Surrounding Crater Lake has long been home to members of the Native Klamath tribes, including the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin. Tribe members recognize Crater Lake as a site of power and danger and fear the dangerous beings that are believed to live inside the lake.

According to legend, the lake was a sort of doorway or crossroads between the darkness of the Below-World, or Hell. The Klamath also believed that if a person stared too long at the lake’s surface, they would be unable to look away. It was thought that the lake had the power to mesmerize and trap people, and even lure them toward their death.