8.12.2025 I arrived at 7am on the dot to hike gem lake. I'm so thankful that I arrived early to…read moreavoid 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.

Gem Lake Trail is a relatively short hike at 3.4 miles round trip. The parking lot allows for…read moreplenty 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.

Alberta Falls was our "pivot" hike after our afternoon was derailed by a rainstorm. But it…read moredefinitely didn't feel like a pivot when we reached the falls! Absolutely gorgeous and beautiful, we ended up staying nearly an hour just relaxing and enjoying the rushing water. Located on Bear Lake Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, you will need a separate reservation from the park's reservation to enter the road. The hike itself is about 1.6 miles roundtrip and was a relatively easy hike. Plenty of spots to sit on rocks and simply enjoy nature. We didn't have any issues parking in the trailhead parking lot, but we came in late afternoon. Bear Lake is definitely busy earlier in the day. If there's no parking, they do have lots further away and shuttles to take you to the trailhead. Highly recommend this hike. You will not be disappointed.

This is a pretty hike to a gorgeous waterfall that isn't too difficult. The hike to Alberta Falls…read moreis 1.6-miles round trip with 160 feet of elevation gain. After spending the day at Bear Lake and doing the hike to Emerald Lake, I decided to do this hike as well. Mostly because I didn't want to deal with the timed entry situation to get into Bear Lake on another day. The hike to Alberta Falls begins at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. While on this hike, you will enjoy aspen groves and a mixed pine forest with some mountainous views along the way. You can hear Alberta Falls as you approach it. Alberta Falls is a 30-foot waterfall that pours into Glacier Creek. Alberta Falls is one of the most visited sections of Rocky Mountain National Park. You can access it by driving down Bear Lake Road after entering the Beaver Meadows Entrance. To access Bear Lake Road, you must book a timed entry reservation in advance. This is because of the popularity of this area. The trailhead begins at the beginning of the Bear Lake Trailhead. If you don't want to wait for a parking spot to open up, you can ride the free shuttle to the trailhead. Alberta Falls is named after Alberta Sprague, the wife of Abner Sprague. He was one of the first settlers in the Estes Park area before it became Rocky Mountain National Park. Sprague Lake is located off Bear Lake Road and is named for Abner Sprague.

This place is absolutely stunning!! You have to go if you are in the Colorado area!!…read more We got in around noon and went to Bear lake and Alberta falls! Both were incredible. We also drove around a bit and it was just dream like! There are sooo many elk! Drive slow and watch for wild life!! Hiking can be difficult even on the well maintained paths. Make sure you wear solid footwear! Take lots of pictures and know your cell phone service may not work inside the park. Always remember to carry out what you carry in! That includes things like banana peels and orange rinds! Don't leave anything behind! Enjoy this absolutely gorgeous national park!!

The views are spectacular from every angle throughout the park!…read more Rocky Mountain National Park was established on January 26, 1915 and was dedicated on Sept. 4, 1915. We had already planned to come here on Oct. 1, 2025 which coincided with the first day of the Federal Government Shutdown. We arrived before anyone was at the Entrance Station to take entrance fees & reservations. We later exited & reentered the park and there was a guy at the entrance booth. He didn't seem to know what was going on and the fees/reservations were not collected. I had gone online to recreation.gov and made a reservation for a timed entry to the park. There was a $2 fee. There are 2 reservation options: Timed Entry with or without Bear Lake Road Reservation. First wildlife we saw were the Mule Deer. During our visit here, we heard Elk bugling, saw Elk, Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, chipmunks, & birds. Trail Ridge Road is a major road which is also part of US Highway 34. It takes you up to the Alpine Tundra and is the highest continuous paved road in North America. Some of the stops are: Fairview Curve, Medicine Bow Curve, Lava Cliffs, Rock Cut, Forest Canyon, & Many Parks Curve. With the different elevations in the park, the terrain also changes! I was amazed with how the landscape was so vast & stunning from the grassy meadows to the Alpine Tundra! Trail of Aspens - there's a plaque with information about it at Hollowell Park. Look in the distance above the sign and you'll see them. Going in the Autumn time, it was so easy to see them as they were changing colors! Sprague Lake - saw lots of Trout in the shallow water before reaching the lake itself. Took the Trail Ridge Road up to the Alpine Tundra area where the Alpine Visitor Center is. This visitor center is the highest one in the National Park System at 11,796 feet. It was closed, but the Trail Ridge Store with a coffee stand next door was open. The elevation here can bring on altitude sickness. The elevation reaches over 12,000ft. Everyone should be careful and drink plenty of water. We live at Sea Level in Los Angeles and acclimating to the elevation helped somewhat. We still had a bit of trouble catching our breath. Coming back down, we stopped by the Sheep Lakes Information Station. I think we were too early to see the sheep. We didn't see any Bighorn Sheep there. Alluvial Fan - Pretty cool area! There was a Lawn Lake flood on July 15, 1982. An alluvial fan is basically a fan-shaped deposit of sediment. There's a bridge across Roaring River near the base of the Alluvial Fan. You can walk up a little bit for a view of the water falling or a selfie with the river in the background. We spent about 8 hours in the park. Most of it was driving and taking in the sights. No hiking for us, but we did get out and do some of the short walks out to see things. Our last stop was at the Fall River Visitor Center. It is located just outside of the park. Lucky for us that this is run in a partnership with the NPS & by the Rocky Mountain Conservatory and was open! We were able to see the exhibits and use the park stamp for my parks passport book. Next door is a store that we also visited and took advantage of their restroom before heading into the town for dinner. I hope to make it back again! Seeing the wildlife and the tundra area were highlights.

