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.

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.

Beautiful shady walk! Lots of pretty bridges to cross. Lots of benches next to creek for stopping…read moreto take in the view. I was able to breastfeed my son at one of the benches which was nice.

The Riverwalk is great. I USA start around the visitor center, walk by the river for a bit, then…read morereturn along the main street. There are tons of food and ice cream options as well as a couple of parks and some art. Stations for kids to play music are scattered along the way.

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.

Our goal was to hike to Emerald Lake, and let me tell you... It was 100% worth it. On this 3.6 mile…read moreroundtrip hike, you'll also encounter Nymph Lake and Dream Lake. While they're both beautiful in their own right, neither one of them compare to the sheer beauty of Emerald Lake with the snowy mountains as a backdrop. As I said, it is a moderate hike. We started around 930am - would've been nicer to start earlier, but it still beat the full heat of the noon sun. There will be intermittent shade, but make sure you bring a hat, sunscreen, and plenty of water. We visited in mid June. Once we neared Dream Lake, we started encountering snow on the ground. I used hiking sandals, and I was able to do it in those - just be careful. That being said, with the amount of snow that was on the trail to Lake Haiyaha was completely un-doable in my shoes. Once you reach Emerald Lake, find a place to sit and just take it all in. I could've sat there all afternoon, just being at peace with nature. Absolutely gorgeous. To get to Emerald Lake, you'll need access to Bear Lake Road. Just be aware that Bear Lake Road requires a reservation SEPARATE from the reservation to the national park. There's a big lot at the trailhead, but it gets filled up. They do have a park & ride a few miles away with plenty of shuttles ready to bring you in. If you're able to make the hike, hiking to Emerald Lake is wonderful. The hike itself is gorgeous, and the final lake is beautiful. Plan it in your schedule, and you will not be disappointed.

After spending a part of my morning at Bear Lake, I decided to do this hike to Emerald Lake the…read moresecond part of the day. This hike starts at the beginning of the Bear Lake trailhead and is 1.8 miles one way (3.6 miles RT). I would say that it is a moderate hike that has some elevation climb to it. You will pass both Nymph Lake and Dream Lake along way. The views along the way are spectacular. Emerald Lake is nestled in between some mountains at an elevation of 10,111 feet. You can see Hallett Peak and the jagged spires of Flattop Mountain across this iconic alpine lake. In between the two mountains is the Tyndall Gorge. There were some small ripples in the water caused but a slight wind. Several people that hiked here jumped in and swam in the water. I ended up relaxing on a large rock and eating my lunch while enjoying the view. Emerald Lake starts at the beginning of the Bear Lake Trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park. To reach this trail, you must drive ten miles on Bear Lake Road after entering through the Beaver Meadows Entrance. There is a separate timed entry reservation that is required to access Bear Lake Road. If you are unable to find parking at the Bear Lake Trailhead, there is a free shuttle that you can ride to the trailhead.

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!

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.

Leaf peepin season in Colorado! Always the perfect drive this time of year. Beginning in Netherland…read moreand drove all the way to Estes Park. There wasn't quite as many aspens as I thought there would be along the scenic drive. When we did come across patches aspens, it was beautiful. For being a weekend, the drive was not overcrowded at all. And it's always great to stop in Netherland and Estes Park for a quick walk and a quick bite.

Lovely , beautiful drive. Not busy in midday. Glorious views. Worth our time, we felt. Experience…read moremountains and small towns Very sweet.

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.

The downtown is full of shops and mass amounts of people who capitalize off tourism from those…read morevisiting Rocky Mountain National Park. The shops sell stuff to the tourists and it's basically all souvenirs. We had ice cream and it was mediocre. The service is horrible here in general. I don't know what it is, but I think it's because the employees seem to be seasonal workers that really don't care. I also got the vibe that many locals hate tourism from the National Park so you get a mix of experiences from those businesses that truly care about your experience and others that don't at all and are annoyed by the amount of tourists in their town. The crosswalks in downtown go straight and horizontal so every now and then you get crossing guards yelling that you can now cross in all directions. The downtown doesn't have enough parking so it's hard to find a spot to park.

Stanley Park is a beautiful park in Estes Park that is located right next to Lake Estes. This place…read morehas all sorts of things to do. Stanley Park has bike paths, a skate park, playground, a few ballfields, tennis and pickleball courts and a dog park. On occasions, this park will host concerts and festivals. I was in town for a 5K run that was supposed to take place here. But the event was canceled due to some nearby wildfires that were causing smoke to fill the air. I ended up doing the run virtually on the sidewalk and enjoyed the beauty of the surrounding area. You can get a glimpse of the mountains from Rocky Mountain National Park in the background. The bike park course is open to the public and to non-mountain bikers too. The perimeter track can also be used for running, walking your dog and horseback riding. The paved part can also be used for bikes, skateboards and roller skates. If you don't have a bike, they have bike rentals nearby. After I finished my run, I spotted an Elk hanging around grazing the grass.