American Lake Trail

By denver-gazette April 2, 2017 | updated 9 years ago

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Things To Do

Hiking Running

The Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness near Aspen offers some of Colorado’s finest multi-day backpacking trails. This short trail is an exception, a short but strenuous trail to a pretty mountain lake. The six-mile round-trip trail starts on Castle Creek Road, 10 miles south of Aspen. It begins steep as you switchback through aspen groves, then levels out as the trail passes through a series of alpine meadows. After nearly 2,000 feet of climbing the trail ascends a final scree slope to the lake. When you hear the waterfall, you’re almost there. Enjoy lunch or a snack at the lake and return the way you came.

Pro Tips

Due to its short length, this is a busy trail, so beat the summer crowds by starting early or hiking on a weekday.

Ambitious hikers can continue above the lake on a faint trail to the summit of 13,561-foot Hayden Peak, which affords stellar views of the surrounding Elk Mountains and the Collegiate Peaks to the east.

The trail passes through several meadows teeming with wildflowers in early to mid-summer, which makes that an ideal time for a hike up to American Lake.

Recommended season(s): Summer – fall.

–R. Scott Rappold

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