On our day trip to RMNP we were able to get entry time to the Bear Lake road the day before. Came mid 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. read more

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I enjoyed hiking the nature trail here at Bear Lake. Because this is such a popular area of Rocky Mountain National Park, it requires a timed entry reservation with Bear Lake Road access to get in. To reach Bear Lake, must enter through the Beaver Meadows entrance station to get into the park. Rocky Mountain National Park requires a timed entry reservation to enter the park during certain hours. After entering, you then have to show your "Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road" reservation at another entrance station at the beginning of Bear Lake Road. The road to Bear Lake is around ten miles. Just keep in mind that the parking lot will probably be full upon arrive. They do have a free shuttle that will take you to the beginning of the trailheads if you are not able to find parking. I got lucky and was able to pull into a parking spot when a car was leaving. I did three hikes during my full day here at Bear Lake. I started off with the nature loop that goes around Bear Lake. Then I did the hike to Alberta Falls followed by the hike to Emerald Lake. All of these trails start at the same place. There is a ranger station at the beginning of the trail that has a park ranger on hand to answer questions and to hand out maps. Bear Lake is so beautiful. The walk around the lake is easy and scenic. The Bear Lake loop trail offers spectacular views of Hallett Peak and the surrounding mountain peaks. Bear lake was formed during the ice age by a big chunk of ice. Keep an eye out for wildlife and other little critters that hang around the lake. I was able to do some bird watching while on my hike. A Steller's Jay followed me around the whole time that I was on the trail and provided some fun entertainment. I also enjoyed photographing the colorful wildflowers along the trail. read more

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Bear Lake is a popular destination within Rocky Mountain National Park. Many trails start and end with Bear Lake, ones that are both easy and more challenging. It is stunningly beautiful. We did not set out to do this trail. We took the Mills Lake via Glacier Gorge Trail (a little over 5 mile hike) and saw a sign that Bear was an additional 0.6 miles out to it and back to the trail we took so we added this to our hike. Bear Lake sits at 9,450 feet in elevation so make sure to give your body time to acclimate to the high altitude before doing any strenuous hikes if you are new to hiking in high elevation. It's a gorgeous lake with benches around to sit down and soak in the views and is a peaceful place to visit. read more

Bear Lake - Hiking Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

Bear Lake is a popular destination when visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. Parking at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead, you won't be able to see the river from the parking lot. Walk just a bit into the trail, and Bear Lake will suddenly come into view. You can either grab a bench and enjoy it's beauty or do the 0.7 mile hike around the lake. We visited Bear Lake after hiking up to Emerald Lake. And while Bear Lake is pretty, it paled in comparison to Emerald Lake. Probably should've done the short walk to Bear Lake before Emerald Lake, but we wanted to get hiking before it got too hot. As a stand-alone lake, Bear Lake is wonderful. If it's the only one you're going to visit, it's a great choice. Perfect for kids. But comparatively, there are better lakes to visit on this trail albeit with much longer hikes. Bear Lake is on Bear Lake Road (makes sense, right?) and does require a separate reservation from the national park reservation to gain access. Has it's own parking lot, but the Glacier Gorge Trailhead is the gateway to many different hikes. As a result, it does get full easily. They do offer a park and ride a few miles away, and a shuttle will bring you in once the lot fills up. Regardless, Bear Lake is worth a visit. If you get tickets to Bear Lake Road, it's worth a quick stop. read more

To enter Bear Lake Road, you need special permits. The time entree permits start at 5 am to 6 pm. Please go to Recreation.gov website to apply. Bear Lake is the drive-able park and walk. The bear lake loop trail start at 250 feet from parking lot. The trail rather easy and enjoyable. Great for winter. The trail is about half mile. With 20 ft elevation gain. Very leisure trail to walk on. At least is not climbing. The bear lake also has the entrance to Emerald Lake trail. Lake Haiyaha trail, Andrew glacier, the loch, and more. This is very popular area and time limit is on it. read more

