A great place to stop to see the scenery just after you pass the hairpin curve going up. the view…read moreis spectacular. There is also a place where you can climb up and get an even better view.

After a full day of driving on Old Falls River Road and Trail Ridge Road, this was a nice stop to…read moremake to look back and recap my day. I drove the full loop around this park and made several stops along the way. Here at Many Parks Curve, you get a full panoramic overview of Rocky Mountain National Park. It is a very beautiful view. I had some cloud coverage which always makes photos look better. They call it "Many Parks" because Moraine Park, Upper Beaver Meadows and Horseshoe Park are all visible at this viewpoint with Deer Mountain and Longs Peak in the background. I could even see parts of Estes Park. It is such a breathtaking view and one of my favorite viewpoints. I stood here for some time and took it all in. There is parking near the viewpoint and an overflow lot on the other side of the road. The viewpoint itself is located at a sharp turn on Trail Ridge Road. There is a long platform to walk on that has a guardrail. Keep an eye out for cars going around the curve as you cross the road.

You will feel like you are dreaming when you reach Dream Lake! After hiking around Bear Lake, and…read morepassing by the beautiful Nymph Lake, you're greeted by the cool waters of Dream Lake. Loads of people stopped by here for water and snacks to appreciate the view, as the trail gets steeper after Nymph Lake and so this is a great time for a pit stop and for a photo break The water reflecting the surrounding steep cliffs and peaks is so unique. Since it's an alpine lake, there's not much vegetation to cloud the clear reflection. As always, make sure that you have appropriate hiking footwear, a hat, plenty of water, and some snacks. There are no toilets at this lake, so also make sure you use the washroom at the trailhead. Pace yourself on this hike since the air is thinner due to elevation.

After starting my day off exploring Bear Lake, I decided to do the 3.6-mile roundtrip hike to…read moreEmerald Lake. While on hike, I passed by Nymph Lake and Dream Lake. Nymph Lake is a charming lake that is about half a mile into the hike and has pond lilies floating on the water. Dream Lake is another half mile after that. I took a little time to enjoy this lake because it was so pretty. The hike to Dream Lake begins at the start of the Bear Lake trailhead. It is a steady climb through aspen groves and ponderosa pine. From here, you can continue on to Emerald Lake. It is considered a moderately challenging hike because of the elevation gain. It is also one of the most photographed lakes because it is surrounded by steep cliffs. You can see Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain in the background. Dream Lake is a peaceful area to relax at and enjoy.

Nymph Lake is absolutely stunning. Trees surround it, and it was full of lily pads and lily flowers…read moreblooming. I could easily imagine nymphs and faeries darting around in such a scenic area. It's a unique view in a beautiful location. This is the second lake after Bear Lake if you're following the trail. I would say that Bear Lake is very accessible, but if you have the endurance to make the hike up to Nymph Lake, it's very rewarding! The rest of the lakes (Dream & Emerald Lakes) are also very pretty, but they're far steeper and longer away. This is the sweet spot if you are short on time or don't want to do the entire hike. As always, make sure that you have appropriate hiking footwear, a hat, plenty of water, and some snacks. There are no toilets at this lake, so also make sure you use the washroom at the trailhead.

If you're hiking to Emerald Lake, Nymph Lake is the first of 3 lakes you will encounter on the…read moretrail. A moderate 0.5 mile hike, Nymph Lake is nice - but comparing it to what you'll experience further along the trail, Nymph is like a "starter lake" - they keep getting grander the farther along you go. If you don't want to go farther than Nymph Lake, it's still a pretty spot to stop and enjoy. The worst part of the hike for me was that first 0.5 miles. Was still a bit rough the entire way, but it didn't compare to that beginning. Located on the Bear Lake Road, you will need separate reservations to access the road in addition to the reservations to enter the park. The trailhead of Nymph Lake is at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead at the end of Bear Lake Road. It is a large parking lot, but some of Bear Lake's best hikes are all accessible from this parking lot. If it's full, they do have a park & ride location and the shuttle will bring you into the lot. It does get hot and there is not shade throughout the trail. So make sure to bring plenty of water, a hat, some sunscreen, and (of course) some food. But don't forget to pack in and pack out! Highly recommend hiking to Nymph Lake and all the way to Emerald Lake if you can.

We had so much fun strolling about the lake looking for moose and yay saw two. It made our day. We…read morespotted a lizard in the water which was also very special.

I enjoyed visiting Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Not only is it a pretty lake, it is a…read moregreat spot for bird watching and to see wildlife up close. The ground squirrels were fun and entertaining to watch. Because they are used to people feeding them, they come right up to you and beg. The short trail around the lake is easy and level. It is about 0.8 miles round trip and offers great views of Longs Peak, Mount Meeker and Twin Sisters. If you want something more challenging, you can jump on the Storm Pass Trail from here. Rocky Mountain Park requires a online timed entry reservation made in advance during peak season.

