I've done a lot great cycling in North America, including
all of the big mountain ranges, but I now have a new
favorite ride. Here's my ride photo-report on what I think is the
best road bike ride in North America:

https://www.steephill.tv/galleries/2005/crater-lake/

Steve Hill
www.steephill.tv

very scenic, been there once with my step dad, but it was foggy, and at that point in my life I was still not interested in road cycling, sounds like a great ride though, sometime maybe I can ride it.

RacingPain

For me part of a great ride includes not being intimidated by traffic. If there are no shoulders and lots of cars it would detract from the experience enough to disqualify it as "best ride in North America". Especially dangerous are summer destinations where a significant % of the traffic is RVs, loaded with cranky kids and irate Dad drivers. I bet September after Labor Day would be the best time for cyclists.

I did the ride last Friday and there was very little traffic at mid-day and Crater Lake is a long way from large cities so I doubt it is ever a problem. With light traffic, I personally prefer a road without shoulders because it prevents cars from squeezing between you and oncoming traffic plus you don't feel like you are relegated to a narrow, debris-filled strip of pavement that may disappear at anytime.

Crater Lake is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, but watch out for the mosquitoes.

Wow, nice pictures.

Looks pretty stunning in the pics, can't imagine what it's like up close and personal. Thanks for the pics.

I wish I had scenery to look at like that on every ride--I don't think I'd ever get off my bike....

The mosquitoes were pretty vicious in the campground (at lower elevation) but not when I stopped along the road

Beautiful pictures! I'm jealous - you are so lucky that you had the opportunity to do this ride. My family went up to Oregon last summer and when we visited Crater Lake, I saw a number of individuals who had numbers and were apparently doing an organized event around the rim. I thought about what a glorious ride that would be. Thanks for sharing your experience - I'm going to have to find some way to do that ride myself.

Beautiful Pics!! The north-west has some amazing scenery.

Those are incredible pics. I drove down the Oregon coast (on 101) a month ago and saw a bunch of bikers on that road. That would be a sweet ride as well, but quite hilly.

Thanks. I'm also working on posting some other pictures of the northwest including Mt Rainier NP, San Juan Is. and Bend.

I had great weather and I know the weather can be nasty up there. I think it's a good idea to spend more than one day to avoid disappointment. Here's what the park service says about the weather at Crater Lake:

Summer

The months of July through mid-September are generally mild with little precipitation. Due to the elevation of the park (6,500 ft. at Park Headquarters and 7,100 ft. at Rim Village), weather conditions may change quickly and a warm jacket and wool sweater are always recommended items to carry.

Winter

From October through June, weather conditions dictate preparing for extreme winter conditions. Blizzards, high winds, extreme cold, and low visibility dominate the weather patterns, Visitors should come with cold weather gear.

I think the pictures came out fairly well but like all scenic places, pictures never quite do the scenery justice.