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Crater Lake Trail

Maroon Creek Road, Aspen, CO 81611
+1 970 925 3445 (Forest Service)
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Ranked #11 of 58 attractions in Aspen
Type: Hiking Trails, Bodies of Water
Activities: Hiking
Description: This easy, one-day hike from Maroon Lake is a great outing for the entire family.
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28 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    21
    5
    2
    0
    0
Date Rating
Cincinatti, OH
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
4 attraction reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
17 helpful votes 17 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 December 2012

Made the trail with my boys (5 and 7) and we all enjoyed it a lot. Path is easy to follow, most of it inside aspen forest. It is uphill most of the way, but there were not any streneous parts or anything, highly recommeded for everyone.

Was this review helpful? Yes 2
See 3 more reviews by Ron N for Aspen
houston
Senior Contributor
48 reviews 48 reviews
18 attraction reviews
Reviews in 28 cities Reviews in 28 cities
24 helpful votes 24 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 October 2012

Relatively easy trail. View is spectacular. The aspen inthe fall is breathtaking. Somewhat crowded during the weekend.

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See 4 more reviews by maturetraveler9 for Aspen
Warrenville, IL
Top Contributor
63 reviews 63 reviews
26 attraction reviews
Reviews in 46 cities Reviews in 46 cities
60 helpful votes 60 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 25 September 2012

We hiked this trail in September 2012; the aspens were at their peak. The trail was beautiful. However, Crater Lake was not much more than a puddle, which was a bit of a disappointment. But, the color in the aspens made up for the lack of water. We had initially looked at continuing on to the more strenous hike to... More

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See 2 more reviews by warrenville111 for Aspen
Denver, Colorado
Top Contributor
51 reviews 51 reviews
12 attraction reviews
Reviews in 24 cities Reviews in 24 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 September 2012

We took this hike just as the aspens were starting to turn. It was a gorgeous warm day and though we hadn't intended to do this hike (we started from Maroon Lake Trail) and weren't properly provisioned we still had a wonderful time. Saw deer slipping down trails of their own, got chattered at by squirrels, and saw trout in... More

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See 6 more reviews by pleasedtobehere for Aspen
Glenwood Springs, Colorado
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
5 attraction reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 September 2012

Just hiked here 9-17-12 and it was absolutely gorgeous with the golden aspen and light dusting of snow on the Maroon Bells! Great hike to the lake although it was nearly empty this time of the year.

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See 2 more reviews by Wizmizer for Aspen
Aurora, Colorado
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
10 attraction reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 September 2012

We walked around Maroon Lake, then did the hike up to Crater Lake. It is mostly "up" and that being said you will get some good views of Maroon Lake, etc. Much of the hike is rock, little to medium size, and tree roots exposed. Be careful if hiking in damp weather like we did. Can be slippery when stepped... More

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Shoreview, Minnesota, United States
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 10 September 2012

There wasn't much left of Crater Lake. The hike is average. There are lots of rocks to beware of. The lake at the beginning of the Maroon Bells is much better to take pictures of.

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See 4 more reviews by Megan C for Aspen
Colorado Springs
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
4 attraction reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 September 2012

Beautiful hike! I bit of a climb on the way up but for the most part it levels out. Rocky at parts so good shoes are a must. Loved being surrounded by the tall aspens.

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See 4 more reviews by Veronica M for Aspen
Boca Raton, Florida
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
9 attraction reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 July 2012

Worth the extra hike to crater lake. Easy hike great views along the way.

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See 5 more reviews by clairedt for Aspen
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
5 attraction reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 July 2012

About 2 hours round trip. Was a nice hike for me and the kids. Definately worth the extra effort. The views in the Crater Lake were great.

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See 7 more reviews by Ticatourist for Aspen

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