With the mandatory timed entry to Bear Lake Road, we got lucky to secure a time to explore this…read morearea of Rocky Mountain National Park. This was our first stop on our hike heading into the forrest and it was an easy climb. These falls are loud and proud plus incredibly pretty. The falls thunder down Glacier Creek due to the heavy snowmelt. It's definitely a favorite spot for many people as it's only 1.6 miles so it's easy to access. Remember to pace yourself due to the altitude. I witnessed lots of huffing and puffing from people having to stop and catch their breath. We stayed long enough to take some pics and watch the falls and then moved on. Plenty of seating all around the falls for everyone. It's great short hike for those that just want to feel like they are "out there". Views are truly epic as is the entire park. Parking earlier in the day can be challenging. I recomment arriving very early or come later in the afternoon to secure a spot. Remember to pack in, pack out and LEAVE NO TRACE.

We picked this hike on our 1 day visit to RMNP and it was a great choice. It's a short 2 mile…read moreround trip from the Bear Lake parking area. This was our first time in park and we came in late May so did not expect all the snow and the slush on the trail so that was really awesome. Lots of elevation change as you climb up and down the trail and several small bridges that traverse all the small mountain springs. We saw a few blooming flowers, blue jays,chipmunks, and we spotted a baby rainbow trout hiding in a little pool in one of the springs. Incredible views of the Rocky Mountains and one you get to the falls it's a nice place to take a nice relaxing break in the many rock formations. Great hike.

This is a gorgeous part of Rocky Mountain National Park and definitely worth visiting. I highly…read morerecommend booking well in advance (think 2 months) for timed entry. I was a few days into the month when the timed entry opened for the dates we were visiting and I got a 12pm entry as the morning times had already been booked. Closer to the date you won't find anything until a few spots open up the night before. When we visited we did the park and ride which took us past a couple trailheads before getting to Bear Lake. The lake itself is absolutely gorgeous. The walk nearby is flat and easy to do - a good option for anyone with accessibility issues. We spent some time here before hiking up to Nymph Lake which was also a beauty. There are a few more lakes you can continue hiking toward from Bear Lake to extend your visit. Our trip around Bear Lake, up to Nymph Lake and back took around 1 and a half hour with stopping a few times along the way to admire the natural beauty. I think you could easily spend half a day here doing some of the connecting hikes. We loved our visit here and would certainly come back!

The serenity and beauty are 5 star without a doubt. The lake is probably the single most visited…read morelocation in the entire RMNP. As such, it is incredibly over-crowded and over-touristed. The parking lots to the lake are full by 7am. The Park Service runs a shuttle from Estes Park (the visitor center) which is the way to go. You still need to buy an entrance permit to the park and a $2 permit to visit the lake, but avoiding the hassle of having a car in the park is worth it. The shuttle runs on a defined schedule which is available in the visitor center. They run a tight ship so buses leave promptly. If you do the shuttle (which is free) you need to buy a 1 day untimed pass to the national park (no vehicle). For the Bear Lake pass, you need to go online (recreation.gov) for RMNP the day before you intend to travel at 7pm. Do it quickly because spaces sell out quickly. You will want to reserve a specific time to get on the bus. For example, we did the 10am bus. The shuttle bus schedule is in the visitor center. They send your pass to your email that you show to driver. The lake itself is beautiful. The lake is a 256 feet "hike" from the entrance to the lake. In other words, it is so easy and accessible that everyone does it. When I say everyone, I mean imagine half the population of Manhattan. There are so many people that it is impossible to find any peace or quiet. Some people call this escaping to nature. At the Bear Lake entrance there are other hikes that range in length. The trip to Emerald lake is 1.8 miles and also very popular so expect large crowds. Overall, it is great to be in nature but the big downside is the crowds.