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Fuzzy Ducks!! Beautiful walk up to a nice place to rest and take in the views. If you want to see wildlife definitely come in the evening! We saw 3 huge elk bucks, 2 foxes, and lots of cute ship minks and ducks! read more

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If you can get to the parking lot, all else will be good. Large well groomed walkway suitable for the wheel chairs without the assist. After parking your car or getting off the shuttle, just a short and easy 50 meter walk over the flat bridge past the welcome center will leads you to the edge of the Bear lake. Most people will take the route to the right and stroll as long as they can which will encircle the lake. There is a marker that tells you how far you have walked but I still don't know how long the loop is and what those markers represent. Google says 0.8 miles and I wonder if the #1 is marked as 0.1 and ... such? I will have to find out next time. Anyhow, if you were to take the right trail, you will soon be rewarded with the beautiful view of the lake with the square top mountain to the back ground. read more

Bear Lake - Fall 2023 - Hiking Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

Amazing and beautiful. Easy loop hike. Parking fills up fast! Simply stunning views. read more

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Great spot to hike out to when the lake is frozen. Gorgeous views and stunning setting. Gets crowded on the weekends....even when it is butt freaking cold. read more

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Super beautiful lake. One of the highlights of Rocky Mountain National Park. Super quick to see as well. You'll be in and out fast if you're in a hurry but can also stay for a while and check out the other trail heads. read more

Bear Lake is one of the staples of Rocky Mountain National Park. It marks the end of Bear Lake Road. There are plenty of hikes around Bear Lake - Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, Emerald Lake - so people have a choice based on how high up you want to go. Nymph Lake is a 0.5 mile hike up one way, but keep in mind that it's an uphill hike, so it's not your standard hike. I believe Dream Lake is another 0.6 miles and Emerald is another 1.5 miles up. We got a bit tired after Nymph Lake and just came back down. You're effectively viewing alpine lakes, so it's a matter of personal choice. Keep in mind that the parking lot gets packed fast, so either get there early or take the shuttle from the park and ride. However, there's always cars leaving and going so don't give up on trying to find parking in bear lake itself. read more

A total beauty! There are tons of lakes located within Rocky Mountain National Park. However, Bear Lake is by far one of the most (if not THE most) popular lake within the park. This makes total sense as it's not only stunning to look at, but it's also one of the most accessible lakes to get to. Bear Lake is just a short walk from the Bear Lake Staging area parking lot. Many hiking trails begin and end at Bear Lake, but Bear Lake also has an easy walking trail of its' own. The trail that circles Bear Lake is only about 0.6 miles long and features a flat path that's also handicap accessible. The trail passes through lush groves and features picturesque viewpoints of the beautiful lake with the Rocky Mountains as its' backdrop. This is also an interpretive nature trail, so you can follow the placards and stop and read about the history of the lake and its' features. There are several rest benches and picnicking areas scattered throughout the trail. Since this is one of the most popular lakes, you should expect the trail to be busier than others (especially during peak season). However, most sections of the path are pretty wide which makes it easy to spread out and social distance. The Bear Lake Staging area fills up quickly, so I'd advise getting there super early to park right inside of the staging area, or parking in the park and taking the shuttle there. The lines for the shuttles can be painfully long during the summer and fall since that's when it's most crowded. Either way, Bear Lake is a must visit during your trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. read more

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Beautiful simple walk around Bear Lake. If you are lucky you might see elk, deer or chipmunks. The lake was named for the numerous grizzlies and black bears that lived near Bear Lake in the early 1900s. Today, the grizzlies are extinct in the Rockies and less than 30 black bears live in the park. Parking is limited. If you can't find a parking spot, the shuttle runs throughout the day and stops at Bear Lake. Bring your park passport to get the special Bear Lake stamp at the ranger station. Beautiful iconic stop in Rocky Mountain National Park. read more

