Hiking to Cathedral Lake, Aspen in the Summer: A Simple Guide
Looking for a simple hike that doesn’t require much planning near Aspen? The hike to Cathedral Lake, Aspen is the one for you!
The area around Aspen, Colorado is known for its incredible mountains, and there are hikes for every fitness level. But some are quite the commitment.
When I visited Aspen, I only had time for 1 hike. That meant I couldn’t go for a mega-hike like Maroon Bells, but I did want to get fully into the mountains.
The obvious choice was Cathedral Lake – not as well-known (but still very popular) and it’s the ultimate alpine experience.
Let’s get straight into the hiking guide.
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How to Hike to Cathedral Lake, Aspen
When I say the hike to Cathedral Lake is simple I mean this:
You start in a huge aspen forest, get to a talus field, climb up the crazy switchbacks and then cross a stream to get to the lake.
That’s it!
All in all, the hike stats are: 5.4 miles roundtrip with 2,000 feet of elevation gain.
1. Hike through the Aspen Forest
The hike to Cathedral Lake, Aspen begins in a gorgeous aspen forest.
The hike starts off quite flat right from the trailhead and gradually gets steeper.
But you hardly notice because there’s so much beauty around you.
Aspen trees have got to be some of my favorite trees, and did you know an aspen forest is the largest living organism on planet Earth?
2. Watch your Ankles on the Talus
Eventually, you get to a point where the forest stops and you can finally see the towering mountains all around.
From here on out, the trail has no tree cover and you get to a very long talus field.
The trail is pretty obvious because the talus has somehow been flattened, and some small streams cross the trail.
This is the part that feels really alpine.
You’re right under a huge sloping mountain to the right that just makes you want to hike to the top. And it turns out you can – more on that below!
3. The Switchbacks from Hell
Probably the shortest section of this hike, it’s worth mentioning the switchbacks because they’re insane!
It isn’t even that long, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen such steep switchbacks.
From the talus field below, it looks crazy. But it really isn’t too bad!
4. The Last Stretch and Crossing the Stream
At the top of the switchbacks you get to a random little forest. If it’s sunny, it makes for a great spot to rest from the summer sun.
This is where you can continue on the Electric Pass Trail to the right, which will take you to the top of the mountain.
It’s REALLY steep, though, and adds 2.3 miles one-way and 1,700 feet of elevation gain.
Take the trail to the left to get to Cathedral Lake, but not before crossing a small but powerful stream.
It did require jumping from a big boulder to where the trail continued on the other side of the stream, so be prepared for some problem-solving.
5. Can you Swim in Cathedral Lake, Aspen?
Yes, you can swim in Cathedral Lake near Aspen!
We were cold plunging all over Colorado during our Colorado road trip, and we planned on jumping into Cathedral Lake, but two things stopped us:
- First, some dark clouds were rolling in so we didn’t want to get stuck up there, soaking wet, in a potential storm (of course, the storm never happened).
- Since the water here is so clear, you can see everything, and we could see that there were tons of dead earthworms all over the ground underwater. I think they drowned as the lake grew during the summer when the ice melted (just my theory, btw). So, that just made it less appealing for us to jump in.
When you get to the lake, there’s a big area where you can relax and eat.
But you may want to take the small trail to the left along the water’s edge! It leads to the fallen rocks on the other side of the lake and you can jump around on them and get pretty much onto the lake, but on the rocks.
There’s also a small waterfall there from snowmelt depending on what time of the year you go! We went July 3 and the waterfall had a lot of water.
And that’s it! All that’s left is the steep way down to the car and then back to Aspen or wherever you’re sleeping.
Where to Stay near Aspen?
Aspen is probably the richest ski town. And by that I mean good luck finding somewhere affordable to stay.
But there are options!
This blog is all about helping you travel by finding the most affordable ways to do it. So, here’s a list of places to stay near Aspen, from most expensive to most affordable. I made sure they’re all highly rated!
- Viewline Resort Snowmass, Autograph Collection: a mid-range hotel in Snowmass Village.
- Timberline 214 Studio Deluxe: condos in Snowmass Village.
- Comfort Inn & Suites Carbondale: a slightly more affordable hotel about 40 minutes from Aspen.
- Inn the Clouds Hostel & Inn: an absolute budget stay in Leadville, 40 minutes from Aspen.
- FREE CAMPING: Lincoln Creek Dispersed Campground, 20 minutes from Aspen. (You may have to drive way in down a dirt road depending on how full it is). This is where I slept 2 nights.
I actually spent NOTHING during my Colorado road trip because I camped for free the entire 3 weeks.
It’s not always convenient because sometimes you’re far away from your destination. But not always! Careful planning makes it work.
