Cathedral Lake Trail

Cathedral Lake is the alpine lake under Cathedral Peak at the head of Pine Creek, 12 miles up Castle Creek Road from Aspen past the ghost town of Ashcroft, and the trail to it is a Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness classic: 2.8 miles and 2,000 feet through aspen, meadow, and a set of steep switchbacks up the headwall to the lake at 11,866 feet. Electric Pass, the highest named pass trail in Colorado, climbs 1,600 feet more above it.

From the trailhead at the end of the spur road, the trail climbs through aspen for the first mile, steep from the start, then follows Pine Creek up a narrowing canyon through spruce and open meadow with the creek loud below. The wildflowers in the meadows peak in late July.

At about 2.3 miles the trail reaches the headwall and climbs it on a series of tight, steep switchbacks, the part everyone remembers, to the lip of the basin. Cathedral Lake sits just beyond at 11,866 feet, with the spires of Cathedral Peak above and the Electric Pass trail switchbacking up the slope to the north. Return the same way, about 5.6 miles round trip; the switchbacks are slow going down.

From the roundabout on Highway 82 west of Aspen, take Castle Creek Road 12.2 miles south, shortly past Ashcroft, to the signed Cathedral Lake turnoff on the right, then about half a mile of rough gravel road to the trailhead at about 9,880 feet; low cars manage it slowly when dry. Passenger cars manage the spur slowly. The lot holds about 20 cars and fills by 7 AM on summer weekends, with overflow along the spur. No fee or permit for day use. No toilet.

Dogs are allowed on leash in the wilderness. The climb is steep and long for young kids; teenagers who hike do fine. Carry a filter; Pine Creek is the water. Camping is allowed under wilderness rules, 100 feet from the lake and no fires; Cathedral Lake is outside the reserved-permit zones, so overnighters self-register at the trailhead. The trailhead is nearly 10,000 feet and the lake is nearly 12,000. Ashcroft, just below the turnoff, is a preserved ghost town worth the stop. Aspen has every service 30 minutes away. American Lake, 2 miles down the road, is the neighbor, and the Aspen hikes page lists the rest.