater Lake, Oregon's only national park, in 2016.
Mark Schuster / U.S. Department of the Interior
In order to accommodate tourists during the holiday weekend, the National Parks Service has announced it will temporarily open the north gate of Crater Lake National Park.
The entrance has been closed due to the Middle Fork Fire which has burned over 5,000 acres in the northwest corner of the park. Officials say the closure is necessary to allow firefighters to conduct hazard reduction work.
Crater Lake National Park has remained open, and there are no current evacuation orders for the Middle Fork Fire. However, the Park Service says this may change at any time. The fire was 37% contained as of Aug. 29.
The north gates will open beginning at 7 a.m. on Saturday and will re-close at 6 a.m. on Tuesday. Park Officials estimate wait times of up to two hours to enter the park at either the North or South entrances over the holiday weekend.
After the holiday, the road will once again be closed from North Junction to the park boundary.
Meanwhile, construction work has closed a portion of the park’s East Rim Drive, meaning it’s not currently possible to drive around the lake. The roadway remains open up to the closure points for “out-and-back” travel.
