North Fork Creek

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 8 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation: 10,819 - 12,438 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 5 hrs.
Trailhead: North Fork Creek
Fee: none
Attractions: alpine lake

The North Fork Creek trail #1483 is located in the Mount Massive Wilderness Area of the San Isabel National Forest between Aspen and Leadville, Colorado. Traveling up the North Fork drainage the trail provides multiple hiking options. The most popular route leads up to the small but scenic North Fork Creek Lake. From there another trail crosses the Continental Divide into White River National Forest and descending to join the Fryingpan Lakes trail. There is also a route that climbs the west drainage and crosses the divide into the Marten Creek drainage, as well as routes to Deer Mountain Lake and Blue Lake.

Capitol Ditch

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 6.4 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 9,480 - 10,014 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 3 hrs. 30 mins.
Trailhead: Capitol Creek
Fee: none
Attractions: Forest hike

The Capitol Ditch trail is located in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area of the White River National Forest near Aspen, Colorado. Beginning at the Capitol Creek trailhead the trail follows the route taken by a once used irrigation ditch for a little over 1 mile before branching off and climbing along the shoulder of the mountains on the west side of the Capitol Creek drainage. Near the 3.2 mile point the trail merges with the Capitol Creek trail and comes to an end. The Capitol Ditch trail is a popular alternative route for backpackers, climbers and day hikers that are headed to Capitol Lake and to climb Capitol Peak (14,131 ft.).

Williams/Hardscrabble Lakes

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 4 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 10,001 - 10,702 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 3 hrs.
Trailhead: Hellroaring
Fee: none
Attractions: Backcountry lakes

Williams Lake and Hardscrabble Lake are located off of the Hellroaring trail in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area of the White River National Forest near Aspen, Colorado. Both lakes are popular with hikers and backpackers alike. Of the two lakes Williams is the larger and has the most places to camp.

Snowmass Lake

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 16.6 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation: 8,394 - 10,983 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 8 hrs. 30 mins.
Trailhead: Snowmass Creek
Fee: none
Attractions: Alpine lake

Snowmass Lake is located in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area of the White River National Forest near Aspen, Colorado. The lake is reached via the Maroon-Snowmass trail which travels up Snowmass Creek and over Buckskin Pass where it descends Minnehaha Gulch to Crater Lake and then on to the trailhead at Maroon Lake. The hike to Snowmass Lake is 8.3 miles one-way while continuing on to Maroon Lake stretches it out to 17 miles.