Our goal was to hike to Emerald Lake, and let me tell you... It was 100% worth it. On this 3.6 mile…read moreroundtrip hike, you'll also encounter Nymph Lake and Dream Lake. While they're both beautiful in their own right, neither one of them compare to the sheer beauty of Emerald Lake with the snowy mountains as a backdrop. As I said, it is a moderate hike. We started around 930am - would've been nicer to start earlier, but it still beat the full heat of the noon sun. There will be intermittent shade, but make sure you bring a hat, sunscreen, and plenty of water. We visited in mid June. Once we neared Dream Lake, we started encountering snow on the ground. I used hiking sandals, and I was able to do it in those - just be careful. That being said, with the amount of snow that was on the trail to Lake Haiyaha was completely un-doable in my shoes. Once you reach Emerald Lake, find a place to sit and just take it all in. I could've sat there all afternoon, just being at peace with nature. Absolutely gorgeous. To get to Emerald Lake, you'll need access to Bear Lake Road. Just be aware that Bear Lake Road requires a reservation SEPARATE from the reservation to the national park. There's a big lot at the trailhead, but it gets filled up. They do have a park & ride a few miles away with plenty of shuttles ready to bring you in. If you're able to make the hike, hiking to Emerald Lake is wonderful. The hike itself is gorgeous, and the final lake is beautiful. Plan it in your schedule, and you will not be disappointed.

After spending a part of my morning at Bear Lake, I decided to do this hike to Emerald Lake the…read moresecond part of the day. This hike starts at the beginning of the Bear Lake trailhead and is 1.8 miles one way (3.6 miles RT). I would say that it is a moderate hike that has some elevation climb to it. You will pass both Nymph Lake and Dream Lake along way. The views along the way are spectacular. Emerald Lake is nestled in between some mountains at an elevation of 10,111 feet. You can see Hallett Peak and the jagged spires of Flattop Mountain across this iconic alpine lake. In between the two mountains is the Tyndall Gorge. There were some small ripples in the water caused but a slight wind. Several people that hiked here jumped in and swam in the water. I ended up relaxing on a large rock and eating my lunch while enjoying the view. Emerald Lake starts at the beginning of the Bear Lake Trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park. To reach this trail, you must drive ten miles on Bear Lake Road after entering through the Beaver Meadows Entrance. There is a separate timed entry reservation that is required to access Bear Lake Road. If you are unable to find parking at the Bear Lake Trailhead, there is a free shuttle that you can ride to the trailhead.

This is one of the best easy trails in RMNP; off the beaten path, scenic, easy, with a great…read moredestination!! Access the trailhead at the very end of the road in Morraine Park. The trail is about 1.7 miles of easy sandy hiking along the headwaters of the Big Thompson river. Many folk hike in to fish here! There are aspen, big giant boulders (look up! They have fallen from 1000' up- scary!!), a babbling brooks, pine trees, and finally at the end, The Pool! We usually see an elk or deer along this path. The hike to the pool does not disappoint!!

Google it and you will find it. Our group arrived at 6 30 am on Saturday. The lower parking lot…read morewas full and ended up parking at the upper lot by the trash bin. As you enter thru the gate, there is a welcome kiosk and rest room to the right. No water or hand washing station. Detailed map will tell you all about the area. This is a starting point to many trails that go deep into the Indian Peaks Wilderness area. On our visit, we got to see mooses, very close to the end of the lake. You can do the loop around the lake. At the end of our visit, there were cars parked along the side of the road. Very popular area. Lots of canoes, paddle boards. No bike allowed!

The trail is quite popular, parking lot is not too small, but in a good day, still challenging to…read morefind one. The trail is basically flat, plus photo and water breaks, it took us almost 2 hours. I enjoyed the hiking, the lake is beautiful. The only regret is that we and all other hikers heard the moose moo but no one saw it. On return to the parking lot, I met father-son who carried backpacks ready for 5 day trip in the mountains, it seemed exact father-son thing to do, I only wish I could do the same thing with my son earlier.

We drove up from our place in Glendale where we were staying. Traffic was light so it took just…read moreover an hour. Our first stop was the Beaver meadows Visitor Center. The Rangers gave us a map and a wealth of information about what to see. The Park has a new system where you have to get a special visitor pass to enter the park before 2:00 pm. After that you can enter with a regular pass. It was shortly before 2:00 so we dove out to the entrance. We showed our Senior Pass and Driver ID and we were off. We had 4 hours to see everything we wanted to see. Since we saw most areas when were were here last time we wanted to go out to the Alpine Visitor Center and enjoy the 12,000 ft elevation. We were surprised to see very little snow on the mountains compared to our last visit. I heard someone say there was a very dry winter here with small amounts of snow. This is one of the most beautiful of all the National Parks we've visited and one of the oldest. It is a must visit if you are in the area.

Stunning. Superlative…read more Easy to navigate. Views are amazing at every turn. Definitely do not miss this National Park.

Make it a destination when in NoCo....the place is just a beautiful place, close to town, and…read morestands out as must not miss !! Great place for a short hike, or use their amenities to start your longer adventure.

