The Crater

August 18, 2012

The hike to The Crater in Rocky Mountain National Park was a very short, but beautiful hike.

The trailhead for this hike is right off Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park just across from Poudre Lake.  Parking is limited, so of course it's best to get there early.  The hike is a whopping 2 miles round trip, but take time to sit and enjoy the view from the top.

The View from the Hike

A Deer We Saw Along the Way

The Crater

We chose to do this hike because we heard this is the breeding area for big horn sheep.  This area is closed during the lambing season, which I think ends in July.  It was open and pretty crowded in mid-August.  We didn't see any sheep, but a few hikers that were finished when we started said they had some luck.  I think we got a late start since we set up camp first.

I would recommend this hike for it's beauty alone.  While it's a short hike you do get above tree line, so the altitude makes it more difficult and much more windy.  I was actually COLD!  It was well worth it though!