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PARKS
Rocky Mountain
Trailheads and Trails
Over 370 miles of walking and hiking trails abound in Rocky Mountain National Park. Choices are hard for both novice and experienced hikers. You might want to take a look at GORP's favorite hikes for a lead. Other popular trails in the park include Bear Lake Nature Trail (.5 miles), Never Summer Ranch (1 mile), Lulu City (7.2 miles), Morraine Park Nature Trail (.25 miles), Sprague Lake Nature Trail (.5 miles), and Tundra Nature Trail (.5 miles).
Several trails have backcountry camping spots, faciliting overnight or multi-day backpacking trips. Some easy trips, especially suitable for families with young children, include Moore Park, which passes by the ruins of Eugenia Mine, the gentle Tonahutu Creek Trail, and Mummy Basin's Ypsilon Creek. Wild Basin has several backcountry camp sites withing 3 miles from the trailhead in the wildest section of the park. For the slightly more ambitious, recommendations include Mirror Lake, Bouldersfield/Storm Pass Loop, Thunder Lake and Never Summer Loop. For the in-shape backpacker, both the Lakes Nokoni and Nanita, and North Inlet/Tonahutu Loop excursions fit the bill. Both these trails originate at the North Inlet trailhead.
Don't confine your imagination to spring, summer and fall— winter hiking in Rocky Mountain is also sublime.
Here's a list of trailheads and trails in Rocky Mountain National Park to get your research rolling. . .
Trailhead
(starting
elevation) | Destination
| Distance
(mi,
one-way)
| Elev.
Gain
(feet)
| Diffi-
culty
Level
| Trail
Notes
|
Bear Lake
9,475 feet | Around Lake | 0.6 | 20 | Easy | Scenic, self guiding nature trail |
| Nymph Lake | 0.5 | 225 | Easy | Views of Flattop Mt. 1pma1 Hallett Peak |
| Dream Lake | 1.1 | 425 | Moderate | Beautiful lake, great family hike |
| Emerald Lake | 1.8 | 605 | Moderate | Photographic stop flanked by the rugged spires of Hallet
1pma1 Flattop. |
| Lake Haiyaha | 2.1 | 745 | Moderate | Superb views of Nymph 1pma1 Bear Lakes and Longs Peak.
Spectacular lake frames by Hallet Peak. |
| Flattop Mountain | 4.4 | 2,849 | Strenuous | Panoramic Views |
| Odessa Lake | 4.1 | 1,205 | Moderate | Less crowded trail leads to another beautiful lake,
passing from forest to open tundra. |
| Fern Lake Trailhead | 8.5 | 1,205 | Moderate | Scenic waterfall, beautiful river with interesting pools.
One of the more popular hikes in the park |
Bierstadt Lake
8,850 ft | Bierstadt Lake | 1.4 | 566 | Moderate | Trail passes throuh a beautiful stand of aspen and ends at
a pleasant lake |
Chapin Lake
10,640 ft | Ypsilon Mountain | 3.5 | 2,074 | Strenuous | 3 mountain peaks offering wonderful views. Most of the
trail in above timberline. |
Colorado River*
9,010 ft | Luly City Site | 3.7 | 350 | Moderate | Route to Lulu city offering great river scenery |
Corral Creek
10,076 ft | Cow Creek
Mirror Lake | 8.4
0.7 mile detour | 1,364
| Moderate | Classic tarn flanked by imposing peaks. |
Crater
11,480 ft | The Crater | 1 | 730 | Moderate | Steep hike to a great view |
Cub Lake
8,080 ft | Cub Lake | 2.3 | 540 | Moderate | Hike by interesting rock formations, meadows and forests
leading to a nice lake |
Deer Ridge Junction
8,930 ft | Deer Mountain | 3.0 | 1,083 | Strenuous | Great views of Longs, Estes and Ypsilion Mountains |