Twin sisters is a 7.5 mile 2500 feet elevation gain round trip hike. From end of may to mid…read moreoctober you will need a time reservation permit if arriving between 9 am to 3 pm. The parking lot is small. Lily lake is across the road and that also has a small lot. You can park up the road a bit closer to the TH on the right hand side of the road but there is also not a ton of parking on the road side. If you are in decent shape i would call this to be more moderate. It is a steady incline. The first stretch is in the shade. Once you get above treeline you get some really amazing views. Also above treeline the trail is very rocky. Be sure to wear good shoes. The views at the top are stunning, definitely worth it. The only sad part of this trail, and only reason i will not be back anytime soon is because no dogs are allowed.

Great trail! Definitely steep and difficult in some parts and moderate in others. The parking lot…read morewas surprisingly not full around 9 am on a Saturday. Beautiful views and nice trail for all the people but not too crowded. There are lots of bugs so definitely recommend bug spray at this time even though there isn't any water on the trail. Some shade but can get hot so wear lots of sunscreen.

We came in late to Estes Park and wanted to fit in a hike before dark. One of the locals…read morerecommended this trail, and after some research, saw it was highly rated for the area. It's a pretty easy hike, be warned it can be steep at times, but if you're mostly fit, you'll be able to do it. There were a few icy patches at times, but I was fine in regular boots. The views going up just keep getting better and better, they were all so beautiful. You HAVE to check out the bathroom near the top as that might be one of the best views the whole hike! The small lake at the top was pretty, especially iced over, but nothing compared to the views on the actual hike. It was a really awesome, cool trail in the middle of Estes park without having to pay to get into the Rocky Mountain National Park, and it was super easy to get to. I would highly recommend.

This was a beautiful hike we did with our twin boys who are 12. It was a bit longer than we…read morethought, we are fairly fit but from Texas so we were easily winded and took breaks. It is a pretty easy hike BUT there is a lot of steep parts, lots of steep steps. There were a few icy patches as it was winter when we were there. The views are amazing on this trail. The lake is small but still pretty at the end! Going down is always easier haha. We enjoyed this one since Hollowell Park in RMNP was closed.

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.

This was a lovely stop by this beautiful lake with mountain views…read more The glistening of the sun and mirroring of clouds on the lake was almost magical. A family of ducks swimming in the lake was sweet to watch.

Nice place to fish, get cooled down and for me hammock and read! My husband caught a handful of…read morefish near the power plant.

Beautiful lake in Estes park! There are lots of outdoor tables making this a great picnic spot…read more Also a great place for water sports on a warm day. It's even nice just to drive by and see the wildlife.

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.

A beautiful lake and easy hike around the lake that's well worth the stop. It's less crowded and…read moremore beautiful than Bear Lake. If you're staying at the Glacier Creek Campground, you can hike there from the campground.

Given the large group sizes, the last members to clip in after training lose up to 15 minutes while…read morewaiting on other participants getting onto the platforms ahead of them. The environment would also benefit from providing more observation seating and from mounting tarps above the course to provide shade. The obstacles themselves were mostly engaging and varied.

Professional and safety driven operation - Tim, Cindy, and Nicole were all awesome! My daughter (8)…read moreand I had an fantastic experience clearing the obstacles, there's plenty of variation and skill levels for all to enjoy. I liked that you can navigate the course as you wish, as there's no set path, and taking a bathroom or water break is easy. Staff are very friendly, encouraging, and obviously having fun themselves. Bravo!