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This is a great area to start a hike! The parking lot is smaller than the number of people who like to hike from here, so there's a shuttle bus from a few miles down the road. The lake itself is just a couple hundred feet from the parking lot. We didn't stay long, just got a peek of it after finishing our hike. You can walk around the lake if you want. Our view was obstructed by the fog that came with the September snow fall when we were there. It was very pretty with the snow though. Check out the popular Emerald Lake trail and the less popular Lake Haiyaha trail that leave from here! read more

Bear Lake - Hiking Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

The premier lake hike in RMNP - everyone has to see Bear Lake! With this in mind, you can bet this area gets very busy so to visit you often need to take a shuttle bus; lucky visitors get to park in the lot near the trailhead! The Bear Lake trail is considered ADA accessible but there are certainly some challenging, steep areas of the trail. Nevertheless, the walk around the lake is absolutely beautiful and cannot be beat, especially in the Fall when the Aspen turn a golden yellow. read more

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When we came to this Bear Lake today, it was completely frozen over and we pretty much could walk on it thru the middle and not fall in. The snow and ice was piled on thick so you can run across the lake if you wanted to. So cool to walk on a lake without falling in. Large parking area and definitely need to bundle up. Restrooms available and there's even a tiny ranger station on site to answer your questions. Fun times! We hiked around the edge of the lake for some expansive views! Did not bother hiking to Emerald Lake from Bear Lake since we did not have the spikes under our shoes and would likely fall. read more

It is absolutely magical in the winter! Be sure to have a four wheel drive vehicle, as the drive up will be very difficult without it. It is so worth it! Walking out in the frozen lake in winter, it seems as if you are inside a living snow globe! read more

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Really beautiful scenery and a short simple trail around the lake that branch off to other trails in the area. This is probably the most popular location at Rocky Mountain National Park, so the trail head fills up on weekends and gets crowded quickly. read more

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Time to drive and park: from the rmnp entrance, it takes 20-30 minutes to drive directly to bear lake. Arrived at 12:30 pm on weekday, and took 30 minutes to get parking in the one way in and one way out parking lot. For our case, there were parking spaces available in the 3rd and 4th row, but the people ahead of us didnt believe the cars leaving and telling us there were 5 spaces available in those rows as only the availability of the 1st and 2nd rows are visible from the parking entrance. Time to hike: there was still snow on the ground on May 26 due to an unexpected snowstorm the weekend before, but it was a relatively short and pleasant 10 minute hike to view the lake ( we didn't go on the trail around the lake). Worth the vacation time: for us, yes, as it connected with nymph lake trail and worth the short detour. It is one of the most popular destinations in rmnp and connects with many other popular trails such as alberta falls. Can you stargaze here: Yes!!! Rmnp does not close and it was free at 10 pm. The parking lot is a wide open lot so we didnt feel too close to the scary darkness of the mountains and trees and had clear unobstructed views of the starry night sky. read more

Bear Lake is one of the amazing spots at Rocky Mountain National Park. This is probably one of the easier trails. It is a short walk to Bear Lake. And it's a short walk to walk around the lake. I came here during autumn. It was beautiful because all the leaves started to turn color. And of course, you can see the majestic Hallett Peak surrounding the lake. The loop is only .8 miles. So almost anyone can do it. They recommend going around it counter clockwise. We went clockwise because we were rebels. I don't think we missed anything doing it backwards. You still get to see everything. So do whatever you want. The trail isn't steep or have any difficult sections. I suggest everyone who visit come and check this place out. There is little difficulty and the payoff is worth it. read more