WOW! WOW! WOW! This was one of the hikes we took while visiting Rocky Mountain National Park last…read moresummer. It was a great way to end our day right before sunset. We had originally planned to hike a much longer hike with several lakes along the way, but time got away from us so we back tracked and headed here. So happy we did. Mill Lake is an alpine lake and it sits at an elevation of 9,940 feet. It is known for the magnificent views of the Glacier Gorge. Monstrous granite peaks with a stunning lake what's not to like? The distance is a little over 5 miles round trip and elevation gain is approximately 700 to 800 feet. You will pass a couple of other waterfalls along the way which are worth a stop and a pic. You will feel the altitude so pace yourself. When you arrive at the lake you are totally mesmerized with the surrounding beauty and peaceful feeling. We were the only ones there so we really enjoyed our time here. I still think about this place as it left quite an impression on me. I highly recommend should you find yourself here in this outstanding national park. Remember to pack in, pack out and LEAVE NO TRACE.

Getting to the trail head is becoming a workout itself. However, once you are here, you forget all…read moreyour troubles. Inhaling the aroma of pine needles, sight and sound of nature touching your senses. This is wjat it is all about. It is short hike from TH but still gives you ample opportunity to get some cramps, shortness of breath from gaining some altitude and best of all, saying hellos to strangers you meet on tje trail. Amazing views!

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.

So pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this overlook in Rocky Mountain. The view of the park…read morewas nice - I found the view of the park better at the Alpine Visitors Center, but what I enjoyed so much here was the wildlife. We saw so many different animals here! Marmots were definitely the highlight and the most frequent visitors. We came in mid June, and it was very windy and cold here. So consider bringing a jacket. Surprisingly larger parking lot, had no problems finding parking. A great stop if you're looking to see some local wildlife.

This a great spot to get panoramic view at over 11,000 feet. I was enjoying my drive on Trail Ridge…read moreRoad and the views from it. I tried to make a stop at every overlook. Forest Canyon Overlook is a well-known stop that gives you sweeping views of Forest Canyon, Gorge Lakes and Hayden Gorge. There are so many trees across this Valley. It was nice to sit and relax and take in the breeze while enjoying this gorgeous view. Forest Canyon Overlook is located on the delicate alpine tundra in Rocky Mountain National Park. The parking lot is decent size and has a paved asphalt trail that leads to the overlook. The park ask that you stay on the trail to protect the fragile alpine tundra plants all around. They say that it takes decades for these plants to recover. Sadly, I saw some younger folks standing in the tundra just to take some selfies. Thankfully some old guy scolded them. There is a chance that you may spot some wildlife at this overlook. I saw a few marmots running around. Trail Ridge Road is a seasonal road and is only open during the summer months.

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.

This a beautiful small town located at the foot of the Rocky Mountain National Park. There is a…read morefree trolly that will take you around town and stop at various places to let you off to tour around and then you can get back on when you want to. There are small stops everywhere that are fun to shop around in at your leisure.

While visiting Rocky Mountain National Park, I spent some time in Estes Park after each day in the…read morepark. You have to go through this town to get to a couple of the park entrances. I grabbed dinner at a few restaurants and spent some time in Stanley Park. The view of Lake Estes from the park is stunning. The downtown area in Estes Park has a number of restaurants and retail stores. For activities, there is an Aerial Tramway to Prospect Mountain's summit or you can jump on a jeep tour. If you love outdoor activities, this is a great place to visit. Sadly, there was a huge wildfire going on when I was here that caused a lot of smoke. But overall, Estes Park is a great town to visit and has lots to do.

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.

If you are doing the 1.8-mile hike to Emerald Lake, Nymph Lake is the first of three lakes that you…read morewill encounter on the trail. It is half a mile from the start of the trailhead. What I liked about this lake is that it had all these lily pads floating on the water. It is a pretty lake that is easy to get to. There are benches around the lake to sit and relax on. This is also a good spot for bird watching. Nymph Lake starts at the beginning of the Bear Lake Trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park. To reach this trail, you will need to make an online timed entry reservation to access Bear Lake Road. Once you pass the entrance station, the drive is around ten miles. You can also take the free shuttle to Bear Lake if the parking lot is full.