Sprague Lake is located on the eastern side of Rocky Mountain National Park, along the scenic Bear…read moreLake Road Corridor. The lake sits at about 8,700 feet, with beautiful views of the surrounding peaks and the Continental Divide. The 0.7-0.8 mile loop around the lake is peaceful, scenic, and especially family-friendly. The trail is stroller accessible, which made it perfect for exploring with our baby. We loved the reflections on the water, the mountain backdrop, and the peaceful alpine setting. A wonderful, easygoing stop in Rocky Mountain National Park--especially if you're traveling with little ones and want beautiful scenery without a strenuous hike.

This lake has a nice scenic trail around it. The hike itself is half a mile long and easy to walk…read moreon. Sprague Lake is located off Bear Lake Road and has plenty of parking. It is a quiet peaceful lake to enjoy and is wheelchair accessible. Sprague Lake is one of the most popular places to fish at in Rocky Mountain National Park because it has an abundance of trout. I swung by here after spending most of my day at Bear Lake and enjoyed a nice walk around the lake after a long day. Sprague Lake is named after Abner E. Sprague who created this man-made lake. He once had a home here and opened a lodge for hunting and fishing. Sprague then added cabins to the property and made it a hotel in the early 1900's. This area eventually became a part of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Couldn't do a check in while i was up there today. But air condition was REALLY smokey! The air…read morewas almost like it was during the eclipse a couple of years back. It had a weird haze and it definitely was a struggle to breathe. Only saw a few other people up there on a Sunday. I find this hike to be quite lovely. I do hear there is a spring if you keep going on the hike. We did make it to 3.12 miles into the hike today but then had to turn around just because of all the smoke it was getting to be too much. The rock formations around 2.5 miles are still cool and then after you hit mile marker 3 you hit a lot of aspens that are starting to turn. The trail is going to be QUITE lovely in a couple of weeks. looking forward to going back.

Loved it! A little incline but very pretty views. We didn't last too long cause we have a baby with…read moreus but totally will be back. Some car noise but not for long until you hike about 20 Minutes in

This area in Rocky National Mountain Park is really pretty. I like that it is a little less crowded…read morethan the other areas of the park. The road to Upper Beaver Meadows is over a mile long and can be a little rough because it is mostly dirt road and a little uneven. The Upper Beaver Meadows Trailhead is a loop and can be started in any direction. It is only about a mile and considered an easy trail. You can continue on beyond the loop trail if you want to make this hike a longer more challenging hike. Upper Beaver Meadows is near Moraine Park. I didn't see any wildlife, but I have read that you can spot elk out in the meadow area. It is a good bird-watching spot. Beaver Brook runs through the meadow. When I was here, it started to rain when I did the loop trail. This added a little adventure to my hike. The meadow is a gorgeous area to explore with the mountains in the background.

Gorgeous area (like the rest of the park) but a little bit less busy than other areas. They have a…read morelovely picnic area where you get expansive views of the valley and mountains; nicely shaded and well-kept. There are some nice hikes that leave from the area and further down the UBM road, most starting with a calm walk through the meadow and then picking up as you ascend the nearby vistas. You cannot go wrong!

"Access this trail in both summer and winter. This trail follows an old logging road to Zimmerman…read moreLake, which sits just outside the boundary of the Neota Wilderness. A primitive trail circles the lake, but there are no constructed trails into the Neota Wilderness." Parking : there is a lot for several cars. There is a bathroom in the lot. There are no trash cans, so plan on packing out what you bring in. "Zimmerman Lake Trail is a 2.7 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Rand, Colorado that features a lake and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash." Elevation : 518 feet Well, I will start this review by stating that i would like to come back in the summer and hike this. I think the experience would be much different and really enjoyable. My friend and i went to zimmerman lake today as we were told it was a great place to x country ski. Believing what we were told, we trucked our way up here. I would not call this trail easy, nor really a great place to x country ski. It was with the snow fairly steep and also very slick. We were using our skis but using a lot of arms and upper body strength to pull ourselves up. The whole time i was wondering about coming down that. It was windy with a lot of switchbacks and not really any flattening out areas where we would be able to stop on our way down. The trail was narrower and lots of trees. The lake didn't really have a clear trail/path around it. Guessing not so many folks make it up here. We did ski a little bit on the lake so that provided some flatter terrain. We did a little bit down with the x country skis but eventually we just had to take thm off and walk down. X country skis were not really made for turning. It was different than what we thought, but will probably be back but in the summer or if we opt to head back up that way in the winter it would be with snow shoes verses x country skis.