Loved it! Better than most of the hikes in RMNP! Cool cliff formations & good elevation. Lake was not exciting...but the views were amazing!! read more

8.12.2025 I arrived at 7am on the dot to hike gem lake. I'm so thankful that I arrived early to avoid the crowds, and when I arrived to the lake I had the place to myself, the water was like glass and the sun was still not high in the sky which provided the most beautiful reflections off the lake which made for some wonderful photos. In all I enjoyed this hike very much, everything about it was very enjoyable. On the hike down I encountered a lot of people headed up at the 8 o'clock hour. So I feel I timed my hike perfectly. read more

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Gem Lake Trail is a relatively short hike at 3.4 miles round trip. The parking lot allows for plenty of parking. This hike has a 830 feet elevation gain meaning that the 1.7 miles up the trail has a steady incline. The 1.7 miles down is all downhill. Once you reach the top, you will see Gem Lake. The last bit leading up to Gem Lake is a little steeper than the rest of the trail. Gem Lake is a rather small lake, although beautiful. There is also a bathroom near the top, although can't comment on the restroom since I didn't use it. The views are gorgeous. We went around 2:30pm and there is always a chance of showers around that time in June. I would recommend going earlier in the day if possible to capture the reflection in the lake more and to avoid possibly getting rained on. Highly recommend this trail. read more

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I'm from Chicago, where the biggest hills we have are ant hills, Gem Lake Trail is a great little starter trail if you new to the Mile High climate. Driving from Boulder to Gem Lake Trail is a breeze, with only a few twists and turns leading up to it that was dicey for this non-seasoned mountain driver. Other than that, great views. Have a picnic at the top, but remember to grab your trash. BATHROOM REVIEW: The bathrooms at the bottom of the trail, near the parking lot, was surprisingly OK. The toilet is pretty much a hole in the ground and I'm glad I'm a dude, and all I need to do is stand and aim. From the sounds of it, it's a well-depth hole. The smell was not as bad as I anticipated. Sit or squat? Squat. read more

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Super steep incline for most of hike. Lots of stairs, but so worth it once at the top. Amazing views. We took our 5 month old up. read more

Gem Lake Trail - Parks Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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One of my new favorite trails in RMNP - outside the main gates with generous parking. Gem Lake Trail is full of mountain views, lots of rocks for bouldering or stopping along the way for a picnic, and plenty of incline towards the end to get your heart rate up. I could stay at the lake and just lounge for hours, however, it was quite windy on the day we arrived. I'm so glad I discovered this trail - it'll be one we hit up again! read more

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This trial is located outside of the main entrances of Rocky Mountain National Park, but is still part of the park. It's really close to Estes Park. It's only about 3.5 miles round trip and it's a pretty easy hike for the area. It's an out back trail and is uphill the whole way out, but it's not that steep. It's very manageable overall. There are great mountain views the whole way up. Gem Lake itself is pretty small, but it's still pretty. This is a great introductory hike before building up to some of the bigger hikes in the park. read more

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Loved this hike! Easy to get to from the Stanley hotel. There were signs that you needed timed entry but no one checked. Parking lot still had plenty of spots at 9am on a Tuesday in August. We did a little loop of lumpy ridge before climbing up to Gem Lake. I am really glad I had trekking poles so I could hoist myself on some of the steps. Lake at the top is gorgeous and we sat and had a snack (tooks a chocolate cherry cookie from Colorado Cherry company up with us!). There are a bunch of chipmunks that try to steal your food. Idiots were feeding the chipmunks while we were up there so that's why they are so crazy. We hit the bathroom before heading down. No TP, no hand sanitizer so I skipped it. The hike down was still challenging and I really depended on my poles to do the steps. Ended up being around 4 miles with the little loop addition. Felt good! Would recommend to avoid a ton of crowds. read more

