Some of the most popular hikes at Rocky Mountain National Park are in the Bear Lake area including Emerald Lake and Bear Lake Trails.
We spent a week exploring Rocky Mountain National Park from Estes Park, Colorado this summer. It was an amazing week filled with beautiful hikes, gorgeous mountain views, cool weather, and relaxing moments sitting by the creek.
We stayed at Silver Moon Inn located on Falls River and within walking distance to the downtown area with shops and restaurants.
Currently, Rocky Mountain National Park is operating on a timed park pass system to control the number of guests entering the park throughout the day. You can find out how to make your timed park pass on their website.
The parking lot at the Bear Lake trailheads fills up fast! We were in the park prior to 6 am and arrived at the parking lot around 6:15 am and got one of the last available parking spots. The Bear Lake area is home to some of the most popular hikes in the park including Bear Lake and the Emerald Lake Trail that leads to Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Emerald Lake.
If you are not able to find a parking spot along the Bear Lake Road Corridor trailheads, you can park at the park and ride parking lot and use the shuttle system.
Emerald Lake Trail
The Emerald Lake Trail is a moderate hike with some elevation gain including several sets of stairs. The hike is 1.8 miles out to Emerald Lake (the third lake on the trail) for a total of 3.6 miles round trip. This is a gorgeous hike and the lakes are just beautiful. We saw lots of wildlife along this trail including deer, elk, bunnies, chipmunks, ground squirrels, and birds.
Bear Lake Trail
Bear Lake Trail is a .8 mile nature trail around the subalpine lake with views of Hallett Peak and Half Mountain. It is a mostly flat trail with very little elevation gain. It is a great hike for those with little kids or individuals that do not want to walk very far.
Tips
- Book a timed park pass.
- Arrive early!
- Bring enough water for everyone in your group.
- Dress in layers.
- Bring bug spray; there are lots of mosquitos.
- Pack snacks.
