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Rocky Mountain National Park

Bear Lake Nature Hike

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  • Rocky Mountain National Park
    Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Jehcekah
Jehcekah
First Reviewer
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4
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Editor Pick

Bear Lake Trailhead

  • July 25, 2005
  • Rated 4 of 5 by nau372 from Bethesda, Maryland
This is an immensely popular trailhead for a few reasons: It's convenient (a free RMNP shuttle drops you right there), it's in a great location (from this trailhead, you can hike to a ton of great sites: Flattop, Hallet, and Otis Mountains, Odessa Lake, Fern Lake, and Bierstadt Lake are among the popular destinations), it's a super easy walk (it's a nice loop, very short at .6 miles, with no incline to speak of and lots of shade, plus many benches to stop on to rest or observe the chipmunks and other wildlife. The trail is paved. When we've flown in in the past around lunchtime, my family and I always use this as a mini altitude acclimation. It's nice just to get out in the fresh air and look around. The walk takes us 25 minutes tops, and that's including multiple photo stops).

Most importantly, this trip is a scenic one. Bear Lake is beautiful. It has great views of Flattop and Hallet in the background. You'll definitely see some birds and chipmunks.

Another plus: restrooms are available right at the trailhead.

A drawback: Because of its immense appeal, this trailhead is almost always crowded. Don't expect a peaceful and serene spot to enjoy the scenery. It's still extremely enjoyable. If you're hiking in RMNP, you'll most likely find yourself at Bear Lake Trailhead for some hike or another.

From journal Our Trip to Rocky Mountain National Park

Editor Pick

Bear Lake Nature Hike

  • September 23, 2004
  • Rated 3 of 5 by Jehcekah from Rochester, Minnesota
The road to the Bear Lake Trailhead is temporarily closed due to road construction. You must drive to the Park and Ride lot and take a shuttle to any of the trailheads beyond Sprague Lake.

Bear Lake is a favorite stop for families and older people, as it has almost no incline and is handicap accessible. The hike around the lake is a .6-mile loop and is a paved trail. There are benches all around the trail for rests and sightseeing. The trail is easily marked and is surrounded by Hallet Peak and Flattop Mounatin, which makes it quite scenic. There are restrooms at the trailhead.

The trail is a self-guided interpretive trail. There are stops along the way to view nature and wildlife, as described in the interpretive guide. Chipmunks are a common wildlife sight in the park and the surrounding areas. Some have become so accustomed to humans that they now scamper right up to your feet looking for food. At first they are very cute, and we joked that they were our "little friends." By the end of our trip, they had become nuisances and we would have to shoo them away.

Address:
Bear Lake Trailhead, Rocky Mountain National Park

Directions:
Take the shuttle from the Park and Ride lot to the Bear Lake Trailhead.

From journal Hiking and Camping in Rocky Mountain National Park

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