East Inlet*
8,391 ft | Adams Fall | 0.3 | 79 | Easy | Easy hike to a pretty falls |
Finch Lake
8,470 ft | Finch Lake | 4.5 | 1,442 | Moderate | Nice hike to a pleasant lake |
Gem Lake
7,740 ft | Gem Lake | 2.0 | 1,090 | Moderate | Lake is set amidst a beautiful natural amphitheater |
Glacier Gorge Junction
9,240 ft | Alberta Falls | 0.6 | 160 | Easy | Great views along the trail to what some call the
prettiest falls in the park |
| Mills Lake | 2.5 | 700 | Moderate | Great hike to a beautilful lake framed by spectacular
peaks. |
| Black Lake | 4.7 | 1,390 | Strenuous | A jewel in mystic Glacier Gorge. |
| The Loch | 2.7 | 940 | Moderate | Scenic hike leading to a popular destination in the park |
| Timberline Falls | 4.0 | 1,210 | Strenuous | Great views of the Locn and a pretty falls. |
| Sky Pond | 4.6 | 1,660 | Strenuous | Magnificant lake sitting below the Taylor and Powell Peaks |
| Andrews Glacier | 5.0 | 2,460
| Strenuous | |
Green Mountain*
8,800 ft | Big Meadows | 1.8 | 606 | Moderate | |
Lawn Lake
8,540 ft | Ypsilon Lake | 4.5 | 2,180 | Strenuous | Interesting hike leading to a picturesque lake flank by an
imposing mountain. |
Lily Mountain
8,780 ft | Lily Mountain | 1.5 | 1,006 | Moderate | Good view of Twin Sisters, Longs Peak, Meadow 1pma1 St.
Vrain Mts. |
Longs Peak Ranger Station
9,300 ft | Estes Cone | 6.6 | 1,606 | Moderate | Panoramic views of Twin Sister, Mount Meeker 1pma1 Long's
Peak |
| Eugenia Mine | 1.4 | 508 | Moderate | Hike to the remains of a miner's cabin and mining
machinery |
| Chasm Lake | 4.2 | 2,390 | Strenuous | Lake set amidst unbelievable scenery. |
| Longs Peak | 8.0 | 4,855 | Strenuous | Difficult hike leading to the top of this 14,225 foot
peak. Start VERY early!! |
North Inlet*
8,540 ft | Cascade Falls | 3.5 | 300 | Moderate | Popular hike to a pretty falls |
| Lake Nokoni | 9.9 | 2,240 | Strenuous | |
| Lake Nanita | 11.0 | 2,240 | Strenuous | Photogenic lake set amidst the spires of Ptarmigan
Mountain. |
Onahu Creek
8,850 ft | Onahu Creek | 6.5 | 820 | Easy | |
Sandbeach Lake
8,312 ft | Sandbeach Lake | 4.2 | 1,971 | Strenuous | |
Sprague Lake
8,710 ft | Around Lake | .5 | 20 | Easy | Pleasant family hike with great views. |
Timber Lake*
9,000 ft | Timber Lake | 4.8 | 2,060 | Strenuous | Hike trhough dense forest to a beautiful mountain LAKE |
Tundra/Rock Cut
12,110 ft | Toll Memorial | .5 | 260 | Moderate | |
Twin Owls
7,920 ft | Gem Lake | 1.8 | 910 | Moderate | Lake is set amidst a beautiful natural amphitheater |
Twin Sisters
9,090 ft | Twin Sisters Peak | 3.7 | 2,338 | Strenuous | Great views of Longs Peak |
Ute Trail
11,800 ft | Upper Beaver Meadows | 6.1 | -3,000 | Moderate | On top of the world! Downhill hike with great views. |
Wild Basin Ranger Station
8,500 ft | Copeland Falls | 0.3 | 15 | Easy | |
| Calypso Cascades | 1.8 | 700 | Moderate | |
| Ouzel Falls | 2.7 | 950 | Moderate | |
| Bluebird Lake | 6.0 | 2,478 | Strenuous | |
| Thunder Lake | 6.8 | 2,074 | Strenuous | |
| Lion Lake No. | 7.0 | 2,565 | Strenuous | |
| Lion Lake No 2 | 7.5 | 2,900 | Strenuous | |
| Snowbank Lake | 8.0 | 3,021 | Strenuous | |
*Trails on the west side of the park.
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 GORP Parks and Preserves
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