Aug 10
2
Crater Lake-Southwest Colorado
Distance: 11 miles RT
Elevation Gain: 890′
Starting Elevation: 10,750′
Rating: Easy to Moderate
Crater Lake in Southwest Colorado is a perfect hike to get a taste of an alpine trail without having to drive for miles on a gravel road or get serious in your 4×4. It’s also a good choice to get some spectacular mountain eye candy. I did this
View of Engineer Mountain From Crater Lake Trail
hike for the 3rd time over this past weekend and it was as beautiful as I remembered. The weather wasn’t the best as far as views but it did make for some interesting peek a boo peak views of Engineer, Spud Mountain and Twilight peaks.
This hike is a good introductory trail for those that are unaccustomed to the higher altitude. It is a fairly long hike (5.5 miles) each way but nothing is too steep or difficult.
At the end of the trail lies Crater Lake which offers a wonderful lunch spot and offers close up views of North Twilight Peak towering above you.
As I mentioned in a previous post about this hike, some ambitious hikers will trek up from here to the top of North Twilight which adds another 1.2 miles and 1435′. Make sure you have energy to spare before tackling this stretch.
The trail starts at Andrews Lake which is a popular fishing spot and meanders up from here. Andrews Lake is right off of Hwy 550 north of Durango and just short of Molas Pass. If you’re not up for a hike, Andrews Lake is a nice place to hang out on a summer afternoon and relax.
