Diamond Lake Resort RV Park: Oregon’s Underrated Lake Basecamp Near Crater Lake

Everyone drives past Diamond Lake on their way to Crater Lake. We think they have it backwards.

Seven miles north of the national park’s north entrance sits a mountain lake big enough to get lost on, ringed by volcanic peaks, with a party barge waiting at the marina. We parked our rig at Diamond Lake Resort RV Park, loaded Sylvie onto the paddleboard, and spent our days on the water and our nights around the fire. Crater Lake became the day trip. Diamond Lake became the destination.

This trip started as a family pilgrimage. Grandpa spent part of his childhood in Oakridge, so we brought him along to see his old stomping grounds (read about our Oakridge camping stop here). Then we pointed the RV south and kept going.

Here is everything you need to plan your own Team Slay lake week, from booking a site to getting into Crater Lake for free.

Why Diamond Lake

Diamond Lake is 3,031 acres of clear water sitting at 5,138 feet, with Mount Thielsen’s spire on one side and Mount Bailey on the other. Locals call it the Gem of the Cascades, and IYKYK.

A few things we learned that make it cooler:

• It owes its existence to the same volcano as Crater Lake. The lake’s formation is tied to the eruptions of Mount Mazama about 6,600 years ago. Neighbors, but make it geological.
• It is named for a guy named Diamond. Settler John Diamond spotted it in 1852 while scouting a wagon route over the Cascades.
• The resort is over 100 years old. Diamond Lake Resort started as a humble fishing lodge in 1922 and still operates on Umpqua National Forest land through a partnership with the Forest Service.
• The trout are legendary. A 27½-pound trout was reported here around 1922, and the lake is still stocked with rainbow trout today.

It is about four hours from Portland, which makes it a long weekend, not a day trip.

Sleeping at Diamond Lake Resort RV Park

The RV park is the move if you want lake life with real hookups. All 110 sites have full hookups with 30 or 50 amp service, plus there are showers, restrooms and a laundry room. It sits about three miles from the main lodge and about seven miles from Crater Lake National Park.

No RV? No gear? No problem. If your camping setup is a sleeping bag from 2009 and a strong opinion about s’mores, renting an RV is the cheat code. We rented ours on Outdoorsy, which made camping comfortable and easy without buying a single thing. Think of it as the opposite of that Portlandia sketch where the couple can’t go camping until they’ve bought every piece of gear in the store. You show up, plug in and start relaxing. [Outdoorsy affiliate link goes here once we sign up.]

What to know before you book:

• Book through Campspot or call 541-793-3318. A first-night deposit is required.
• This resort boasts an extensive lakeside campground next to the RV park.
• Arrive before the office closes. That’s 8 p.m. in summer and 7 p.m. after Labor Day. Self-parking after hours isn’t allowed, so do not be the family pulling in at 9.
• Check-in is noon, check-out is 11 a.m.
• Pets are welcome, up to three per RV, and they sleep inside.
• Confirm your rig length when booking. The park warns that the wrong length can cost you your site.
• Rates cover two guests. Extra adults are $3 a day, and extra vehicles or boats park in a separate lot.
• No refunds for weather or early departures, so check the forecast before you commit.

Pack layers. At 5,000 feet, summer nights get cold even when the days are hot.

On the water: party barge and paddleboards

Getting out on the lake was the highlight of our trip, whether we went by boat or by board. Diamond Lake is calm, clear and huge, and the view of the mountains from the middle of it is the kind of thing that makes you put your phone down. Then pick it right back up for a photo.

Rent the party barge. We rented a pontoon boat from the marina and cruised the whole lake. The marina’s patio boats (party barges, if we’re being honest) seat 6 to 12 people. Call 541-793-3333 ext. 5 to reserve, because a deposit is required.

Morning half days cost less than afternoons. Split a 10-person boat with another family and the all-day rate gets very friendly. The marina also rents fishing boats, paddle boats, kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. Bring your own boat? Resort guests can use the free Forest Service boat launch.

Paddleboard with your pup. We brought our own paddleboards, and Sylvie rode along like the first mate she believes she is. When we wanted a break from floating, we parked it at the beach and wandered over to the Lodge. Don’t own boards? The marina rents them.

Bonus: a highway of waterfalls

Highway 138 west of the lake is lined with waterfalls, including Watson Falls, the third tallest in Oregon. They deserve their own guide, so we wrote one: The Waterfall Highway Near Diamond Lake.

Crater Lake day trip (and the free pass most parents miss)

The pinnacle of our trip was Crater Lake National Park, one of the 7 Wonders of Oregon and the deepest lake in the United States. It sits about seven miles from the RV park, so you can be at the rim before the tour buses finish their coffee.

Get in free with a fourth grader. The Every Kid Outdoors program gives U.S. fourth graders (and 10-year-old homeschoolers) a free pass for the school year, September through August. It covers everyone in one private vehicle at per-vehicle parks like Crater Lake, which normally charges $30 per vehicle in summer. Your kid does a short online activity, you print or download the voucher, and you’re in. The pass is in the child’s name, so they need to be in the car.

Bringing the dog? Sylvie came with us and stayed leashed the whole time, which is the rule. Here’s where dogs can and can’t go:

• Allowed: Rim Village, paved walkways, parking areas, auto pullouts, roads (within 50 feet), Mazama Campground, and a few trails: Lady of the Woods, Godfrey Glen, Annie Spur and the Pacific Crest Trail.
• Not allowed: the Cleetwood Cove Trail (the only way down to the water), the lake itself, other trails, and visitor centers or the lodge.
• Leash rule: six feet max, one dog per person on trails.

Timing matters. The North Entrance, the one closest to Diamond Lake, closes from November 1 (sooner if it snows) until late May or June. Check current conditions before you go. The park doesn’t accept cash.

We’ll go deeper on Crater Lake with kids in our next post.

Campfire nights

Every night ended the same way, and nobody complained. We built a fire, roasted sausages for dinner and made s’mores for dessert.

And because lake days are thirsty work (ice cream counts as hydration in our house), we kept making runs to South Shore Pizza on the south end of the lake, about a mile from the Lodge. Yes, the pizza place. Trust us on the ice cream.

Bring your own sausages and s’mores fixings from home. Mountain stores charge mountain prices. Late summer fire restrictions can ban campfires in the Umpqua National Forest, so check the forest alerts and ask at check-in. Pack a propane fire pit as a backup if your rig has room.

For nights you don’t feel like cooking, the Lodge serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and South Shore Pizza covers the pizza-and-a-cone kind of night.

Know before you go

Pack: layers for cold nights, sunscreen (the sun is stronger at 5,000 feet), bug spray, water shoes, a dog life jacket and your own campfire food.

The Repeat verdict: Yes

Diamond Lake Resort RV Park earns the Repeat tag. It is affordable, it is close enough for a long weekend, and if you have a trailer or rent an RV, it is a comfortable, beautiful place to stay. You get a mountain lake, a national park and a highway of waterfalls from one campsite. Next time, we’re hitting all seven falls.

Best for: families with kids of any age, dog parents, and anyone who would rather float on a lake than fight for parking at Crater Lake.

Our text to every friend who asks: this place is party down.