Well worth the miles to go around the crater. Lots of photo opportunities. Many interesting information plaques to tell about the area.
Stop frequently to enjoy the changing landscape. The road has many turnouts so you can stop and explore. This is a spectacular drive - spend the day.
"One awesome view after another," says my husband. "The views are like a picture that isn't real." We visited Crater Lake in October 2014 on a beautiful sunny day. I think it was probably late in the season because the lodge had closed as had Annie Creek, no boat tour and no Wizard Island; but it was still worth the trip. So many things may be out of your control when you visit a site like this; for instance, the weather, the timing of the year (for seasonal stuff), and available accommodations. Take the advice of this review and others: drive counter clockwise, take every turn out, take pictures (you won't believe how they turn out), stop and view (frequently) the awesome color of the water (you will never see this again), ...most importantly--PLAN AHEAD to optimize your experience. Then, enjoy!!!
If possible, drive counter clockwise. This puts you on the lake side and makes it easier to get in and out of the many spectacular overlooks!
I highly recommend taking your own car and doing the rim drive yourself instead of taking a tour. This way if you're in a hurry you can have it done in less then an hour. If you have all day you can take a long as you'd like and make the stops that interest you the most. Its really not that big of a loop however it offers you different viewpoints of the Lake and the park itself.
Take the trolley tour or do the drive and stop at all the turnouts. You have never seen such blue water.
We visited in high season but there was room at every pullout to stop and we never felt the park was crowded, except at the Cleetwood Cove parking area. In July the entire drive was open in both directions for the entire loop. We noted however that the views were crystal clear in the morning, but got hazy by the late afternoon. Go early for the best views.Some of our favorite stops:Vidae Falls. This is a short stop since you're not allowed to approach the falls but worth a short leg stretch and photo op.Pinnacles Road. This is a detour of a few miles that many folks don't bother with. It's a great opportunity to see a part of the park that's peaceful, different and has few visitors. The Pinnacles were created by gas vents and ash and are beautiful. If you can spare 15 minutes park at the end of the road and take the hiking trail leading to the south.Cloudcap Overlook. Stunning view of most of the lake from one of the highest points in the park. And as an added bonus you can say that you drove on the highest auto road in Oregon.Cleetwood Cove. The only place you can hike down to the lake and the point from which you can catch a boat ride around the lake or to wizard island. This is a large parking area, but in the summer it sometimes fills up. It's a long hike down and back up and in the thinner mountain air it might be beyond your ability but it's worth the trip if you can make it. You can also swim in the lake at the bottom if you take a suit and the water is so cold you'll feel comfortable most of the way back to the top.Rim Village Visitor Center. These are some of the best views of the lake. The viewpoint has a few short trails which were painstakingly built by the CCC and are fantastic photo spots.
The best suggestion is out of your control ... mother nature. The rim drive is all about views and "clarity". Clouds, rain, HAZE, and even drifting smoke can have a major damper on your experience. We did not have the best of luck even in the early morning as haze and smoke were prevalent all day.CLOCKWISE is the best alternative as you will be making a right hand turn out of each pullout. The PULL OUTS listed in the guides are the best choices for the best "different" angles of the lake views. Smaller turnouts may not be as "spectacular". RECOMMENDATION: the views from the rim and at or on the lake are quite different. Either take a boat tour on the lake or hike down to the shore on the Cleetwood Cove trail. (1.1 mile down and more difficult on the way back up)
Take your time as you make the drive around Crater Lake stop at various points to enjoy the glorious views and take photos of the beautiful landscape.
I would suggest taking the trolley ride instead of driving as it is much more enjoyable plus you are given a lot of interesting information on the trip.