8.8.2021 Sunday…read more arrived at 8 am. Not many people there at time. Left around 11 am and lot was full. There are no poop bags at the trail head. There is also no trash can. So plan on bringing your own poop bags if you have a dog/s. And plan on packing out any trash that you pack in. :) There is a bathroom at the trailhead. Follow the signs and you will get there. The disappointment falls were quite lovely. there are also a lot of wildflowers still blooming which is awesome.

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.

I enjoyed hiking the nature trail here at Bear Lake. Because this is such a popular area of Rocky…read moreMountain 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.

Bear Lake is a popular destination within Rocky Mountain National Park. Many trails start and end…read morewith 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.

So much great variety for $12 day pass…read more Locals pay less but it's worth every penny. Lots of trail variety and trails are labeled based on skill level required. I will say advanced trails here seem pretty normal. Not sure what their baseline is. Trails and entire park are well maintained. Helpful staff at the visitors center. Camp Hike Enjoy the water Fish Float Tents Cabins All are great options here.

Stopped in for a quick overnight stay. The park is big with a few lakes to fish, some hiking ,…read morebiking and fun camping. It's a very pretty park. There are a lot of spots to tent or pull in your camper or trailer. The rangers were friendly but recommend a reservation in the busy months. We went in September and had no problem getting a spot. There are hook ups and dome nice bathrooms if needed.

We drove through Medicine Bow National Forest enroute to Laramie from Cheyenne. Driving this way…read moreis an nice alternative to going straight through on Interstate 80. Tip: Drink plenty of water and dress appropriately; it can get VERY windy here We didn't have much time to explore because of our time crunch, so we might come back this way to see what there is to see.

Unexpected beauty - what we saw driving through Medicine Bow National Forest…read more We were driving through Wyoming on I80 heading east towards Laramie, when we decided to stay in a small town just south of Laramie called Centennial. Waze routed us on a road (I30) through Medicine Bow National Forest. So glad we changed plans to stay in that town because we were blown away by the sights. Words like breathtaking are totally appropriate for the views. Take this detour through the National Forest!!! You won't regret it.

Super easy hike with some decent views. I wanted more of a challenge, but still had a good time…read more There is a lot of traffic on these trails and a lot of kids were there...not an issue, but it was busier than a lot of the hikes I do. Parking is $10 though!

Make it a destination when in NoCo....the place is just a beautiful place, close to town, and…read morestands out as must not miss !! Great place for a short hike, or use their amenities to start your longer adventure.

Just had my second visit to Horsetooth! The first time following all of the spring rains mid June I…read morewas impressed by how much the landscape resembled part of Oregon I traveled through on a road trip (Lowell) This last time over Labor Day weekend however, with the water levels lower by a hundred feet, for a moment it occurred to me they decided to put a more traditional "beach" area there. The water had been up to the rocks near the parking area at the South Bay swim area. In the late summer, it had more of the expected high desert vibe. It's nice that they have a no-wake area for paddle boarders and swimmers. Although it is a reservoir, the ugly wall is not a prominent visual feature like ie: Cherry Creek reservoir. I enjoy how this one is situated in a valley surrounded by mountains. Next time, I am absolutely bringing a paddle board. This time however, I was amused and inspired by one man who was not immediately deterred by the fact that he fell off his again and again. When he finally gave up, he had the same problem with his inner tube. The bathrooms/showers were not disgusting but I wasn't so sure how sanitary those children's diapers were in the water. .

Tons of options for hiking. My only gripe is the paid parking, but that seems typical for the…read morearea. Trails around the reservoir were fun and varied from rocky beaches, to steep grades, to rocks you could boulder or climb. The trails were well kept and they were not crowded. I'll have to check it out on a warmer day. There were a few people doing photo shoots while we were there also.

Absolutely beautiful hike! Turtle rock and the surrounding rocks are beautiful, with truly…read morephenomenal patterns eroded into them. It's a very easy hike, well maintained and mediocrely signed, that takes you all the way around the monolith. We didn't see any moose, though we passed two people who had on one of the side trails. There was also lots of evidence of the moose, including plants they'd picked clean and beds where they had recently slept. It's a longish loop that passes through several patches of still water and a short part of one river. Mostly shaded, so it was a comfortable temperature even in mid-July. The biggest negative was a couple bad mosquito bites, so bring your bug spray! I don't know if this will be true after 2023, but the flora here is incredible. The huge amount of water the west got this winter is really revealing in the massive wildflower beds. Including what was nearly a field of Sego Lillies! Lots of other flowers as well, including Indian paintbrush, monkshood, and wild roses.

This review is actually for Turtle Rock, Phallic, Valley Mastiff, Regolith and Skeleton Loop…read more 7/6/2021 tuesday arrived around 10 am. got the last spot in teh parking lot. There are not a lot of spots so be prepared for that. There is a bathroom at the trailhead. There is not hand sanitizer though, so bring some with you. Also there are no trash cans or dog poop bags. If you are bringing your pups be sure to bring some bags with you and also be sure to pack out what you pack in (including the dog poop!) The turtle rock portion of this trail is pretty well shaded and some water and is what there is signage on the trail for. Though you do have to look for it. Those are brown signs on the trees with an arrow and sometimes a small "trail" written above it. This particular loop is not signed. Honestly NOTHING other than the turtle rock is signed. So if you go wanting to do this loop, be sure you have the map downloaded or that you have a fully charged phone so you can access all trails while on the trail to make sure you are going the right direction. I have t-mobile service and i did have service the whole trail so was able to keep tabs on where we were. There was several times that we ended up back tracking though. There are a lot of random dirt paths out there so following intuition i dont think would really cut it. There is one point you will need to crawl over and under a fence. Also there are parts where the trail is not obvious. We walked past a few of the turns multiple times. Be prepared for a couple of marshy areas. There is no way to avoid it. So your shoes will get mucky. Also one point that you need to cross the river. I just crossed in my boots and got wet. When we got up near cow and regolith trail. The trail was not really existent as according to this map. We ended up needing to cut through some wildflowers and cross the river and saw the trail over there. But my phone charge was down at that point to like 45% so we opted to go on cow trail back to the forest service road and then back up turtle. We did hike around 8.85 miles. I think loop may actually be longer than what it says if you do what is listed here. We would have been game for trying it all IF i was not worried my phone would die and then it would be a heck of a lot more challenging to find our way back to the car. The positives : the wild flowers are absolutely beautiful here right now! The fields were bursting with color! There were so many birds and butterflies and bees. The trail is definitely less traveled. only really saw people on the turtle rock trail. We did not see any moose which was a little bit of a bummer. Had left the pups at home as so many had said they had seen moose here. A friend did hike turtle rock a couple of weeks ago and said she saw a moose and calf. Its a great trail just be prepared for teh fact that a fair amount of it is pretty primitive and you will need navigation to be able to find this particular loop. Some parts are clear but there are lots of splits.

Great for a quick afternoon hike or a night of stargazing. The trail is relatively easy to follow-…read morevery interesting rock formations along the way and you may even see a beaver family in the pond towards the end of the trail. Just look for it as you're passing along I-80, can't miss it!

It has long been a great spot to hike for locals and visitors, but for camping it can get noisy…read more(Thanks Coloradans for ruining our state parks). There are a few streams and beaver ponds to fish, but bring waders and a large pack with a creel container that has ice packs to keep the fish cold. Wear good hiking shoes, and bring lots of water and sunscreen!