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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.

8,208
recent observations
30
species listed
24
plants
3
mammals
2
birds

Naturalists have logged 8,208 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in Crater Lake. The most frequently seen is the Common Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, with 918 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
918 observations
Clark's Nutcracker
Nucifraga columbiana
703 observations
Mountain Hemlock
Tsuga mertensiana
695 observations
White Pasqueflower
Pulsatilla occidentalis
679 observations · iNaturalist
Lewis' Monkeyflower
Erythranthe lewisii
394 observations
Davis' Knotweed
Koenigia davisiae
351 observations · iNaturalist
Whitebark Pine
Pinus albicaulis
334 observations
California Tortoiseshell
Nymphalis californica
307 observations
Canada Jay
Perisoreus canadensis
275 observations
Pearly Everlasting
Anaphalis margaritacea
263 observations
Dwarf Lupine
Lupinus lepidus
214 observations · iNaturalist
Pacific Bleeding Heart
Dicentra formosa
210 observations
Scarlet Gilia
Ipomopsis aggregata
200 observations
Red Fir
Abies magnifica
192 observations · iNaturalist
Lodgepole Pine
Pinus contorta
185 observations
Pyrola-leaf Buckwheat
Eriogonum pyrolifolium
185 observations · iNaturalist
Fireweed
Chamaenerion angustifolium
183 observations · iNaturalist
Cobwebby Paintbrush
Castilleja arachnoidea
174 observations · iNaturalist
Ocean Spray
Holodiscus discolor
173 observations
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
166 observations
Marumleaf Buckwheat
Eriogonum marifolium
161 observations · iNaturalist
Davidson's Penstemon
Penstemon davidsonii
157 observations · iNaturalist
Yellow-bellied Marmot
Marmota flaviventris
155 observations
Cliff Beardtongue
Penstemon rupicola
155 observations · iNaturalist
Western Columbine
Aquilegia formosa
143 observations · iNaturalist
Crater Lake Currant
Ribes erythrocarpum
137 observations · iNaturalist
Pipsissewa
Chimaphila umbellata
129 observations
Greene's Goldenbush
Ericameria greenei
129 observations · iNaturalist
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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