Gem Lake Trail - Parks Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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If you're in the Estes Park area and want to enjoy the great outdoors with a hike (but don't want to pay the $25/day to head into Rocky Mountain National Park), Gem Lake and the surrounding hiking trails just might be for you. On a tip from a friendly server in a local restaurant, we made our way to Gem Lake Trail one afternoon in a recent visit. This is obviously a popular spot, as the sign for the parking lot already said "full" and people were parking along the side of the road that led up to the trail and it's parking lot. After securing a spot, we started up the trail. It doesn't feel steep, but you will soon find yourself high above the valley that contains Estes Park and enjoying the beautiful views of the mountains. Climb higher to reach the "golden forest" (as a local called a grove of turning Aspen trees), and all the way to the top to reach the peaceful and pristine gem lake. We stopped and relaxed for a good half hour by the lake, watching other hikers come and go and a few chipmunks scurry by hoping for a crumb. After resting, we reluctantly made our way back down to earth, enjoying the trail just as much on the return. For a quick and relaxing afternoon hike in Estes Park, Gem Lake Trail will dit the bill! read more

Let me start by saying this is a difficult hike, especially for people who have trouble breathing on higher altitudes or have knee issues. There are a lot of steps and the last 1/4th of hike is brutal. However the hike itself is worth it., has beautiful views of nature, the city and the small lake the top. What I loved about the hike- 1. View: amazing views and was fully green with chipmunks all over the place. Good to take pictures. 2. Difficulty: The hike is a bit of a challenge and so for me it was fun. It's not really that bad, just that I have trouble breathing at higher altitudes. 3. Small lake at the top: After you hike this long you get a small reward at the end which is the lake. Unfortunately when we went up there it was a bit swampy. Lot of chipmunks Tips: 1. Carry a light weight raincoat in case it rains. Check the weather before going. 2. Do not feed the chipmunks, they have plenty of food in the forest as they can get aggressive. Enjoy the hike! read more

Gem Lake Trail - Gem lake - Parks Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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Im not going to lie, this hike was really steep and really hard. We are from Nebraska, so we are not experienced hikers by any means, but we were able to make it to the top! It was definitely worth it! read more

Gem Lake Trail - Parks Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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Beautiful hike from start to finish! Great way to avoid the RMNP crowds and still get the great views. Lots of chipmunks reside by this little lake. + Parking lot at the base of the trail is convenient - it seems people are steadily arriving and leaving so you can try finding a spot here. If not, park along the street down the road. You don't have to pay to park or use this trail - it's freeeee! + There is a restroom at the trailhead, which is convenient! It's clean. + The Park ranger is sooo nice and helpful! + Took about 1 hour to get up whilst stopping to take photos and drink water. We are locals; we saw many tourists taking breaks to catch their breath and it can take even 2 hours if you aren't used to these conditions. About 30-45 min to get down. + Get ready for a steady climb to the top with some drops in elevation in between. There's also a wooden panel you have to cross over some water at some point in the trail. + Beginning of July conditions are excellent - take a light sweater since it gets breezy at the top. Also take bug spray. read more

Gem Lake Trail - Gem Lake - Parks Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

Beautiful day for hike. This was one of the few trails @ RMNP that was hikable with tennis shoes & no snow gear this time of year. Moderate. 3.4 mile out & back. Great views along the way. Fun to pose with Paul Bunyan's boot- there's a hole in the sole. Lots of traffic with a few choke points, so it wasn't the fastest hike today. Great overlook of Estes Lake. read more

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Great hike but be warned if you have any knee issues, DO NOT GO! The last 1/4 of a mile is a brutal series of high steps. Moderate hike otherwise and a cute reward of lake at the end. Elevation is almost 1000 ft in a little over 1.5 miles read more

Difficult hike for people who aren't used to the altitude changes But totally worth it. Take lots of breaks and bring lots of fluids and snacks. The lake at the top is well worth the hike and a beautiful place to relax. read more

