Wender·Vista
Phantom Ship in Crater Lake
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileOregon
in the southeast corner of Crater Lake, near Kerr Notch

Phantom Ship in Crater Lake

— — a small island that holds the lake's oldest stone.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“Phantom Ship is a small rocky island in the southern arm of Crater Lake, in the southern Oregon Cascades. From the rim it looks like a four-masted ship at anchor, especially when fog drifts across the caldera. The rock is roughly four hundred thousand years old, the oldest exposed stone in the park, and on a still morning the lake gives back its full reflection.

from the studio
Phantom Ship in Crater Lake
— bring it home

Phantom Ship in Crater Lake, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Phantom Ship in Crater Lake

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Phantom Ship is a small natural island in Crater Lake, Oregon, lying near the southern shore of the caldera below Kerr Notch. The island is roughly five hundred feet long and rises about one hundred and seventy feet above the water, with seven small spires that give it the silhouette of a sailing ship. The rock is andesite lava roughly four hundred thousand years old, predating the eruption of Mount Mazama that formed the caldera around 7,700 years ago. The National Park Service protects the island as part of Crater Lake National Park.

— the stone

The lava that makes up Phantom Ship is the oldest exposed rock anywhere in Crater Lake National Park. It survived the collapse of Mount Mazama because it sat at the edge of the caldera floor rather than in the path of the climactic eruption. The seven irregular spires reach about one hundred and seventy feet at their highest point. The Phantom Ship Overlook on the East Rim Drive is the closest road-accessible view; boat tours from Cleetwood Cove pass much closer when the summer tour season is operating.

— the visit

Phantom Ship is best viewed from the Phantom Ship Overlook on the East Rim Drive, a short pull-off marked on park maps. The East Rim road typically opens in early July and closes with the first heavy snow, often by late October. Boat tours that run from Cleetwood Cove on the north shore pass close to the island in calm weather; the tours operate a short summer season and require a steep one-mile hike down to the dock. Standard park entrance fees apply.

— where
United States · Klamath County, Oregon
— within
Crater Lake National Park
— position
42.9100° N · 122.0700° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
at the lake
Crater Lake
caldera lake
9 km NW
Wizard Island
cinder cone island
7 km N
Cleetwood Cove
boat launch
1 km E
Kerr Notch
rim notch
6 km W
Garfield Peak
rim summit
N
Phantom Ship in Crater Lake
Crater Lake
Wizard Island
Cleetwood Cove
Kerr Notch
Garfield Peak
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Phantom Ship in Crater Lake — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

From the rim of Crater Lake the island's seven spires resemble a small sailing ship at anchor, especially in low light or when fog drifts across the caldera. The resemblance gave the rock its name in the late nineteenth century.

The andesite lava that forms Phantom Ship is roughly four hundred thousand years old. It is the oldest exposed rock in Crater Lake National Park, predating the eruption of Mount Mazama that formed the caldera around 7,700 years ago.

Phantom Ship is small — about five hundred feet long and around one hundred and seventy feet high at its tallest spire. From the rim it looks miniature against the wider expanse of the caldera lake.

The Phantom Ship Overlook on the East Rim Drive is the standard road-accessible view. Boat tours from Cleetwood Cove pass much closer to the island when the summer tour season is operating in calm weather.

No. The island is closed to public landing to protect nesting birds and the fragile spires. Park boat tours from Cleetwood Cove pass close to Phantom Ship in summer but do not stop or allow visitors ashore.

The East Rim Drive typically opens in early July, once the snow clears, and closes with the first heavy snowfall, often by late October. The park's main south entrance road stays open longer through the year.

— about the piece in your home

It often is. Phantom Ship is one of the most quietly photographed views in the park, and people who know the lake recognise the silhouette immediately. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note carries the association.

The deep blues and dark stone read well in Pacific Northwest-modern interiors, mountain-modern living rooms, and quiet Japandi spaces. It anchors a wall better than it competes with one.

Yes. The current cycle in mountain-modern favours specific places over generic scenery, and the dark-water palette of Crater Lake fits naturally alongside the warmer woods and stone that drive the style.

A single Large above a console, a four-tile Mural above a standard sofa, a nine-tile Mural for a longer wall. The horizontal pull of the caldera reads well at any of those widths.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for moisture or grease. Both wipe clean and resist scratches. The deep blue palette holds up beautifully in a bathroom with warm wood or stone.

A soft microfibre cloth and water. No solvents, no abrasive pads. The colour is infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure and will not lift with ordinary cleaning.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece originates with Reid Wender, the curator, working in our Knoxville studio. We do not license images and the work is not sold through other shops.

— if this one stayed with you

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