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Wildlife in Crater Lake National Park

Here’s what naturalists are spotting in Crater Lake right now - pulled live from recent research-grade observations. Browse by group, explore the map, and identify what you find with Huck.

8,152
recent observations
30
species listed
24
plants
3
mammals
2
birds

Naturalists have logged 8,152 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in Crater Lake. The most frequently seen is the Common Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, with 910 recorded sightings.

Plants account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (24 of the species listed here), followed by mammals (3).

Rarer finds confirmed in Crater Lake include Western Monkshood - uncommon enough that a sighting is worth logging.

Western Monkshood
🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species in Crater Lake

Common Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Callospermophilus lateralis
910 observations
Clark's Nutcracker
Nucifraga columbiana
699 observations
Mountain Hemlock
Tsuga mertensiana
689 observations
White Pasqueflower
Pulsatilla occidentalis
678 observations · iNaturalist
Lewis' Monkeyflower
Erythranthe lewisii
393 observations
Davis' Knotweed
Koenigia davisiae
349 observations · iNaturalist
Whitebark Pine
Pinus albicaulis
334 observations
California Tortoiseshell
Nymphalis californica
302 observations
Canada Jay
Perisoreus canadensis
270 observations
Pearly Everlasting
Anaphalis margaritacea
263 observations
Dwarf Lupine
Lupinus lepidus
214 observations · iNaturalist
Pacific Bleeding Heart
Dicentra formosa
209 observations
Scarlet Gilia
Ipomopsis aggregata
199 observations
Red Fir
Abies magnifica
191 observations · iNaturalist
Lodgepole Pine
Pinus contorta
185 observations
Pyrola-leaf Buckwheat
Eriogonum pyrolifolium
182 observations · iNaturalist
Fireweed
Chamaenerion angustifolium
182 observations · iNaturalist
Ocean Spray
Holodiscus discolor
173 observations
Cobwebby Paintbrush
Castilleja arachnoidea
171 observations · iNaturalist
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
165 observations
Marumleaf Buckwheat
Eriogonum marifolium
160 observations · iNaturalist
Davidson's Penstemon
Penstemon davidsonii
156 observations · iNaturalist
Yellow-bellied Marmot
Marmota flaviventris
154 observations
Cliff Beardtongue
Penstemon rupicola
153 observations · iNaturalist
Western Columbine
Aquilegia formosa
141 observations · iNaturalist
Crater Lake Currant
Ribes erythrocarpum
136 observations · iNaturalist
Greene's Goldenbush
Ericameria greenei
129 observations · iNaturalist
Pipsissewa
Chimaphila umbellata
124 observations
Cascade Aster
Doellingeria ledophylla
121 observations · iNaturalist
Columbian Monkshood
Aconitum columbianum
120 observations

Built from recent research-grade iNaturalist observations. Identifications are community-sourced and may occasionally be wrong, and the ranking reflects where people record and photograph wildlife, so a species seen often here is not necessarily rare elsewhere. Some plants and animals are only out in certain seasons. Treat this as a lively snapshot of what people are finding, not a formal checklist.

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