From the Herman Gulch Trail Head, (Exit 218 on I-70 and 3 miles west of Bakerville exit) proceed up the Herman Gulch trail, making sure you don't head off on the trail that leads east over to Watrous Gulch. Within the first mile of steeper switchbacking, the trail begins to emerge out of the forest and into more open meadows where it begins to level off some and you begin to escape the traffic noise of I-70. The trail stays on the north side of the creek all the way to the lake. Soon, you will enjoy good views of your destination - Pettingell Peak. About 2/3 mile from Herman Lake, the trail begins to climb more steeply again through the last trees and leads to Herman Lake. This trail is a very popular Front Range day hike so expect to see large numbers of people on the trail and at the lake.
Note: The trail to Herman Lake can also serve as an alternate approach to The Citadel (UN13,294), Hagar Mountain and Hassell Peak (UN13,215).
There is no camping available at the trail head unless you want to try and spend the night in your vehicle with I-70 traffic roaring by. Best camping possibility close by is back at the Bakerville Exit. The other possibility is to backpack into the area around Herman Lake where you may be able to find some good camp spots on the tundra near the lake. Please respect Forest Service rules regarding how close to the lake you may camp.