Trail Information

Trail Name: Weller Lake Trail

Location: South of Aspen, Colorado

Date: July 3, 2020

Time at the Trail Head: 6:00 am

Trail Length: 1.0 miles

Elevation Gain: 229 feet

Elev. at Trail Head: 9,330 feet

# of Hikers Passed: 6

# of Mnt. Bikers Passed: 0

# of Horses Passed: 0

Mosquitoes: 0

Trail Research

The research for the Weller Lake Trails was fast and furious, because we wanted to hike up in the Maroon Bells Wilderness Area, but found out we needed reservations in advance. We pulled over at a park in Aspen and did a quick search on AllTrails and found the Weller Lake Trail just south of Aspen, Colorado.

This was an easy trail but it was a way to get out on a trail early and not lose a beautiful day in the Rocky Mountains. It was too short for me but it was still a gorgeous hike.

Drive to the Trail

A lot of great trails are located west of Denver and the drive will take you down the beautiful I-70 corridor. We usually don’t get to see this area as we are driving in the dark, in the early morning, as we love getting to the trailhead at sunrise.

The sky had just started to lighten up as we reached Glenwood Springs and headed south on highway 82. It had been around 30 years since I had been through this area. I don’t remember much of it from the past, but it is a gorgeous drive and we will be heading back in September or October to hike in the Maroon Bells Wilderness Area, hopefully when the Aspens are turning yellow.

The town of Aspen was still a sleepy town as we passed through around 5:30 am, but we will be back in the fall and we’ll plan on spending more time there after we finish our hike.

We headed up to the Weller Lake Trail and passed through some gorgeous mountain scenery before we reached the trail and after the trail as we headed south to Buena Vista.

I love going on hikes, but I love almost as much, the incredible scenery we pass through on the way to or from the trail.

My Day on the Trail

As soon as we got out of the truck at the trailhead, we could hear the roar of a large creek or river below us. What we heard is appropriately called the “Roaring Fork River.”

We headed to the start of the trail and immediately, there is a foot bridge crossing this gorgeous river.

This river is spectacular and even more so as the snow melt is flowing off the mountain quickly in early July.

The Weller Lake Trail is only 8 miles from Aspen so this an easy trail to get to for a short hike. It’s a short hike that anyone can do even with no real hiking gear. The trail is well maintained and there are a few creek crossings but there are bridges over each of them.

The photo above is near the trailhead, looking north along the Roaring Fork River.

The photo below is looking south up the river.

Here is another creek along the trail but is not one you will get wet in as you head up the trail.

It didn’t take long to reach Weller Lake and we were rewarded with some beautiful views of the lake and the surrounding mountains in the early morning light.

There is supposed to be a trail that heads to the right along the lake but it wasn’t obvious to us. We took some time to hang out at the lake and enjoy the sunrise and the birds singing.

The longer I live in Colorado, I have to remind myself to not take any of the scenery for granted. Sometimes I am tempted to think a particular area isn’t as grand as another, but then I stop and look around and I thank God for the blessings to live and play in the Rocky Mountains.

We started heading back down the trail and had some great views of the sun shining through the pine trees.

Of course, we had to stop and take a photo of Ranger when he decided to pose on the bridge. He is truly a great hiking buddy.

As I said, this is a short trail and we found ourselves back at the trailhead to quickly.

The sun was a little higher in the sky on our return trip and we were able to get some additional great photos down near the river.

The day was absolutely stunning, and even though we didn’t get to hike in the Maroon Bells Wilderness Area, we had incredible views of the river, creeks, Weller Lake and the surrounding mountains.

Even Ranger loved the hike, but he wasn’t worn out like he usually gets on a longer hike.

The entire day, from the drive to the trail, the hike itself and then a different drive home to the south of Aspen, Colorado, was a fantastic relaxing and gorgeous day in the Rocky Mountains.

Trail Recommendations

I would highly recommend this trail if you’re visiting the Aspen area and want an easy and quick getaway hike. Check out the AllTrails app if you would like to find a longer trail that will test you more or give you greater views of the area.

Lessons Learned

You don’t need a lot of water or great hiking gear to visit Weller Lake, however, make sure to take some good bug spray with you during the summer, as you will encounter some blood sucking mesquites.

OFF! Deep Woods Insect Repellent Aerosol, Dry, Non-Greasy Formula, Bug Spray with Long Lasting Protection from Mosquitoes, 4 Oz, 2 Count

Two 4 oz cans of OFF! Deep Woods Insect Repellent Aerosol protect against mosquitoes
Outdoor bug repellent is formulated with 25% DEET and provides long lasting protection from mosquitoes, making it an ideal bug spray for camping, hiking, running and your favorite outdoor activities
OFF! mosquito spray offers effective protection from mosquitoes that may carry the Zika, Dengue, or West Nile viruses plus ticks that may cause Lyme disease, biting flies, gnats and chiggers
OFF! bug spray with DEET comes in a convenient aerosol spray bottle for easy application
Mosquito repellent goes on powder-dry, not oily or greasy, so you don't know you're wearing it and it doesn't stain

Check out this short video of the Weller Lake Trail on YouTube.

I would love to know if you have had any experience on this trail or have other trails you love to hike. Leave a Comment Below or send me an Email.

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Weller Lake Trail

8.6

Scenic Drive

9.0/10

Accessibility

10.0/10

Mountain Views

7.0/10

Lake or Stream Views

8.0/10

Well Maintained Trails