Best Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park for Families
xv Best Hikes in Rocky Mount National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park is all-time seen from a hiking trail. Fortunately, there are hikes for all ages and ability levels. From short, easy strolls around lakes, to ridgeline trails with panoramic views, to challenging but epic climbs to the tallest mountain peaks, in that location truly is something here for everyone. Here are 15 of the best hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park.
This list starts with the easiest trails and progresses to the longer, more than challenging hikes. Each of these hikes is a day hike, so they can all be completed in one day. Annotation: All distances are round-trip.
While in Rocky Mountain National Park, please practice the seven principles of Go out No Trace: programme ahead, stay on the trails, pack out what you bring to the hiking trails, properly dispose of waste, leave areas equally you lot establish them, minimize campfire impacts, be considerate of other hikers, and do not approach or feed wildlife.
1. Bear Lake
This is the shortest, nearly pop hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. Information technology's a apartment, beautiful easy walk in the park…literally.
The entire hike is less than a mile in length, making information technology not bad for all ages and ability levels. This trail is not paved (it'south a gravel trail for most of its length) just it is considered handicap accessible.
Non simply is this a scenic walk effectually a lake, but this also can exist a learning feel. For well-nigh $1, you can purchase the interpretive guide at the trailhead, which takes you through 30 marked spots along the trail that teaches you nearly the Bear Lake expanse.
Note: Many hikes offset at or near Acquit Lake: Emerald Lake, Lake Haiyaha, Sky Pond, Blackness Lake, Fern Lake, Flattop Mountain, and Hallett Superlative. If you have plans to hike one of these trails, adding on Behave Lake is quick, easy, and won't take upward much of your fourth dimension.
Behave Lake Hiking Stats
Altitude: 0.vi miles round-trip
Length of Time: thirty minutes
Difficulty: Piece of cake
Location: This hike starts at the Bear Lake Trailhead, located at the very stop of Bear Lake Road. There is a big parking lot hither just it can fill up by ix am, so get here early, not but to become a parking spot, but to also avoid the large crowds on the trail.
2. Alberta Falls
Alberta Falls is ane of the most pop waterfalls to visit in Rocky Mountain National Park. Like Bear Lake, it is an easy hike to get hither.
From the Glacier Gorge parking lot, is a mostly uphill walk to get to Alberta Falls, but it is not too strenuous. In one case at the waterfall, you lot tin explore the short trails along Glacier Creek to find your favorite view of the waterfall.
In the morning, this can exist a cute place to lookout the sunrise.
Alberta Falls Hiking Stats
Altitude: 1.7 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Length of Fourth dimension: 1 to 1.v hours
Location: Glacier Gorge parking lot on Deport Lake Route. To go a parking space here, plan on arriving no afterward than 6:30 am, but even earlier is better. If the parking lot is total, park in the big parking lot at the end of Comport Lake Route. From the Bear Lake Trailhead, follow signs to Alberta Falls. Parking in the lot at the end of Comport Lake Road adds roughly .iv miles to the hiking distance above.
3. Alpine Ridge Trail
At simply over a half of a mile, round trip, this hike sounds easy. And for Rocky Mountain National Park, it is. But fifty-fifty the well-nigh fit, acclimated hikers can feel winded and out-of-jiff on this curt hike.
Starting at the Alpine Visitor Center (the highest visitor center in the United States) you simply hike upwards a long staircase to a viewpoint.
Here's the thing: this hike starts just under 12,000 feet of elevation. This hike feels tough, a combination of the high summit with the long stair climb. If this is your first day at RMNP, and one of your first days in Colorado, be prepared to take a few breaks. If you are not acclimated to the college elevation, it's normal to get out of jiff very easily.
From the viewpoint, you are standing at 12,005 feet. The views beyond the park are incredible. When we did this, nosotros saw lots of elk, some of them males with enormous antlers.
This is an essential hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. So, climb those stairs, take hold of your breath if you lot need to, and savor the crawly view from the height. You'll be glad you did.