Super easy hike with some decent views. I wanted more of a challenge, but still had a good time…read more There is a lot of traffic on these trails and a lot of kids were there...not an issue, but it was busier than a lot of the hikes I do. Parking is $10 though!

This is a gorgeous part of Rocky Mountain National Park and definitely worth visiting. I highly…read morerecommend booking well in advance (think 2 months) for timed entry. I was a few days into the month when the timed entry opened for the dates we were visiting and I got a 12pm entry as the morning times had already been booked. Closer to the date you won't find anything until a few spots open up the night before. When we visited we did the park and ride which took us past a couple trailheads before getting to Bear Lake. The lake itself is absolutely gorgeous. The walk nearby is flat and easy to do - a good option for anyone with accessibility issues. We spent some time here before hiking up to Nymph Lake which was also a beauty. There are a few more lakes you can continue hiking toward from Bear Lake to extend your visit. Our trip around Bear Lake, up to Nymph Lake and back took around 1 and a half hour with stopping a few times along the way to admire the natural beauty. I think you could easily spend half a day here doing some of the connecting hikes. We loved our visit here and would certainly come back!

On our day trip to RMNP we were able to get entry time to the Bear Lake road the day before. Came…read moremid day and park was busy. The Bear lake parking area showed that it was closed but we headed in anyway just to see the sights and wow what incredible views and what a magnificent park. The parking area was busy but there were spots as early visitors were slowly streaming out. You can take the shuttle which takes you to all the other trail areas and that seemed very convenient. Great facilites and this trailhead is a great spot for a bunch of different trails we did the Alberta falls hike and then at the end walk to the bear lake which is only like 300 ft from the parking area. There are only bending machines so there is no food so come prepared. We had a great time yes the bathrooms are stinky but that's a national park for you. Trail heads are well maintained and marked and this is such a beautiful part of the park and it's too bad we only have one day.

I just did the short trail from the trailhead to the lake. It took maybe 20 to 30 minutes with snow…read moreboots. When I visited in February 2026, some places were icy and slippery. It was still covered in snow. The lake was iced over. The glacier looked beautiful. We talked to a family whose young son hiked up the top and then snowboarded down by himself! We parked in the small lot just across the trailhead. It was $20 and you pay by scanning the QR code. There was one porta potty there. There were other lots that were charging $10 but farther from the trailhead.

Long on views and uniqueness short in hike!…read more This is a local favorite. A place that is easily accessed, has a year round snow field and is just plain fun. Lake front. Fishing. Glisading. Skiing. Boarding. Hiking. Views and blue sky are all in abundance at St Mary's Glacier. It's great fun to tromp through the snow in summer time. Watch crazy boarders sail down the small ice field living their best lives in shorts and tank tops. Adventure above the snow field and find above treeline terrain and majestic views and a hike to the top of James Peak. Parking is a bitch. Weekends are crowded and it's always busy but worth the time. Definitely a fun place to bring folks from out of town!

About a 900ft vertical gain on the way up to this beautiful alpine lake, but it's not a super long…read morehike. We stopped a lot, and got back within 3 hours. Most people were faster than we were! It's busy on weekends, but you will still have space to yourself. At the lake everyone has to take turns going out on the dock. You can bring a small picnic and hang out there, but there is no fishing, no boating, and the plants around the lake are fragile, so you have to use the walkway. Just before you get to the lake, there's a huge meadow that is probably a resting place for Elk in the fall. Going back is much easier, most of your vertical gain is done! Enter the area by the Arapaho Bay entrance to Lake Granby. Pass over the dam. You have to park on the side of the road. There is no trail sign. Recommend GPS. Beautiful views of Lake Granby as well.

This is a great trail in summer & winter. Minimum is 7 miles with 1800 ft elevation, slightly…read morelonger to explore around any of the lakes more than the shortest trail provides. It's easy to reach in all seasons: due to the train tunnel, the dirt road to the trailhead is kept well maintained and plowed. Definitely way way more crowded on summer weekends than in winter. Several little waterfalls and tons on wildflowers even in late August made it a rewarding trail along the way, not only payoffs at the lakes. The trail from the lower two lakes to the upper lake is much steeper, but worth the added effort. Just note that when you first reach what you think is the upper lake, it's actually the drainage (albeit also lovely, see my attached photo); you need to go just a bit further over the boulders & through some bushes to reach the final upper cirque.

James Peak Wilderness area is one of my favs close to Denver. That and Indian peaks wilderness…read more Crater lakes is a moderate hike to 5 fantastic lakes that you can hike, camp, backpack, fish at. Last time I was there I saw two amazing Moose...just gorgeous. Area gets insane on the weekends with tons of peoples and dogs. Last three times I have been there I have been in thunder and hails storms after 1 pm. So if you are planning to hike getting off the mountain before might be a good idea. You can also take the more strenuous Heart Lake trail which is also fantastic and if you really want to kick your ass go up to Rogers pass for beautiful vistas. Great parking.