Crater Lake National Park was created in southwestern Oregon to preserve Crater Lake and the forests around it. The lake is the deepest in the United States. The walls of an ancient volcano, Mount Mazama, rise from 500 to 2,000 feet (152 to 610 meters) above the surface of the lake. They have been changed by the weather into fantastic forms. Several peaks of the Cascade Mountains, including Mount Scott, Cloud Cap, and Llao Rock, rise near Crater Lake. Coniferous trees cling to broken rocks around the lake and are often reflected by the waters. Hundreds of kinds of ferns and flowering plants can be found in the meadows and on the slope of the volcano. Animals and birds are plentiful. President Theodore Roosevelt set 10 Oregon townships aside in 1902 to create the park. For its area, see National Park System (table: National parks).