Looking dorsum at the Alpine Company Center and Trail Ridge Road.
Alpine Ridge Trail Hiking Stats
Distance: 0.6 miles
Difficulty: Like shooting fish in a barrel
Length of Fourth dimension: 30 minutes
Location: Alpine Company Center on Trail Ridge Route.
iv. Jewel Lake
This is 1 of the easier lake hikes in Rocky Mount National Park.
Jewel Lake is a brusque but strenuous hike in Rocky Mount National Park. Not only do you get to visit a pretty lake simply you lot too go sweeping views of Estes Park with Longs Top in the distance.
If you are looking for a short, family unit-friendly hike, and don't mind a bit of a stair climb at times, this is a expert hike to add to your to-do list.
Forth the trail, there are viewpoints over Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.
Gem Lake Hiking Stats
Altitude: 3.four miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Length of Time: ii to three hours
Location: Lumpy Ridge Trailhead. This trailhead is located simply north of Estes Park. To get hither, yous volition take Devils Gulch Route to Lumpy Ridge Road.
5. Ute Trail to Tombstone Ridge
If you are looking for a brusque, piece of cake hike with spectacular views of Rocky Mountain National Park, put this hike at the top of your list. This is our favorite short, easy hike in the park. For very petty effort, the views you lot become are unbelievable.
The Ute Trail to Tombstone Ridge is a wonderful, short, piece of cake hike to do in Rocky Mountain National Park. For the entire hike, you are walking along the alpine tundra, with unobstructed views of Longs Peak, Woods Canyon, and the Continental Carve up.
This is a bang-up hike to exercise with kids. You don't even accept to hike the entire iv miles. Simply plough around when you are fix, the spectacular views start as shortly as your feet hit the trail. This is a wonderful hike to add onto your drive along Trail Ridge Road, and from the trailhead, it is just a 15-minute drive to the Tall Company Center.
Tombstone Ridge Hiking Stats
Distance: 4 miles
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Length of Fourth dimension: 1.v to 3 hours
Location: Ute Trailhead on Trail Ridge Road, vii miles east of the Tall Visitor Heart
6. Nymph, Dream & Emerald Lakes
The Emerald Lake hike is one of the most pop hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. On this hike, you get to come across four very pretty alpine lakes (Bear Lake, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Emerald Lake), over a relatively short distance.
This is a great hike for almost all ages and ability levels. The Emerald Lake hike is a family friendly hike and information technology also makes a great intro to hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. With its short distance and manageable elevation gain, it is a smashing first hike in the park, every bit yous acclimate to the college height (if you haven't already spent some time in the Rocky Mountains).
Emerald Lake
Dream Lake
Of course, yous don't accept to hike all of the way to Emerald Lake. Nymph and Dream Lakes are beautiful, so you lot will have a wonderful hike if you choose to turn effectually at Dream Lake.
You also have the option to add together on a fifth lake, Lake Haiyaha, making this hike a full of 6.two miles.
Dream & Emerald Lake Hiking Stats
Distance: 3.half dozen miles
Difficulty: Piece of cake to moderate
Length of Time : 2 to iii hours
Location: Bear Lake Trailhead, at the end of Bear Lake Route
PRO TRAVEL TIP: For the hikes that start on Acquit Lake Route (Bear Lake, Alberta Falls, Mills & Blackness Lake, Sky Pond, Fern Lake, Hallett Superlative) consider either arriving very early on in the day (by seven am) or taking the free park shuttle.
seven. Deer Mountain
The hike upward Deer Mountain is one of the easier hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park that offers high mountain views.
To become to the peak, it'south an almost abiding uphill walk through an evergreen forest. You will get occasional glimpses of Longs Top early on during the hike, but for the almost office, yous will take to wait until yous accomplish the top for the all-time views.
From the summit of Deer Mountain, relish views over Moraine Valley and out to Longs Peak and the surrounding mountains.
