The Cleetwood Cove trail is the only access to the lake in Crater Lake National Park.  This trail is also the trail you have to hike if you want to take the boats to Wizard Island in the lake.  This is a strenuous trail.  Remember if you go down, you have to climb back up.  The trail drops at a 11% grade down 700 feet to the docks on the lake.

To get to the trailhead head 4.5 miles east from the North Junction to the parking area.  Look for signs pointing to Cleetwood Cove.  The trail is mostly switchbacks down the rim of the crater, and is fairly steep in most places.  The park service has setup a number of benches to rest on, on your way back up.  Almost all of the trail offers beautiful panorama's of the lake and Wizard island.  At the bottom, you can gaze into the crystal clear water and see 100 feet down.  Fishing is permitted,  all of the fish in the lake were imported in.  There are no native fish to the lake.