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Location... Cathedral Lake is located in the Maroon Bells - Snowmass Wilderness just South of Aspen, Colorado. To get to the trailhead, travel South from Hwy 82 on Castle Creek Road, continue past the old town site of Ashcroft and you will see a sign for Cathedral Lake on the right. It's about a 30 minute drive from Aspen. The Castle Creek drainage is a beautiful, and popular, fall drive with many, many photo opportunities along the road-side.
Route... The Cathedral Lake Trail is a relatively steep 2.8 miles with it's 2000 feet of elevation gain. The trail begins by winding its way through a large aspen grove before gaining the Pine Creek drainage. The trail alternates between forest and open hiking and parallels Pine Creek, but its mostly carved along the hillside 100 or more feet above the stream. The views along most of the route are simply breathtaking; both Southwest towards Malemute and Cathedral Peaks, and to the Northeast looking back up the Castle Creek valley. Early morning generally provides the best light for photography, but I'd love to return for an overnighter, too.
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