This is a overnice hike but honestly non one of our favorites. Yes, the views from the acme are cute, just this hike is a flake irksome at times since it is a abiding uphill climb through a forest. Even so, if you desire to hike a lower-traffic trail that is simply a short drive from Estes Park, this is a nice one to consider.
This is a great hike for newbie hikers who want to summit a mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. It also makes a dainty acclimatization hike if you lot but arrived in Colorado and want to warm upwardly your legs and cardio system, before tackling hikes like Chasm Lake, Flattop Mountain, or Mt. Ida.
Deer Mountain Hiking Stats
Altitude: 6.2 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Length of Time: 3 to 4 hours
Location: The Deer Mount Trailhead is located on Trail Ridge Road, 3 miles west of the Beaver Meadows entrance. If yous are staying in Estes Park, it is a twenty-minute bulldoze to go here.
Honestly, this is non the about exciting hike on the listing. However, it'due south a cracking warm-up hike for those who want to do Hallett Summit or Longs Top and it'southward a great hike for those who are looking for a less crowded trail that offers great views of the expanse.
For most of this hike you lot are entirely within a pine woods, so the views are rather lackluster for much of the hike. But once at the top, the view is very nice.
From what we noticed, about of the people on this trail were either locals (this is a popular trail running route) or those who had already checked off a bunch of hikes in RMNP.
Twin Sisters Hiking Stats
Distance: 7.4 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Length of Fourth dimension: iv to 5 hours
Location: Eastern Rocky Mountain National Park, near Lily Lake
ix. Odessa Lake & Fern Lake
The hike to Odessa Lake and onward to Fern Lake is a relatively low-traffic trail in Rocky Mountain National Park. Its nearby neighbors of Conduct Lake, Emerald Lake, and Dream Lake get a lot more visitors, so if you are looking for a relatively uncrowded trail with the chance to visit multiple alpine lakes, this is a nice hike to consider.
Fern Lake
This is a very pretty hike, but there are several other lake hikes that we would recommend start, before putting this hike on your list. Sky Pond is awesome, Chasm Lake is also great only it'southward a footling more challenging, and Emerald and Dream Lakes are as well favorites of many park visitors.
In that location are three ways to hike to Fern Lake. You tin can either hike to Fern Lakes and Odessa Lake equally a indicate-to-point hike, starting at Bear Lake and ending at Moraine Park (or vice versa). You can also hike to Fern Lake out-and-dorsum from either Comport Lake or Moraine Park.
We hiked to Odessa Lake and Fern Lake as an out-and-dorsum hike from Bear Lake. Get all of the details on how to practice this hike in our mail service about Fern Lake.
Odessa & Fern Lakes Hiking Stats
Altitude: 7.five to x miles, depending on the route yous choose
Difficulty: Moderate
Length of Time: 4 to 7 hours
Location: Bear Lake Trailhead or Moraine Park
10. Mills Lake & Black Lake
Black Lake and Mills Lake are often labeled equally 2 of the prettiest lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park.
This hike starts at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. Starting time, you will pass lovely Alberta Falls. By the waterfall, follow the signs to Mills Lake. At roughly three miles into the hike, you volition reach Mills Lake. Those looking for a shorter, easier hike tin turn around at this betoken.
Mills Lake
Continue for two more miles until you achieve Black Lake. Along the way, you will hike through bogs and forests, past Ribbon Falls, and have a great view of Keyboard of the Winds. Black Lake looks similar to Chasm Lake, as both of these alpine lakes are surrounded by jagged mountain peaks.
Mills & Black Lakes Hiking Stats
Distance: 10 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Length of Time: 5 to 7 hours
Location: Glacier Gorge Trailhead on Deport Lake Road
eleven. Sky Swimming
Sky Pond is ane of the all-time hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park for good reason. This hike has a little bit of everything…waterfalls, alpine lakes, high mount views, and fun river and stream crossings.
