Bald Knob Lookout

Visit Crater Lake National Park and learn about its unique natural and cultural history. Reaching depths of 1,943 feet, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and one of the ten deepest lakes in the world. Experience 172 miles of diverse river and mountain landscapes along the Rogue-Umpqua National Scenic Byway. Travel from rolling oak-covered hills and towering coniferous forests, to roaring white water rapids and incised inter-canyon lava flows. The highway travels alongside the Upper Rogue and North Umpqua Wild and Scenic Rivers that contain world-class fisheries.

Visitors to the Bald Knob Lookout will be treated to spectacular views overlooking Eden Valley to the north, the Rogue River to the south, and the forests beyond. The unique character of the landscapes comprising the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has led to over 340,000 acres of the Forest to be preserved as a designated wilderness area, and over 200 miles of streams as National Wild and Scenic Rivers. Diverse landscapes provide habitat for a wide range of wildlife, from spotted owls and bull elk to salamanders and sandhill cranes. These species, along with many others, depend on the undeveloped wilderness, undisturbed wetlands, clean streams, and diverse forests to live.

Hiking, birding, and wildlife viewing are popular among guests to this lookout. Seasonal changes envelope the area as snow melt gives rise to spring time flowers, and vivid autumn colors welcome a landscape blanketed with snow. The Panther Ridge Trail is accessible from the facility and follows an historic Native American travel corridor. Approximately 95% of this trail is within the Wild Rogue Wilderness, and is closed to any kind of motorized vehicles or equipment. The trail travels under magnificent stands of old-growth timber and through rhododendron and scrub oak undergrowth. Another notable trail is the nearby Coquille River Falls Trail. The hike switches back and forth through a virgin stand of undisturbed Douglas-fir, hemlock, and Port-Orford cedar trees, ending at the Coquille River Falls. Learn more about the geology of waterfalls along the Coquille River.

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