Bear Lake Trailhead
- nps.gov
- Estes Park
- Open now · open 24 hours
About
Bear Lake is the starting line for half the big hikes in the Park, and the lot knows it. The loop around the water is short and flat, and it's a good first hour of a high country day. Just don't count on finding a parking spot.
Bear Lake sits at the end of Bear Lake Road, inside Rocky Mountain National Park, at about 9,475 feet. The loop around the lake is easy, somewhere between half a mile and 0.7 miles depending on which Park page you read, with only about 20 feet of gain and benches at the good views. From the same trailhead you can head for Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, Bierstadt Lake and Flattop Mountain. The Park lists Bierstadt Lake at 1.6 miles from here with about 255 feet of gain. The lot fills by about 9 a.m., and in summer you need a Timed Entry+ Bear Lake Road reservation for this road during certain hours.
My advice: skip the lot. In summer, take the free shuttle from the Park & Ride, or get here very early and walk the loop before the crowds arrive. It's the one I send friends to for a first morning at altitude, because you can feel the thin air and decide whether you want more. Winter is a different place, with snow, ice and no shuttle, and the Park strongly advises traction devices and waterproof boots. No dogs on any trail here, so leave them home. Check nps.gov/romo for the reservation rules before you drive up.