To get to Sky Swimming, yous will rock scramble up a waterfall, which can be refreshing when the weather is warm and downright common cold in chilly weather condition.
But the whole reason to do this hike is for the view of Sky Pond, i of the most spectacular lakes in the park.
Glass Lake
Sky Pond
In that location is never a boring moment on this trail. The always irresolute views and trail conditions really keep this hike interesting. Yeah, it is on the long side and it can exist challenging, but you get a great pay-off at the end, with the jaw-dropping view of Heaven Swimming.
This was 1 of our favorite hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park and we highly recommend information technology.
Sky Pond Hiking Stats
Distance: 9.5 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Length of Fourth dimension: 4 to half dozen hours
Location: Glacier Gorge Trailhead on Bear Lake Road.
12. Chasm Lake
Chasm Lake is one of the all-time hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park.
For the first role of the hike, you will walk the same trail every bit the hikers on their fashion to Longs Superlative, the highest point in the hike. For the last mile of this hike, you lot are treated to scenic views of Longs Peak, Columbine Falls, Peacock Pond, and finally Chasm Lake.
If you lot have been hiking in Glacier National Park, this hike looks very like to the Grinnell Glacier hike. Views of Peacock Pond with the massive, rocky mountains that grade the backdrop, waterfalls, and the chance to run into wildlife, almost gave u.s. a sense of déjà vu, like we were back in Glacier National Park over again.
Chasm Lake Hiking Stats
Altitude: 9 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Length of Time: 4 to 6 hours
Location: Longs Peak Trailhead, which is located at the end of Longs Peak Road on the east side of RMNP.
13. Continental Separate Trail to Mt Ida
On the hike to Mt. Ida, you actually feel like you are walking on top of the earth. For much of the hike y'all are walking along the Continental Divide. During this time, you get to bask panoramic views of Rocky Mount National Park.
It gets even amend one time y'all attain the acme of Mt. Ida. From here, at an elevation of 12,899 feet, the entire park stretches out before y'all.
This hike is much unlike than many other hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. You spend very piddling time below the tree line, and so the views are incredible for most of the hike. Plus, this is a lesser known hike, so the trail gets a lower number of hikers than other hikes on this list.
Only this is a tough hike. It starts at x,800 feet and tops out at 12,899 on Mt. Ida, and so you volition really experience the altitude. Expect lots of air current and cold temperatures, even during the summertime months.
This is one of our favorite hikes in RMNP and we highly recommend information technology if yous desire unforgettable high alpine views.
Mt. Ida Hiking Stats
Distance: ix.8 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Length of Time: 4.5 to half dozen.5 hours
Location: Poudre Lake/Milner Pass on Trail Ridge Road, four.5 miles south of the Tall Visitor Center
xiv. Flattop Mount to Hallett Peak
This challenging hike starts at Bear Lake and speedily gains superlative once you are on the Flattop Mountain Trail. It doesn't take long until you get see astonishing views of Longs Tiptop and Keyboard of the Winds.
As you arise higher, the trees disappear, every bit you enter the subalpine region. Enjoy panoramic views of the park, as well equally spectacular views from the overlooks of Dream Lake and Emerald Lake. Across the Emerald Lake overlook you will reach the summit of Flattop Mountain.
To keep to Hallett Peak, follow the rocky, somewhat faint trail. This role of the hike is tough as you are hiking over very rugged terrain. The trail ends at the summit of Hallett Peak. You are now standing at 12,718 feet, with 360° views, which makes this 1 of the best hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Hallett Peak is a skilful warm-up hike for those who programme to tiptop Longs Meridian.
Hallett Height Hiking Stats
Distance: 10.iv miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Length of Time: 6 to 8 hours
Location: Bear Lake Trailhead
xv. Longs Pinnacle
At 14,259 anxiety, the but fourteener on this list, the expedition up Longs Peak is ane of the virtually epic hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park.
