Williams Lake is located 1.9 miles from Hell Roaring Trailhead in the Maroon Bells - Snowmass Wilderness. It lies in a heavily wooded basin off the Hell Roaring Trail, which continues west across the Elk Mountains to the Avalanche - Silver Creek Trail near Carbondale. Though Williams Lake lacks the alpine luster of others in the area, it's a great choice for families, anglers, short-distance camping and simply escaping the crowds. Williams Lake famously inspired John Denver's 'Rocky Mountain High' while he was camping here to view the Perseid Meteor Showers.

Williams Lake is framed by divide walls in the Elk Mountains, whose distinct red hue comes from the weathering of hematite, an iron-bearing mineral in the source rock

Most cars can't reach Hell Roaring Trailhead, requiring a walk on the road with great views up the Capitol Creek drainage

Williams Lake and Hardscrabble Lake support abundant cutthroat trout stock, and are lightly fished

Though ending at only 10,815', the Williams Lake Trail may hold snow longer than comparable trails in the area due to its thick canopy and north-facing orientation

Golden Banner is a member of the pea family, a common flower on sunny slopes that's among the first to bloom each year

Views from Capitol Creek Road include Mount Daly (13,305'), Capitol Peak (14,130') and its infamous Knife Edge

Williams Lake inspired John Denver to pen 'Rocky Mountain High', which ultimately took 9 months to complete

Hardscrabble Lake is located .1 mile off the main trail, an easy side trip with excellent fishing

Attractive aspen groves with places to camp line Capitol Creek Road, and actually make the potentially long walk quite enjoyable

Arnica, a common woodland and subalpine flower, has many medicinal applications but in it's raw form can be poisonous

There are several large ponds and bogs located off the Williams Lake Trail, though most are hidden and require good off-trail navigation to reach

Bear scat can take many forms depending on diet, which tends to change as summer progresses

Williams Lake (10,815')