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Short and easy hike (0.7 miles) but still gorgeous. Wheelchair accessible in some areas. Due to the flat ground and short distance, it is excellent for families and the elderly. There are ample bathrooms at the Bear Lake Trailhead, as well as a ranger station. Get there early. It's a popular park. I read tips saying to get there by 7am so I got up at 430am (in Denver) and made my way. I got there at about 650am on a Wednesday and there were plenty of parking spots. The Bear Lake Trailhead does have a very large parking area but it fills up eventually. I did notice while driving that the much smaller Glacier Gorge trailhead parking area was full. Now, you can also have some luck finding a parking spot if you get there in the early afternoon (when people are finishing up their morning hikes). You can also take the shuttle (I am not really sure about the details, I just know that's an option so you can research that separately). One amazing perk of getting there early is seeing the wildlife (drive carefully). At 630am the road was fairly empty and I stopped to let a deer and her two beautiful fawns pass. A half mile further down the road, I encountered a small traffic jam. A mama moose and her three babies were congregating on the road!! It was incredible. I was so stoked, lol. If you are interested in other trails accessible from the Bear Lake Trailhead, check out my review for the Rocky Mountain National Park: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rocky-mountain-national-park-estes-park-5?hrid=EYO_8Gc-d9B02y0lFN_5KA&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct) read more

Gorgeous lake with unbeatable views! Plus a trail that is accessible to everyone and close to parking. The only catch is finding parking... read more

Bear Lake - Bear Lake sunset - Hiking Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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Bear Lake is a very easy hike and really pretty around the lake with mountains. Very easy walking I believe it's less than a mile around. Several places to stop and set and enjoy the scenery or relax. No stairs or big elevation changes it's all pretty flat. The tough part is finding parking.. its often so full they are stopping people at so rangers booth and turning them away. That means you cant even park down the road where they bus shuttle you to the stops. Dont despare .. just come back later in the day. Some people are there by 5 am ... we got there between 9-10 and apparently that is not a lucky time of day. But both days we went back later in the day around 2 and we could get in ... one time we risked going all the way to the Bear Lake parking and we lucked out and could park there. The first day that we returned back we didn't risk it and just parked in the Overflow parking and Road the shuttle but there were spots open so we could have driven it. Once you get there it's a pretty nice easy loop around the lake there's mountains in the backgrounds reflecting in the lake. That's assuming the lighting is conducive for reflection. Lots of a very cute the Chipmunks giving you a show they're obviously used to being fed. Someone said that they even got in their pocket while they were sitting on a bench and took their snack. Speaking of benches there are several rocks and benches that you can set relax either catch your breath or just experience the scenery. This was a nice walk there wasn't any uphill or stairs very easy. There's a trail leading from here to go to other Lakes if you are up to it those trails are all uphill. I believe there nymph, dream + Emerald. So bear is super easy but the other ones are just under a mile for each of them and it's all uphill to get there. We made it to a couple of the other Lakes Nymph and dream. By that time we were really really tired and over it so never going to see Emerald evidently. The shuttle that takes you back and forth was a good way to get there I think they keep going back and forth like every 10-15 minutes so the wait wasn't long and make a couple of stops but it wasn't a big deal. read more

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I've done many hikes in Colorado and this is one of my absolute favorites, it's picturesque at every turn. It is very family friendly as well. You don't want to miss this one! Pro tip: one of the middle markers is the view they used on the Colorado quarter! read more

