Direction to the trailhead from Denver: There are two ways to get here. One is through Boulder via US 36 west then turn right to CO119 or get on CO 72(Coal Creek) towards Pinecliff then turn left to CO119. On CO119, turn right onto Rollins Pass Road for about 8 miles well maintained dirt road. There is a decent size parking area with restrooms in front of Moffat Tunnel. More details can be found here:
http://www.protrails.com/trails/view/174/indian_peaks_wilderness_area_and_james_peak_wilderness_area/crater_lakes
CO 72 is pretty scenic with much less traffic than going through Boulder. But it could be pretty twisty at some point.
The trailhead is on the right with a sign. No map is shown here. Based on the information on Protrails, the round trip to Craters Lake (lower) is 6 miles. There are a few signs along the trail for you to stay on the right direction but again, there is no exact miles marked and some junctions could be a bit tricky. Some parts of the trail are wet and muddy. I believe it can be very difficult if you hike in the rain.
There are some very steep parts but overall, I think it is durable for most people. That's why it is marked as 'moderate'. For people who have knees problem, going down is pretty challenging. After keep climbing up for about 1 mile, it turns to be a meadow. Two lower Crater lakes are on the other side of the meadow. There are plenty of wildflowers before you get to the lake on the north. I also saw varying mushrooms along the hike. Dogs are allowed for this trail so they would be happy to be able to swim in the lake.
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