Crater Lake sits in a steep bowl above Dove Lake and is often passed on the way to Marions Lookout. Its dark water, enclosing slopes, and sudden changes in mist make it feel more remote than its distance from the shuttle stops suggests.
The lake is a good turnaround point if weather is closing in or legs are not ready for the steeper climb. Take the boardwalks seriously; the alpine vegetation is fragile and slow to recover from trampling.