I first did a hike in this area about 20 years ago. It was great. We recently returned and found that crowding now requires a change in strategy. Admittedly, when we visited there was road construction on the road from Hwy 36 to Bear Lake. That limited the parking in the park-and-ride lot, which caused some of the issues. Here is what we were told and what we observed. Rangers told us that the Bear Lake parking lot fills up by ~ 6:45 a.m. The park-and-ride lot fills up by 7:30 a.m. After that, your option is to ride a shuttle from the Estes Park Visitors Center (about 45 - 60 minutes to the park-and-ride lot) and get the 2nd shuttle there. Also, there is no food-vending at Bear Lake, so you'd need to bring your own food or visit outside of general meal-times. I was disappointed to learn of the above restrictions. I had thought that we'd wind up skipping this area on our trip. However, on our last day, we opted (after a very late lunch) to try our luck driving into the area after 5 p.m. En route, we passed at least two large lighted highway signs that said that "Bear Lake Lot Full". We arrived around 5:45 p.m. and found that the lot was actually ~ 75% full. Now, the sample set size of my visit is '1'. But here is my reasoning: if the lot fills up at 6:45 a.m., almost no one that arrives then is likely still hiking at 5 p.m. There is *some* turnover during the day. The highway signs deter most, but not all, additional visitors, so some new arrivals take the spots of those who arrived early and finished hiking. So at some point after 6:45 a.m., parking spots begin to open up. What time is that? I do not know, but it appears to be earlier than 6 p.m. If your party is flexible, go at 6:15 a.m. and do your hiking early. If you are not flexible, have a late lunch and try your luck at 4 p.m. As to the hike itself, the loop trail around Bear Lake is an easy 0.5 miles. There were great vistas / lighting around dusk. The temps cool down too! From prior experience, you can also do a 3-lake hike of around 3.5 miles round trip. Don't start this too late or you'll have to hike back in darkness, though. Lighting is better in the morning. Note that I am in NO WAY faulting the ranger-staff for any of this. The staff I talked with were quite helpful. I understand why they set up the 'lot full' signs early and leave them alone. If they changed it to 'lot mostly full' and someone drove in and could not park, they would likely raise hell. But the truth is, the signs truthiness has a limited shelf life during the day. You need to decide when that expires... I really enjoyed our hike despite the difficulties and would like to repeat the 3-lake hike at some point in the future. read more

This is one of our favorite places to come all year around. Easy to get to, great for the entire family, including the ones that have trouble getting around. Easy walk from the parking lot. Literally looks amazing and different every time we come here. Either the sun, clouds or something makes the sky around this place look so awesome. Sometimes snow makes the trail difficult and a little dangerous for the ones that can't get around well. Truly a great place and tons of trails off of this main area. Alberta Falls, Mills, Dream and Emerald are so incredible. Parking can be a challenge during the heavy season, but the free shuttle can be used from one of the parking lots below. Summer season just plan on getting here early or come after 4 read more

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Very easy walk from the parking lot. Came here late October and even though it was snowy, the sun was out so I was easy to still get around. The lake itself is very pretty. Lots of places to sit down and soak in the view. The wind definitely picked up though and I was in no condition to do the lake loop as I did not wear proper shoes. Would love to come back during summer read more

a. This area is happening. We had to catch a shuttle there which was fine (though catching it back to the park & ride took some time). There were LOTS of people constantly passing by the ranger booth and utilizing the facilities. b. While there were a lot of people, the trail never felt too crowded. It was only nuts by the entrance area and by the sign that had all the different trailheads marked. c. Bear Lake is really pretty. Pretty colors, clean air, pretty views. And it's relatively easy and flat. No really wheelchair/stroller accessible, but not too challenging. d. We did the Bear Lake Loop and then moved on to the Alberta Falls hike (which wasn't too hard either). We then caught the Glacier Gorge shuttle back to the park & ride. If you are doing Bear Lake & Alberta Falls together, if you want to minimize uphill walking, this way is the way to go (shuttle to Bear, Bear Lake, Falls, & Glacier Gorge shuttle). e. Really pretty hike. A must do if you are going to Bear Lake Road. To note, you will need to get reservations to go (unless you go really early). We logged in the moment reservations were available and had no issue getting a pass. Not sure how challenging it is to get otherwise. read more

I have visited Bear Lake once in December and again in July. Both times it was amazing in different ways. If you are in reasonable physical health, I would recommend doing the loop around Bear Lake as a warm-up and then trying out the longer trails to the other 3 lakes (Nymph, Emerald, and Haiyaha). Bear Lake loop is a relatively short walk and is a good option even if you aren't in the best shape because there's really no incline and the path is clearly marked. The photo ops at this lake are amazing - especially in the summertime when the sun glistens off the pristine water and you can't see anything but trees for miles around. The trailhead is literally about 100 ft from the parking lot so there's really no excuse not to go. P.S. If the Bear Lake parking lot is full, you can park at the Park & Ride lot a little ways down and take a shuttle up. When we went, even the Park & Ride lot was full, so we ended up parking at the Beaver Meadow Visitor Center and riding the bus up. When we did this, we didn't have to pay the $20 fee to enter the park. read more

