Crater Lake Trail is situated in the San Juan Wilderness, which is a part of the San Juan National Forest. The hike to the lake is approximately 3.7 miles from the trailhead located on FR 380, only 26 miles away from South Fork, Colorado.

The initial trail is steep and passes through a forest for the first 0.2 miles. After that, the steepness lessens, and you will be on a steady climb until you cross the continental divide at 1.1 miles. As you hike up, you will pass from a pine forest into tundra-type vegetation and occasionally come across manzanita bushes. If you are hiking in the early morning, you might see mule deer, and you can spot mountain sheep tracks. If you are lucky, you might even get to see some of these animals.

After crossing the continental divide, you will descend into the South San Juan Wilderness. The Crater Lake Trail goes back into pine trees from the tundra and crosses several creeks and open parks. On the north side of the lake, there is a bench with several nice areas for camping or picnicking. Crater Lake is appropriately named, as it sits in a crater below Long Trek Mountain, Montezuma Peak, Peak 12550, and Peak 12020. You can find a video tour of the lake by clicking here.