I made a map of all the places I’ve slept for free in Colorado, and you can access it for free by filling out the form here:
Tips on Hiking to Cathedral Lake
What Gear/Supplies to Take
You don’t need any technical gear to hike to Cathedral Lake in Aspen, but taking the right gear will help make your experience better.
- I took 1 liter of water, but you may want 2 to be safe (half a gallon) since you will sweat a LOT. I finished all my water, so more might have been better. A Camelbak would be ideal for this hike.
- When it comes to clothing, I would recommend light pants or even shorts and a fleece shirt, plus a fleece jacket because the wind gets super cold and strong up high. The weather changes fast in the alpine, so you may also want a nice rain jacket just in case.
- In terms of shoes, you don’t need hardcore boots. Just take any shoes you’ve broken into and that have good grip.
- When it comes to food, take simple carbs for during the hike and then for a picnic at the lake, I’m a fan of a gigantic peanut butter and banana sandwich.
- My final gear tip is to take hiking sticks if you have knee issues or just want the help. They really make a difference and take some of the load off your knees on the way down. Lala uses them because of some hip issues, and they’re game-changers!
Know When to Turn Back
If you see a storm on the way, just turn back immediately.
The hike to Cathedral Lake is pretty bare half of the time, which makes you the most prominent feature. This increases the chance of getting struck by lightning.
We don’t want that, so turn back if you see a storm.
If you vomit, get a bad headache or feel unnaturally tired, you could have altitude sickness. Just turn back immediately.
Give your body time to adapt to the thin air of the Colorado mountains.
Use AllTrails
If you want the added security of knowing where you’re going, download AllTrails!
The paid version of the app works really well and you can use it offline.
But you can still use AllTrails without paying, and there’s a way to use it offline without paying the subscription. Just start your hike on the app while you still have signal and it’ll work the entire way.
It’s also a great way to log all your hikes.
The Poor Man’s Guide to Aspen in the Summer
What do you even do in Aspen if you have a low budget?
Well, I’ll tell you what we did because it was actually a lot of fun!
The first thing you should do is go when there’s an event and center your day around that event.
There’s always something going on in a cool ski town because that’s literally the only reason it exists. Find all the events going on in Aspen here!
We went during July 4, which meant there was a parade and then a concert.
It was awesome.
- We had breakfast at our campsite but treated ourselves to a coffee at Gorsuch Ski Café and it was delicious.
- For lunch, we bought one of those hot meals they have at grocery stores.
You know, where the options are like fried chicken, popcorn chicken and corndogs?
Well, we treated ourselves to some ribs, which was a total adventure eating in the park with plastic forks, but we made it work! It was awesome and 3 of us ate lunch for something like $16.
When it comes to activities, we walked all over Aspen, ogling at the houses and window shopping. But our favorite places to visit were the art galleries.
They’re all over town, so we went to 4 of them, but my favorite was the Meuse Gallery. They have a lot of work by Simon Bull and other artists, but the most amazing thing was a Banksy piece they had there!
So, lots to do in a cool ski town!
FAQ
There are actually quite a few famous lakes near Aspen! Cathedral Lake is obviously one of them, but there are some even more popular ones.
Lost Man, American, and Crater Lake are popular hikes to gorgeous alpine lakes. They’re all 3.5+ miles long. Another popular hike is to Weller Lake, which is actually only 1 mile long. Maroon Lake is also popular, with barely a hike to get to it.
That will depend on your fitness level and adaptation to the thin air at high elevation.
It took us 2 hours to get to the top and another hour to get back down (we jogged). But we had been hiking all over Colorado for 2 weeks, so our legs and lungs were strong.
To be safe, plan for 2.5 hours each way (it’ll probably be less, but better safe than sorry).
Where to Next?
You can’t get to Aspen without driving through some of the most amazing landscapes in the world. So, I seriously recommend taking the time to get to know them.
I spent all summer of 2024 in Colorado, and 3 weeks of that were spent on a road trip all around the State.
These were some of my favorite destinations on that road trip near Aspen:
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison: 2.5 hours west of Aspen, where the mountains start giving way to the desert, is Colorado’s deepest, steepest canyon and most underrated national park ever.
- Mt. Elbert: Colorado’s tallest mountain is only about 30 minutes from Aspen, and it’s actually a technically easy hike. It’s just long! Plus, Mt. Massive, the second-tallest mountain, is right next to it.
- Breckenridge and Vail are two ski towns east and north (respectively) of Aspen towards Denver. If you’re touring ski towns, don’t skip these!
Let me know if you have any questions about hiking Cathedral Lake and visiting Aspen in the comments! I’ll be sure to answer.
And if you want more tips on budget travel, car camping and affordable adventure, you might want to consider subscribing to my twice-monthly newsletter!