During the 15+ miles of hiking, you will ascend more than that v,000 feet. On the Keyhole Route, the hike ends with some serious stone scrambling and lots of exposure. Over 60 people have died attempting to summit Longs Peak.
This is a tough fourteener and many people who try information technology never make it to the summit, turning around early on because of storms or the difficult atmospheric condition.
If this sounds similar a hike y'all would like to exercise, it will take some planning and patience. Spend several days in the park, hiking the other trails, to acclimate yourself to the higher elevation. Then, pick the day with the clearest weather forecast, go a very early start (many hikers begin at 3 or 4 am), and keep your fingers crossed that afternoon thunderstorms don't come rumbling through the park.
Longs Peak Hiking Stats
Distance: 15 miles
Difficulty: Extremely difficult
Length of Time: 10 to 15 hours
Location: Longs Peak Trailhead is located at the finish of Longs Tiptop Route. To go here, take Highway 7 s from Estes Park.
Best Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park: On a Map
How to Use This Map: Click the icons on the map to get more data about each point of interest. Click the star next to the title of the map to add this map to your Google Maps account. To view information technology on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the card push button, become to "Your Places," click Maps, and you will see this map on your list.
Our Recommendations
Our favorite hikes are Heaven Pond (super fun hike to a beautiful tall lake), Mt. Ida (nosotros loved the panoramic views forth most of the trail, non to mention the jaw-dropping views from Mt. Ida), Chasm Lake (another gorgeous lake hike), and Tombstone Ridge (it'southward short, it's easy, the views are amazing, and most people can handle this hike).
The classic hike for kickoff-timers in Rocky Mountain National Park is a Bear Lake and Emerald Lake combo. Still, if you merely accept the fourth dimension for 1 hike, and the idea of a tough, 9-mile hike isn't a deal breaker, we recommend Sky Pond.
If yous have more than a few days in RMNP and need some "warm-up" hikes, skilful options are Emerald Lake, Deer Mount, and Twin Sisters.
If you desire a curt, like shooting fish in a barrel hike, we recommend Tombstone Ridge (this makes a dandy add-on to your breathtaking drive along Trail Ridge Road) or Nymph, Dream, and Emerald Lakes.
If you want to leave the crowds behind, Twin Sisters, Mt. Ida, and Tombstone Ridge are the best hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park for your list.
If yous have limited fourth dimension, I recommend driving Trail Ridge Road and hiking Tombstone on mean solar day one, Sky Pond on day two, so Chasm Lake or Hallet Peak or Mt. Ida on 24-hour interval 3.
For the ultimate hiking experience in Rocky Mountain National Park, put Long'south Peak on the superlative of your list.
Before you go, get updated trail conditions on the National Park Service website. If you plan to visit the park during the summer months, yous will too need to reserve your timed permit in advance.
More Information for Your Trip to RMNP
US NATIONAL PARKS: Complete Guide to the U.s. National Parks
Best OF RMNP: Top 10 Things to do in Rocky Mount National Park
ONE DAY IN RMNP: One Perfect Day in Rocky Mountain National Park
ITINERARY: Rocky Mountain NP Itinerary: Suggestions for 1 Day to 1 Week
Sky POND: Everything You Need to Know to Hike to Sky Pond
DREAM & EMERALD LAKES: How to Hike to Nymph, Dream & Emerald Lakes
Mount IDA: How to Hike the Continental Divide Trail to Mt Ida
CHASM LAKE: How to Hike to Chasm Lake
FERN LAKE: How to Hike Bear Lake to Odessa Lake and Fern Lake
ESTES PARK: Best of Estes Park: Things to Exercise, Where to Consume & Where to Stay
COLORADO ITINERARY: The Perfect Colorado Itinerary: National Parks & Scenic Drives
COLORADO NATIONAL PARKS: Colorado National Parks: Travel Guide & Itinerary
Source: https://www.earthtrekkers.com/best-hikes-in-rocky-mountain-national-park/
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