Crater Lake Trail is a 3.9 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.
dogs on leash
kid friendly
backpacking
camping
fly fishing
hiking
nature trips
trail running
walking
horseback riding
lake
views
wild flowers
wildlife
rocky
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.
Awesome scenic hike!
Beautiful moderate hike with great views. Went with my daughter and her boyfriend and it was great for any activity level. I sat and took a nice snack break at Crater Lake while the kids went on to explore other trails that shoot off. Such a nice day. Arrive at Maroon Bells before 8am if you want to park yourself and not shuttle.
Great hike with a day pack unless you plan on staying at one of the primitive tent sites. This is first come first serve. This is a high tourist attraction and you will see many people in the trail and at the lake. We parked at the parking lot at Maroon Bells and ate lunch. But Crater lake is a nice place to eat as well. I would say that most of the trail is rocky so wear sturdy shoes. Bring a camera, there is some beautiful scenery. Met several backcountry campers, climbers. I think Crater Lake is a trail head for scaling the 14er.
Awesome hike and nice views. I would recommend doing this hike if you haven't yet. If you want to see this hike and some views of Aspen check out my video I made: https://youtu.be/LtYAqh5ghfo