Bear Lake - Hiking Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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Lots of chipmunks everywhere on the trail. I remember seeing them everywhere when I visited 24 years ago and on this most recent visit as well. This lake is right next to the Bear Lake parking and circling the lake is an easy hike. Parking can be crowded at times. Be sure to stop by the visitor center and see if you'll need to use the park and ride lot and catch a bus. I think you can also catch a bus from Estes Park if the Park and Ride fills. read more

Park at the visitor center and take the tram to Bear Lake, it will be very difficult to find parking in the actual lot unless you are the first ones in the park. I recommend finishing the loop, working your way up to Alberta Falls, then down and out through Glacier Gorge to catch that shuttle back. The loop is very easy to walk with many breathtaking stops. read more

Bear Lake - Beautiful day! - Hiking Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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Bear Lake is a beautiful little lake within the Rockies with lots of great hiking trails around it. It's off Highway 36 in the National Park. The hiking loop around Bear Lake is less than a mile, with lots of lookout points and beautiful landmarks everywhere (including the image that is on the Colorado state quarter!). It's pretty flat the majority of the way throughout the lake, with just a few hills here and there. However, you can certainly extend your hike or increase the difficulty of it by taking any of the other trailheads (i.e. Nymph Lake) that are around the area. I went just this November, and there was already packed snow and ice forming on the lake. It was gorgeous and imagine in the spring/summer it will also be lovely! read more

Bear Lake - Longs Peak at Bear Lake -- the image on the Colorado state quarter! - Hiking Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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Beautiful and a must but get there either very early or very late because it gets crowded. We definitely advise going up to the other lakes. It is a moderate hike but also a must! read more

If winter is coming, buckle up and pack your snow boots, ear muffs, snow pants and layer up because it's a cold one! Pictures won't do it justice! But don't plan on seeing nearby mountains when it snows, strong winds make it hard to see and hike through but go slow and soak it in, it's a beautiful winter wonderland. read more

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My only regret is not having been able to see Bear Lake during the day. Our day was jampacked, so we ended the night at Bear Lake with the most spectacular view of the night sky. I have never seen so many stars before, and we were even able to clearly see the Milky Way. Fair warning, there is absolutely ZERO light out there-we were using our phone lights to get around-but definitely worth it all. read more

Chose Bear Lake to have professional photos taken without having visited before, and it was such a great choice. It is not a far walk from the parking lot to the lake and the loop is a short walk with so many spots to walk up by the water and on top of rocks. The views from every side of the lake were so beautiful! read more

Bear Lake - Hiking Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

Bear Lake is an outstanding nature location to see in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Went hiking there in late October and it was wonderful. Wonderful for the beauty of the place yes, but I had an exceptional day to do it. It happened to be snowing and cold which added an awesome ambiance to the already beautiful lake and trail which circumnavigates 360 around the lake. This is a place of natural wonder to be seen. Definitely do yourself a big favor and visit it you are anywhere near the area. read more

Was frozen over, trail was really icy and dangerous, wasn't worth it tbh. Had barely any parking space so we had to wait for awhile to get up and there, and once we did, it was a bit underwhelming, maybe It was just because of the winter read more

Bring a windbreaker and gloves in winter. And snowshoes or skis if you have them. The trail is very nice, there are a few options from Bear Lake Road- you can go to Sprague Lake, Mill Creek, Alberta Falls, or Bear Lake. They are all relatively closeby to one another. Ended up here because I came too late to find any parking further up but still a great time! read more

Bear Lake - Bear Lake: 1 Feb 2013 - Hiking Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

So pretty! We visited around 2 pm and got a parking spot right away. Short walk around the lake is flat (easy) and scenic - lots of great places to be take photos of your loved ones. read more