Gem Lake Trail - Gem lake - Parks Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

Though this is labeled as a beginner trail, I'd say it's more like an intermediate one, only because there's so many stairs - big ones towards the end. The total hike is about 3-4 miles and will get your thighs burning. Such pretty views all the way up to the top, plenty of photo ops. Even in late November there was tons of sunshine and clear skies. The lake itself was already frozen over and we didn't see any chipmunks. It took about two hours back and forth for two adults to make the trek. All those stairs took some time to climb. Just when you thought you were done, there was another climb ahead. Not a bad thing, just take your time and stretch those legs! read more

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Awesome family hike, we went with a 9, 6, and 4 year old. Wear layers and bring water!

This was a great hike!! From start to finish we enjoyed it! We were glad we wore hiking boots rather than tennis shoes as there are a lot of rocks and quite a bit of water on the trail near the top. The small lake at the top was awesome and the chipmunks were so fun! I highly recommend going all the way to the top. read more

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It was so fun!!! A hike up to chipmunk haven was awesome! Luckily, I brought some trail mix so the chipmunks could eat with me. read more

Gem Lake Trail - Parks Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

This is a great hike, wonderful views, gorgeous rocks, boulders all around, and then the nice little serene lake at the top. We came a bit late on a weekday so we got to enjoy the lake to ourselves for a good 20 minutes, unless you count all the little chipmunks that were very curious about us, so adorable. My friend whose a dude was a bit afraid they would jump on him and somehow slaughter him with their tiny teeth-they did not, but got incredibly close to us (people must be feeding them...) This is not the craziest hike but not a lazy stroll by any means, wear climbing shoes and bring plenty of water-you are going to sweat. *If you are afraid of heights this will be a challenge for you, take some legal drugs or drink a bloody mary beforehand or both. *restrooms at beginning and end of trail, the one at the top is sketchy, as in you might fall down a cliff trying to get to it (I just went behind a big rock instead) *1.7 miles up read more

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The hike itself was incredible! Lovely views almost the whole way to Gem Lake. However, for those who have less time, or don't like intense hikes, the view about halfway up to the lake is the highlight. The lake really isn't worth it unless you plan on climbing the boulders around it. Otherwise it's just a little lake with chipmunks running around begging for food lol. The hike is good though but with the high elevation it's easy to get winded. read more

Great trail with amazing views - definitely easy to moderate hike for those who are not used to hiking. There are many stairs on the hipe recommend hiking shoes although we did it in sneakers read more

My nephews are not hikers and I'll be honest, they were not happy about coming along, but the promise of "bouldering" got them in the car. Upon immediately seeing that there were large rocks on which to play, their mood quickly changed. This hike was so beautiful: mountain wildflowers, twinkling aspens, big boulders, a gentle stream, stunning views. It had everything you would want from a Colorado hike. The 1.7 miles to gem lake was the perfect distance both for my inexperienced nephews and the fit adults. We had a blast climbing the sticky rocks and admiring the gorgeous environment. We had a lovely picnic lunch at the lake and spent some time climbing there as well. I recommend this for adults and children alike. Despite the relatively short mileage, it is still a great workout. read more

Gem Lake Trail - Parks Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

This was great trail. It's it's a great starter. You have to go all the way to the top. The views are great and the lake is so peaceful. I recommend going earlier than later as there are less hikers. This trail was difficult at points but I saw many family's with their children. Great to pack a lunch and hangout a while. read more

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The trail is about 3.4 miles round trip, and took my husband and I about 2 hours. I would consider it a moderate hike due to the elevation change and some obstacles, but overall a very nice hike. Gem lake is small, but beautiful! read more

Gem Lake Trail - Parks Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

Great hike to a nice small lake. Better in trail shoes than sneakers. Many stairs so be ready. About 1.25 hour walk to lake and about an hour down. Nice to not be in the crowds. Went on a Sunday and it was not too crowded. read more