Crater Lake Trail is a 3.8 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Aspen, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
Colorado Tourism Office, 1625 Broadway, Suite 1700 , Denver, CO, 80202, Phone: 800-COLORADO
Directions from Aspen: From mid-June through September the Maroon Creek road is closed from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., you will need to take a shuttle. You can catch the shuttle from Rubey Park on Durant Street in Aspen. There is a fee for the Maroon Creek Shuttle.If you get an early start, drive 1/2 mile west of Aspen on Highway 82 and turn left at the roundabout onto Maroon Creek Road. Keep right and continue 9-1/2 miles to the Maroon Lake parking area.
Pleasant early winter hike, broken in trail, recommend spikes but not a deal breaker if you have to loan to significant other who forgot theirs ;) Nice view of Saranac through lookout between trees.
Beautiful hike! Very muddy right now. Long stretches of snow and ice, spikes were useful. The lake is dried up. Warm and not windy at all today. I bet it’s just breathtaking before the leaves fall. I plan to come back next August/September.
Trail is only for exercise at this time of the year. Avid hiker and this is extremely underwhelming. Yes, the lake may be dried up, but I expected better views for being Colorado. The only picture worth taking is the Maroon Lake pic and that's with adding some filters to it. Good luck and happy travels.
The fall colors are pretty much all gone and the lake is completely dry, but it’s still absolutely beautiful!